The Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 is the ultimate gaming laptop

The Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 is a standout gaming laptop with high-end specifications and a sleek and portable design. Its slim profile and lightweight, under 2.5 kg, make it a top choice for gamers who need mobility without sacrificing extreme performance while on the go. The laptop boasts Intel’s 13th-gen processors along with NVIDIA’s RTX 40-series GPUs, delivering outstanding power for next-gen games like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Horizon Forbidden West.

The vibrant 16-inch QHD+ display also supports a refresh rate of up to 240Hz, ensuring games run buttery smooth and with stunning detail. However, it’s unfortunately always difficult to find a device that offers both portability and power. While we have playtested a few in the past, this is the first machine that comes the closest to offering the absolute best of both, outperforming every gaming laptop that has come before it.

Design

Its impressive build quality, blends brushed aluminium with minimal bezels for a modern, premium feel. Despite its slim build, the Triton Neo 16 maintains a robust cooling system that prevents overheating, even during longer gaming sessions. Although the fans can be quite loud when pushed to the limit, they do help keep performance steady. It is worth noting that the sound isn’t that distracting to be fair. The keyboard and touchpad are also super responsive, with customisable RGB lighting that enhances the gaming atmosphere.

Storage options are admittedly ample, starting at a larger 1TB SSD option with room for expansion. This is supported by 32GB of DDR5 RAM, enabling seamless multitasking and future-proofing. The battery life is respectable for a gaming laptop, which is capable of handling moderate work or media use for a handful of hours without being plugged in. When gaming, a power source is essential for maintaining peak performance, however, you can still play games on the go, just expect some fan noise and a reduced battery life in these instances.

When playing games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Cyberpunk 2077 unplugged, the battery drained quickly and the noise on the fans reached a high level, this all disappeared when plugged in and I did notice an uptick in performance.

Performance & Functionality

Audio quality is another high point, with clear sound that captures in-game effects and immersive music. This enhances the experience in titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, where sound design plays an essential role in creating an atmosphere.

The PurifiedVoice 2.0 AI-assisted noise-cancelling microphone does help when playing multiplayer online. It also kicks in when making Zoom calls for work and recording podcasts without needing an external mic to get decent quality. The 1080p webcam above the monitor is sufficient and pretty stock standard in most devices.

Windows Copilot has been added to this, with a dedicated Copilot key to access Microsoft’s AI assistant. It is worth noting that unlike other dedicated Copilot PCs, the AI relies on the internet to assist you, rather than it being built into the NPU hardware. It can be a little slow when compared to the Microsoft Copilot laptops as it does have that extra layer of accessibility and connectivity to consider. It might only really be an issue if you are an adapter of Copilot, as it is not high on my priority list, it didn’t annoy me.

The RGB backlighting is separated into three dedicated sections and can be customised with the Predator software. There is a great passthrough with each key and the floating and stray effect looks spectacular every time you boot it up. The keys themselves have great responsiveness and are well-placed.

There are shortcut keys to access the Predator Sense software and a performance cycle button along the top to easily switch between modes, without needing to open software. The trackpad is also quite large and has a design that allows for more clicking down the bottom, so if you are resting your palms there or accidentally lean too hard, it doesn’t interrupt what you are doing, a large concern for gamers like me with large hands.

Verdict & Value

The Predator Triton Neo 16 deserves every bit of praise for its balance of power, portability, and high-quality gaming experience. It’s an ideal pick for gamers who want a machine that performs excellently across a range of top-tier games and can be easily carried for use on the go. It also delivers great picture quality for watching movies and TV shows on the go, you can also connect a HDMI to a mirror on a TV or monitor.

While the battery life isn’t fantastic for blockbuster gaming, you can still get a few hours of gameplay in on a short domestic flight or between meetings. It’s ultimately a fantastic device that can easily replace a desktop PC. Even if there is some compromise on specs here, the thin and solid build makes it perfect for portability.