Acer's 2021 edition of its 14-inch Predator Triton 300 SE was among our favorite gaming laptops of the year—compact, capable, and reasonably affordable. While the base Triton 300SE (increased to $1,349.99 from $1,949.99) is a similar-priced model that features an Intel Core i7 12th Generation CPU, our review unit has a faster Core i9 processor and a spectacular OLED display.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 3060 GPU is a beast in demanding games, and it generally produces 60 frames per second (fps), or higher for modern gaming. The laptop is a desirable choice for gamers who want a 14 inch gaming rig that can compete with the Alienware x14 and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. It also has a 1TB solid state drive, which offers long battery life and a large storage capacity.
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A tiny footprint, but a brilliant display
Although the Predator Triton 300 SE may not be the best 14-inch gaming laptop available, its small footprint combined with high-end specs makes it a remarkable choice. It measures 0.78 inches by 12.3 inches by 8.9 (HWD) and is slightly heavier than the ROG Zephyrus G14 and Blade 14 (0.73inch and 3.64pounds, respectively). Alienware X14, which measures 0.57 inches by 12.3 inches (HWD), is the thinnest but heaviest, at 3.96 pounds.
All four are premium 14-inch models worth showing off, though I think the all-metal Blade 14 has the most premium build of the bunch and the Asus is especially aesthetically pleasing. The Predator's physical construction is solid but unremarkable, and its plastic chassis can't hold a candle to the Razer. There's a little flex if you press the keyboard deck, and it lacks the design flair of the others, though a nice two-tone finish (part metallic, part brushed) keeps the lid from looking wholly plain.
These laptops, also known as 15-inch and 17-inch, have screen sizes of 15.6 inches and 17.3 inches, respectively. However, the displays on these machines are precisely 14 inches. This is an important factor to consider when choosing a machine that has enough screen space for you. If you intend to use your new notebook as your primary gaming device, the panels may be smaller than those of their predecessors.
That said, I generally don't find these systems too small, and you can't beat their portability. The Acer's display also boasts a 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you a slightly taller view than the familiar 16:9. This is increasingly common among productivity as well as gaming laptops, yielding a few extra vertical pixels—full HD is 1,920 by 1,200 instead of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, while QHD resolution is 2,880 by 1,800 pixels.
This panel looks amazing. The Triton 300SE's highest screen option is the 2,880-by-1.800 OLED LCD display. Its picture quality was impressively sharp in our review unit. This OLED panel looks great and colors pop, just like other OLED panels. It's one of my favorite screens on a gaming laptop. Because of its beautiful design, it makes any concerns about the screen's small size disappear.
Gamers should note, however, that the screen's refresh rate tops out at 90Hz, a far cry from the 144Hz and beyond of other high-end gaming laptops. Truthfully, as you'll see in our benchmark results, this Predator won't push most modern AAA games past 90fps, though you'll lose a bit of a competitive edge with esports and multiplayer games that benefit from sky-high frame rates (though such games aren't ideal fare for a 14-inch laptop, anyway). Acer's base-model or alternative display is a 1,920-by-1,200-pixel IPS panel with a 165Hz refresh rate.
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Connectivity and inputs
Although the keyboard and touchpad of the Triton 300 SE are decent, they're not nearly as good as their screen counterparts. The keys, as with many laptops of this size, are somewhat cramped. However, you can still type comfortably once the settings have been adjusted. Although they don't provide the best feedback, they are able to deliver some travel.
It's not surprising that such a compact system lacks the room for a large touchpad, but the Predator's pad does feel small. It's mostly fine—it tracks panning and presses well—but I did find my finger bumping fairly often into the fingerprint scanner in the top left corner, which interrupted my mouse maneuvers. That may be down to how I personally use the touchpad, but it seems the sensor would be less in the way if moved to the upper right corner or elsewhere in the palm rest. It's a minor complaint, but one I thought was worth noting.
There are many ports on the Triton 300 SE. The power jack is located on the left. There's also a USB-C port that supports Thunderbolt 4 and a USB Type-A port. On the right side, you'll find another USB-A port as well an HDMI monitor connector. Although it doesn't have a lot of ports to choose from, the majority are sufficient.
The webcam above the screen also delivers 1080p instead of the minimal 720p resolution, a boon in this era of remote work. Its video quality is definitely a cut above cheap consumer laptop cameras. The speakers are also solid, quite loud without losing quality at max volume even if they lack bass compared to some fuller setups.
Components and Configurations: The Bargain Base Model, or the Enthusiast Loadout?
Predator Triton 300SE SE is an exclusive Best Buy product priced at $1949.99 This unit is more expensive than both the Alienware x14 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, yet it's still affordable. Our Acer came with a fast Intel Core i9-12900H processor and 32GB memory. It also had a 1TB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce RTX3060 GPU.
It's an impressive loadout, especially for a 14-inch laptop, though the price is maybe a bit rich for an RTX 3060 as opposed to an RTX 3060 Ti or 3070. Larger gaming rigs in this price range almost uniformly feature faster GPUs, though the Acer isn't abnormal given size constraints—the x14 has the same RTX 3060 at an even higher price point with a Core i7 instead of Core i9 CPU.
