Taiwanese tech maker Acer today unveiled nearly a dozen new laptops across four of its product lines intended for launch in South Africa this year. Depending on what you’re looking for, prices range from R15,000 all the way up to R90,000. Availability is also device-specific but they should all be here by September, with the first arriving in June.
There were several other products mentioned, including an air purifier, e-bike, Chromebook, desktop gaming PC, and two gaming monitors. But, as far as we know, only nine laptop-shaped devices will grace South Africa’s shelves, digital or otherwise.
Of the laptops heading to SA; one belongs to Acer’s eco-friendly Vero range, three hail from the TravelMate business-focused series, another from the brand’s creator and designer-oriented Swift line, and four from the high-end Predator gaming family.
Acer Aspire Vero
Aspire Vero 15
Price: from R15,000
Available: September 2023
Sustainability has been a hot topic in the tech industry ever since we learned that humans are killing the planet at ever-increasing rates. What better way to combat this issue than to produce yet more e-waste?
Luckily for Planet Earth, Acer’s new Aspire Vero 15 emits “30% less CO2 than comparable products in the production of its chassis material,” according to Acer. Why this needs to be a whole separate product range and not just incorporate the environmentally friendly bits into the brand’s other SKUs is a valid question that we, unfortunately, don’t have the answer to.
Nevertheless, if you want a new laptop but feel guilty about giving your grandkids less time to enjoy the fresh air, the Aspire Vero 15 has been updated with the latest tech, including an Intel 13th-gen CPU, a 1440p webcam (for some reason), and WiFi 6E. It can be fitted with up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of local storage. At least the price is somewhat attractive, but that’ll vary based on the configuration you go for. Did we mention it uses recycled plastic?
Acer TravelMate
TravelMate P6 14in
Price: from R28,000
Available: July 2023
Acer’s TravelMate line of no-nonsense business machines, designed for doing business things like mergers and deals, has also received a 2023 refresh. The TravelMate P6, TravelMate P4 Spin, and TravelMate P2 are all coming to SA equipped with a 13th-gen Intel CPU of varying capability.
The high-end TravelMate P6 also receives a display upgrade in the form of a 14in OLED panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 2,880×1,800 resolution. It will ship with an Intel Evo badge, a Core i7 CPU, up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a fast-charging 65Wh battery. Along with WiFi 6E, some models even support 5G for faster mobile connections.
TravelMate P4 Spin 14in
Price: from R22,000
Available: June 2023
The TravelMate P4 Spin will be available in 14in and 16in sizes, although it seems only the 14in model is coming our way. It too will be available with up to an Intel i7 CPU, but is also equipped with an Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU. We’re not sure if Microsoft is working on adding ray tracing to PowerPoint or Excel just yet but we doubt this GPU will be able to add traced rays to anything else. The ‘Spin’ in the name here, as you’ve probably guessed, means you’re looking at a 2-in-1 convertible with a touchscreen panel protected in this case by Corning Gorilla Glass.
TravelMate P2
Price: from 18,000
Available: June 2023
The TravelMate P2 is also available in 14in and 16in sizes with Acer explicitly stating that both will be available here. Apart from the 2in size difference, the displays of both also get the 16:10 WUGXA (1920 x 1200) treatment. Expect 13th-gen Intel CPUs here along with Nvidia’s RTX 2050 GPU. And just like Acer’s Vero range, these also claim to include recycled plastic in their construction.
Acer Swift
Swift X 16
Price: from R30,000
Available: August 2023
Before creators and designers start feeling left out, Acer announced a new addition to its Swift line, the Swift X 16. 2023 seems to be the year of the 16:10 ‘golden ratio’ as this is yet another laptop adopting the slightly wider format. The Swift X 16, like the TravelMate P6, is also a recipient of Acer’s new OLED tech that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3,200 x 2,000 resolution. It’s rounded out with a VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 certification.
Interestingly, the Swift X 16 foregoes Intel’s latest chips in favour of an AMD Ryzen 9 7940H processor along with the much more capable Nvidia RTX 4050 mobile GPU for all the video or 3D rendering you can throw at it. Nvidia’s Studio GPU drivers come pre-installed but we reckon you could probably get away with some light gaming if you so wish.
Those chips are paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 2TB of local storage. You also get a 1080p webcam, WiFi 6E connectivity, and a selection of ports including a microSD card slot.
Acer Predator
Predator Triton 17 X
Price: from R90,000
Available: July 2023
At the very top of the performance spectrum, Acer announced four new laptops that it thinks will blow your socks off… and we aren’t just talking about their prices. The Predator Triton 17 X is apparently Acer’s most powerful gaming laptop to date, which is easy to see from the spec sheet.
It can be configured with up to an Intel 13th-gen Core i9-13900HX which is only second to its Core i9-13980HX chip, and that’s only in certain applications. That’s paired with Nvidia’s latest and greatest RTX 4090 GPU, up to 64GB of high-speed DDR5 RAM, and 4TB of local storage configured in RAID 0 for increased speed. Speed was clearly a focus here.
Unsurprisingly, the Triton 17 X’s display also receives the 16:10 upgrade. Here, that results in a 17in mini-LED panel with a 2,560×1,600 resolution and 250Hz refresh rate. But if you want to experience all this goodness, you’ll need exceptionally deep pockets.
Predator Helios Neo 16
Price: from R37,000
Available: June 2023
The slightly smaller Helios Neo 16 might not feature the literal best the industry has to offer, but it’ll still offer more than enough performance for most folks. And at more than half the price of the Triton 17 X, it might offer the price-to-performance ratio that most South Africans are after.
It can be kitted with up to an RTX 4070 along with one of Intel’s 13th-gen CPUs, up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and 2TB of storage. There are two display resolutions to choose from, 2,560 x 1,600 or 1,920 x 1,200. Both support a 165Hz refresh rate and 16:10 aspect ratio.
Predator Triton 14
Price: from R35,000
Available: June 2023
If you aren’t looking for a gaming desktop replacement and still need to show up to meetings without drawing too much attention, the Predator Triton 14 is what Acer hopes you’ll opt for. Configurations top out with Intel’s 13th-gen Core i7 CPU which can be paired with either an RTX 4070 or 4050 GPU and up to 32GB of high-speed DDR5 RAM. The 14in display is another 16:10 mini-LED affair with a resolution up to 2,560 x 1,600 and a 250Hz refresh rate.
Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition
Price: from R90,000
Available: August 2023
Perhaps the most exciting inclusion to Acer’s locally available gaming laptop range is the Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition. As you might’ve guessed from the name, this is the first locally available laptop featuring the company’s SpatialLabs glasses-free 3D tech after it debuted the tech globally early last year.
In this Helios laptop, that tech comes in the shape of a 15.6in display that uses a combination of SpatialLabs’ eye-tracking system, stereoscopic 3D display tech, and real-time scene rendering technologies to add extra depth to what you’re working on or the game you’re playing. Whether this technology is anything more than a flash in the pan, particularly when it comes to gaming, remains to be seen.
Apart from the headline 3D feature, this machine comes packed with an Intel Core i9-13900HX processor, Nvidia RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, and up to 32GB of high-speed DDR5 RAM to drive all that extra depth.
