A whole Neo world

This slender yet powerful gaming laptop isn't exactly what you'd call cheap, but can it offer new levels of bang for a relatively sensible buck?

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from £2000/go.stuff.tv/16Sai

Draw a line straight through the middle of Acer's gaming laptop lineup and you'll probably hit the Predator Helios Neo 16S Al. Not quite a desktop replacement, not quite a super-slim travel companion, it's a best-of-both machine... but that doesn't mean it skimps on hardware.

There are two options when it comes to RAM and storage, but both are packing Intel's Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. My review unit pairs the 24-core chip with 32GB of memory and a 2TB NVMe SSD, while the graphics are handled by a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. Nvidia's third-rung laptop graphics chip is perfectly equipped to handle games at the 2560x1600 native resolution of the Predator's OLED display.

It's not lacking in terms of power, then - but could its more mainstream styling and material choices hold it back against the decidedly more stylish competition?

Gypsy size

At well over 2kg (and more if you include the power brick) this is no featherweight, but Even with the larger footprint created by its protruding rear section, this is a laptop I'd be happy to sling in a bag and take out.

Fleet sixteen