I can honestly say that I did not have “Buy a Gaming Laptop” on my 2025 bingo yet here we are. Meet my new Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (how do people come up with such extravagant names?)
When I bought my Lenovo Ideapad 5 Pro (which is still going strong) back in 2021 it was meant for both work and pleasure. Back then I only saw myself playing simpler, less-demanding games and the Ideapad was more than capable. But this year I wanted to get into Street Fighter 6 which, for the record, does run nicely on the Ideapad but hotter than I’d like it to be. I didn’t want to risk my work laptop so started shopping around for my first gaming laptop.
I’d come into possession of a $100 discount coupon valid only for Acer products so I naturally started looking at reviews. Almost immediately the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 jumped into the spotlight for its value for money. Acer has always been able to eke out a few more dollars worth of savings compared to its competition and this laptop was no exception.
Life came by so busy for me that I actually missed the coupon deadline by a week. The shop wouldn’t honour the coupon (they weren’t obligated to, really) so I accepted the fact that I was either going to pay a little bit more or I’d have to look for alternatives. But as luck would have it some other computer shops started having sales in conjunction with Brunei’s 41st National Day with one offering the Predator Helios Neo 16 cheaper than the price I would have paid with the coupon. I grabbed one without hesitation. My friend said Heaven provided for me which is nice though there are other things I wish it had provided for instead. Still, I am thankful that I was able to get a gaming laptop at a discounted price.
This year will also mark the 10th birthday if my Asus Zenbook UX303. The old girl is still chugging along though noticeably slower than when I first got it. With Windows 10 support ending this year I will likely install Linux Mint to keep it going a few years longer.