Hardware maker Acer has unveiled their new range of hardware for 2020 during their Acer@Next live-stream from their head office in Taipei. Unveiled where a new range of Windows and ChromeOS laptops, and new Predator gaming equipment, as well as new devices in their creative ConceptD line.
Chromebook Spin
Acer unveiled two new Acer Chromebooks, the Chromebook Spin 311 and Chromebook Spin 713, both of which come with Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreens.
The Chromebook Spin 311 is the lower end model with a plastic body and 11.6-inch display run by a Mediatek MT8183 processor. The base model coming with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage – though configurations will vary from market to market.
The Chromebook Spin 713 is the big hitter of the two, with a 13.5” VertiView 3:2 aspect ratio display and running the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors, up to 16 GB DDR4 SDRAM and up to 256 GB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage.
The Chromebook Spin 713 is U.S. MIL-STD 810G compliant meaning it can take a hit and keep coming back.
Connectivity wise, the Chromebook Spin 713 includes two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, both supporting USB 3.2 Gen 1, a HDMI port, USB 3.0 and MicroSD card reader. It also comes with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.0.
Locally, Acer Australia has confirmed the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H) will arrive here, though we’ll have to wait for pricing and launch date. The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 and Chromebook Spin 713 will hit Europe in June, with the Spin 311 starting at EUR 299, while the Chromebook Spin 713 will be starting at EUR 699.
Swift 5
Acer also announced a new Swift 5 laptop, also with an Antimicrobial screen and body, which is made from high-grade magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminium.
The Swift 5 will run the next-gen Intel Core processors – 11th Gen if you’re counting – featuring either Intel’s integrated Xe graphics platform or NVIDIA GeForce MX350 GPUs.
There’s not a lot of details on the new Swift 5, except it has a 14-inch FHD IPS touch display and a heap of connectors including dual USB-A ports, a USB-C Thunderbolt port, and a headphone jack.
There will be a number of configs available, including options up to 1 TB of high-speed PCle SSD storage and up to 16GB of RAM.
The Swift 5 will hit Europe from October starting at EUR 1,099 and Acer Australia has advised the Acer Swift 5 will be available in late Q4 with local pricing to be confirmed.
ConceptD 2020 lineup
Acer has also unveiled new entries in their creative focused ConceptD line. There’s new monitors, laptops and even a desktop in the new series.
The range includes the ConceptD 3 notebook range which has options for a standard, or Ezel hinge, the powerful ConceptD 100 desktop for content creators who work in small businesses and creative studios, and three new ConceptD monitors.
The ConceptD 3 range includes either a 14-inch or 15.6-inch FHD resolution PANTONE-Validated touchscreen. You’ll have options for either a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 H-series processor, and up to 1TB SSD storage. Aimed at creatives, of course you’ll have options with a choice of Geforce GTX 1650Ti, or Quadro T1000 graphics cards.
Both ConceptD notebooks come with a full-size SD card reader and weigh in at just 1.68kg/1.95kg. Being on the go should present no issues with up to18 hours of battery life.
For those wanting a desktop solution, the ConceptD 100 Desktop, is just the ticket with a powerful 9th Gen Intel Core processor and options for either an NVIDIA GeForce or Quadro Graphics card. You can also configure storage and memory with up to 256 GB of ultrafast SSD storage, and 32 GB of DDR4 RAM.
Acer also announced new ConceptD monitors, the ConceptD CP5 and CP3, as well as the CM3.
The monitors appear to be 27-inch in size with the CP3 and CM3 both spruiking PANTONE-Validation and WQHD 3840 x 2160 resoultion, while the CP5 offers WQHD 2560 x 1440 resolution
ConceptD 3 Ezel will launch in Australia, with pricing and date to be confirmed, it will be available in Europe in September from EUR 1,699.
ConceptD 3 will also come to Australia, with price and launch date coming soon. It will be available in Europe in October starting at EUR 1,299.
ConceptD 100 will be available in Europe in June starting at EUR 799.
ConceptD CP5 will be available in Europe in August, from EUR 759.
ConceptD CP3 will go on sale the same month, starting at EUR 629.
ConceptD CM3 has also been confirmed to be coming to Australia, though no price or date is available yet, though it will be available in August, from EUR 719.
Predator
Acer is well known for their Predator range of gaming PCs and accessories, and their latest Predator Helios, Nitro and Triton gaming laptops and desktops offer some noteable updates including the latest 10th Gen Intel processors, and Nvidia Graphics cards.
First off the rank is the Predator Helios 700 with 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK processor, options for up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and Nvidia’s GeForce 2080 Super Max-Q graphics. The 17.3-inch FHD (1080p) IPS display has a 144Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support.
The Predator Helios 700 features Acer’s HyperDrift Keyboard, which slides out and down giving a convenient, and comfortable wrist rest, which also allows for improved cooling. The keyboard also features ‘MagTek mechanical switches for the WASD keys and a set of new racing keys which offer increased precision’.
The laptop comes with Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i wireless and E3100G Ethernet, as well as Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Acer has also announced the new Predator Helios 300, a laptop which offers gamers the latest 10th Gen Intel Core H-series processors, as well as an overclockable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU with Max-Q Design. You’ll also get options for up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory, two PCIe NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 configuration and up to a 2 TB hard drive
The laptop includes a 240 Hz 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with 3 ms overdrive, for great response.