The Triton 300 SE Base model, also sold by Best Buy, is even better. It comes with a Core i7-12700H CPU, 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD and the full HD display. Although the screen and storage are obvious upgrades, Core i7 processors and memory offer plenty of power, especially for gaming, while half a terabyte storage makes it usable. This base system compares well with the Triton 300SE last year, which was $50 more expensive. While the enthusiast configuration is less appealing, both systems have their strengths.
Our review unit offers more value than the above-mentioned rivals, and outpaces them in terms of processor speed and display. This advantage is only visible on paper, but what about in the real world? Let's see.
The Predator Triton300 SE Core i9 & RTX3060 can do it all
The 2022 Triton 300 SE was compared against its 14-inch counterparts, as well as the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Gen 7 (16-inch), which offers more portability and better cooling but is about half the price. Below are the specs of each contender.
Productivity tests
PCMark 10, the main benchmark, simulates a range of content-creation and productivity workflows in real life. It measures overall office performance such as word processing and spreadsheeting. PCMark's Full System Drive storage testing is also performed. However, it returned errors on both the Predator and SSD, while other applications and games worked fine.
To rate the suitability of a computer for processing-intensive tasks, three benchmarks examine its CPU. They use all cores and threads. Maxon's Cinebench R23 renders complex scenes using Cinema 4D, and Primate Labs Geekbench Pro simulates popular applications such as PDF rendering, speech recognition, machine learning and more. We use HandBrake, an open-source video converter to transform a 12 minute video clip from 4K resolution to 1080p (less is more).
Puget Systems' PugetBench Photoshop is our final productivity test. It uses Adobe Creative Cloud 22 to evaluate a computer's ability to create content and multi-media applications. This extension automates various tasks in Photoshop, including opening, rotating and resizing images, saving them, applying filters, gradient fills and masks.
These tests were very successful for the Triton, which won in Geekbench as well as Photoshop. It also landed on top in several benchmarks. The laptop is very capable for daily use, image and video editing, and gaming. The Core i9 processor and 32GB memory offer content creators a significant advantage. This is not a common size. The Predator is also less expensive than other models, making it a good choice if you are looking for a portable and flexible system to create creative apps or productivity when you're not gaming.
Testing Graphics and Gaming
Two DirectX 12 simulations are used to test Windows' graphics. Night Raid is a more simple one, and it's suitable for integrated GPUs. Time Spy, on the other hand, tests graphics for discrete GPU gaming rigs. Two OpenGL benchmarks are also tested using the cross-platform GFXBench. They can be run offscreen in order to adjust for different resolutions.
We also run real-world games tests with the 1080p benchmarks F1 2021 and Assassin's Creed Vahalla. They are simulations, open-world action-adventure and competitive esports shooting games. Valhalla, Siege and F1 2021 are both run at the same settings. Siege is at Medium and Ultra quality presets. F1 2021 runs twice at maximum settings.
Running at full HD rather than its native QHD resolution, the Triton 300 SE hung close to the Alienware but couldn't quite match the Asus despite all three sharing the GeForce RTX 3060, due to thermals and the individual GPUs' configured wattage—a major issue with RTX 30 Series graphics. Not surprisingly the RTX3070 laptops were a significant step ahead.
Acer's gaming system is capable of running all current games with minimal effort. Most modern games can run at 60fps in high- or peak-quality settings. Valhalla has shown that you might need to lower the quality of some games to achieve 60fps. This is also true for a few other systems. The RTX 3070 is also a good choice if frame rates are more important than portability.
It shouldn't surprise you to learn that the native resolution is 2,880 by 1.800. This setting will be best for challenging titles. F1 2021 was able to switch to native resolution with DLSS. Valhalla's frame rates dropped from 53 to 37 frames per second at the highest settings, and from 79 to 54 FPS at medium. You'll be able to play less demanding games, including desktop browsing and movie watching, at full resolution. However, most games will work better at 1,920 by 1200.
Testing of the Battery and Display
Test the battery life of laptops by running a locally saved 720p video file at 50% brightness and 100% audio volume until it quits. Before testing, we make sure that the battery has been fully charged.
We also use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Windows software to measure a laptop screen's color saturation—what percentage of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts or palettes the display can show—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).
Battery life is the most important thing. The Acer managed to tie the Zephyrus to the Acer for the gold medal. The Triton's 10 hour runtime means you can take it to class, or to a meeting with no need for an AC adapter. As for its OLED screen, the SpyderX numbers backed up my eye tests—color coverage is extremely wide and peak brightness is high. This screen is great for creators and gamers alike.
Verdict: A Very Worthy 14-Inch Entry
Acer's Predator Triton 300 SE, the latest version of its Predator Triton 300 SE gaming laptop is strong. It packs plenty power and top-end features in a small package that's not too expensive. The device is able to compete with the 15-inch gaming rigs of Alienware and Razer.
Of course, there are many differences. We are pleased with the Triton's affordable price, but the base model, which includes the GeForce RTX 3120 and GeForce RTX 3060 is a more value-oriented option at less than $1,400. The Acer's build quality is good, but it's not as high as its competitors'. The Predator's shortcomings are minor, but they're a price you have to pay for the beautiful screen, excellent battery life and Core i9 power. There's nothing to be unhappy about. Although the new Triton 300 SE does not define 14-inch computers like some of its rivals, it is close to the top of the class.