For those who want their gaming a little more portable, Acer has announced the Predator Triton 300, a slimmer, yet still powerful option with 10th Gen Intel Core H-series processors, and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU with Max-Q Design. The 15.6-inch FHD IPS display has a 240 Hz refresh rate.
The laptop can support up to three M.2 SSDs (one PCIe, two combos), and up to 32GB of RAM.
The Nitro 7 offers another option for those wanting a more on-the-go solution, with the metal chassis weighing in at 2.5 kg.
The Nitro 7 still includes a 10th Gen Intel Core H-series processor and up to a GeForce RTX™ 2060 graphics pushing the 15.6-inch non-glare FHD IPS display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 3 ms response.
You can configure the Nitro 7 with up to three storage devices with slots for high-speed M.2 SSDs, and up to 1 TB in RAID 0 configuration. You also get up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM and connectivity wise you get Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6
Predator Helios 700 will arrive in Australia, though pricing and launch date are still being confirmed. The system will hit Europe in September starting at EUR 2,699.
Predator Helios 300 will also be coming to our shores, though again price and launch date are yet to be confirmed. The Helios 300 will arrive in Europe in July from EUR 1,299.
Predator Triton 300 gaming notebook will be available at Harvey Norman in July; though pricing is still to be confirmed.
Nitro 7 will be coming here, but price and launch date are still coming, it will be available in Europe from July, starting at EUR 1,299.
While still on gaming, Acer also announced new Orion 3000 and 9000 desktops, as well as Predator X25 and Predator XB3 gaming monitors, as well as Nitro 50 gaming desktops and a new Predator branded Gaming Chair, complete with bluetooth speakers and 4-roller massager – in partnership with OSIM.
The Predator Orion 3000 desktops are mid-sized towers which come with 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GPU, with up to 64 GB of 2666 MHz DDR4 memory, and up to 1TB2 PCIe NVMe SSD and two 3.5-inch SATA3 hard drives.
The Predator Orion 9000 desktops are full sized machines packing Intel Core i9 Extreme Edition processor, dual NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards in SLI mode, and up to three 3.5-inch HDDs and two 2.5-inch SDDs with a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C hot swap dock for SSD/HDDs.
The Predator Orion 9000 also features a new totally transparent tempered glass side-panel which lets you see all your cool internals, as well as shielding from EMI – so no more grey/white noise pickup on your microphone.
For gamers on a budget, the Nitro 50 Series desktops deliver powerful performance for lag-free gaming. Acer will offer them with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and up to a GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER graphics card. You’ll be able to configure the Nitro 50 with up to 64GB of RAM and up to a 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD and two 3TB HDDs.
The Predator X25 is a 24.5-inch gaming monitor with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and super speedy 360 Hz refresh rate. The XB3 though comes in 24-inch and 31.5-inch in 4K resolution with up to 240 Hz refresh rates – both support G-Sync.
Professional gamers and eSports enthusiasts will love the new Predator gaming chair, made in partnership with OSIM.
The chair features dual Bluetooth speakers built into the head-rest and 4x Roller Massage function with controls in the arm-rest. The chair tilts back to 145-degress, so it’s super comfy for those long sessions.
Finally, a mouse, the Predator Cestus 350 gaming mouse. The mouse features teh option to ‘create five custom profiles or leverage preset DPI (up to 16,000) settings via the hyper-accurate Pixart 3335 optical sensor and make use of 8 programmable buttons.
Predator XB3 Series will launch locally in Australia, though no price or date has been released. It will be available in Europe in August starting at EUR 439.
Predator Orion 9000 will be available in Europe in October starting at EUR 2,799
Predator Orion 3000 will be available in Australia in September starting from AUD $2,499.
Nitro 50 will be available in Australia in September starting from AUD $1,599.
Predator Cestus 350 gaming mouse will be available in Q2 in Europe, starting at EUR 99.
Enduro
Acer has announced their entry into the ruggedised laptop line, with the Enduro range.
The Enduro range will offer both Windows and Android options, with the T1 coming as either a 10-inch Windows tablet, that can double as a 10.1-inch notebook via an optional portfolio keyboard or an 8-inch Android tablet.
Both the T1 Windows and Android devices are MIL-STD 810G certified, with IP54 dust/water resistance. The T1 Windows machine will run an Intel Celeron processor with 64GB of storage, however no details are available for the Android tablet.
The Enduro T5 Windows based tablet is another option which includes a 7th Gen Intel Core m3 processor, with a hot-swappable battery capable of 10 hours of battery life.
The Enduro T5 includes MIL-STD 810G certification, but bests the T1 for dust/water resistance with an IP65 certification.
For those wanting a more traditional laptop form-factor you’ll have a choice between the Enduro N3 and N7.
The Enduro N7 includes a 14-inch display in a shock resistant casing which is MIL-810G and IP65 certified. The laptop includes a 10-hour battery life, with the ability to hot-swap a battery when running low.
The laptop is powered by a quad-core Intel 8th Gen Core i5 processor, but not much else is known about the internals.
Acer is also offering the Enduro N3 with a 14-inch display, 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 32GB of DDR4 memory. You’ll be able to get an NVIDIA GeForce MX230 Graphics card and up to 512GB of PCIe Gen3 NVMe SSD storage and it has a 13 hour battery life.
The Enduro N3 is also MIL-STD 810G certified, but only has an IP53 dust/water resistance rating.
Only the Acer Enduro N3 has been given any launch or pricing info, with it expected to arrive in Europe in June, starting at EUR 999.
