A real ultraportable gaming laptop computer

When I assessment merchandise, I attempt to take different views and use instances into consideration as a lot as doable. I’m very conscious that I’m not the target market for each machine. But from time to time I run into one thing that looks like it was designed particularly for me and it simply hits totally different. With the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI, that is just about the state of affairs. While it is not the flashiest or strongest gaming laptop computer available on the market, it has just about every little thing I search for in a conveyable system that lets me play video games on the go — after which some.

Design and show

The time period ultraportable is usually reserved for extra conventional thin-and-light productiveness machines, however I feel it undoubtedly applies to the Triton 14 AI. At simply 3.5 kilos and 0.71 inches thick, Acer’s rig is definitely a contact lighter and simply as skinny as a Dell 14 Premium (3.7 kilos and 0.71 inches), regardless of that includes a a lot beefier GPU. And even in comparison with rivals just like the Razer Blade 14 (3.6 kilos and 0.64 inches thick), the Triton 14 AI is not dropping a lot floor there both.

Acer / Engadget

If you favor beefier rigs, the Predator Triton 14 AI won’t be for you. But for anybody who appreciates a really cellular gaming laptop computer, Acer’s newest pint-sized system is a triumph.

Pros

• Super glossy design
• Innovative cooling
• Colorful OLED show
• Touchpad options stylus help
• Lots of ports

Cons

• Sub-optimal speaker positioning
• A bit expensive

$2,500 at Acer

Furthermore, whereas some gaming notebooks go overboard with edgy aesthetics and an abundance of RGB lighting, the Triton 14 AI seems refreshingly understated. Sure, it nonetheless has customizable LEDs behind the Predator emblem on its lid and per-key lighting on its keyboard. But apart from that, the laptop computer seems like an train in restraint for a class that usually favors extra.The different small design flourish is a pixelated Predator emblem (that appears prefer it was produced from a tiny dot matrix show) to the precise of the touchpad.. I feel it is a intelligent contact that hints on the pocket book’s gaming focus with out hitting you over the top with it.

Despite its measurement, the Triton 14 AI additionally has wonderful connectivity. You get two USB-C ports (one on both aspect), with Thunderbolt 4 help on the precise whereas the opposite is used for energy and USB 4 information speeds (each can be utilized for charging). There are additionally two USB-A 3.2 jacks, 3.5mm audio, a full-size HDMI 2.1 connector and even a microSD card reader. That means you’ll be able to simply hook it as much as an exterior monitor (which you actually should have when fragging at house). Alternatively, if you’re not gaming, it may be an awesome cellular enhancing station as a result of offloading images and movies from a digicam by way of microSD is a cinch.

Acer did not lower corners with the Triton 14 AI’s show both. Sure, its 120Hz refresh fee might be a contact quicker or it may have gone with a barely increased 3.2K show like on the Dell 14 Premium, however these are actual nitpicks. The OLED panel produces wealthy colours and in my testing, the show on my assessment unit really exceeded Acer’s acknowledged 340-nit brightness by a couple of %.

While Acer included six audio system that get loads loud, my one small gripe is that they are not positioned in the most effective spots to maximise audio high quality. There are two drivers hidden behind tiny grilles on every fringe of the laptop computer and 4 extra positioned on the underside. This means until the laptop computer is sitting on a tough reflective floor like a desk (with out one thing like a desk mat in between), audio usually sounds muffled or dampened. It’s not a dealbreaker and I perceive that the Triton 14 AI’s petite dimensions did not depart a lot room for up-firing drivers, however I want Acer had discovered an association that sounds barely higher.

Keyboard, touchpad and an uncommon particular characteristic

In addition to per-key lighting and a pleasantly bouncy typing expertise, Acer added a couple of further options to the Triton 14 AI’s mouse and keyboard that you do not usually see on gaming laptops. On the left above the operate row, there is a bodily button that makes it quick and straightforward to change between numerous efficiency modes with a single press. There’s additionally a devoted Predator key that acts as a shortcut to Acer’s app, the place you are able to do issues like tweak settings or alter the laptop computer’s lighting.

Down beneath, the Triton 14 AI options a big seamless touchpad produced from Gorilla Glass, just like what you get on a Dell 14 Premium. However, to deal with the problem of you not realizing the place the trackpad ends and the remainder of the pocket book’s deck begins, Acer added two mild strips on both aspect. It’s a easy and stylish resolution that appears good too.

However, the Triton’s actual celebration trick is that it additionally helps stylus enter (by way of MPP 2.0) with 4,096 ranges of strain sensitivity. This means you need to use it like a small built-in Wacom pill. On high of that, the laptop computer ships with an energetic pen, so that you need not shell out extra cash for one. And as a result of Windows acknowledges the stylus out of the field, there is not any further setup required. So whereas this is not one thing I’ll use on a regular basis, it is good to have for occasions once I really feel like taking notes, sketching or simply have to signal a doc electronically.

Performance

Our $2,500 assessment unit options an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD together with an NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU. Notably, that is as massive a graphics card because the Triton 14 AI can deal with, however contemplating similarly-sized rivals just like the Razer Blade 14 have the identical limitation, it is arduous to be upset. More importantly, even with out the choice for an RTX 5080 or 5090, Acer’s tiny gaming laptop computer nonetheless boasts respectable efficiency.

In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and Ultra RT settings, the Triton 14 AI hit 55 fps, which is a notch above the 45 fps I acquired from the Radeon 8060S within the ROG Z Flow 13. It additionally signifies that with only a tiny little bit of tweaking, it is simple to push framerates above 60 whereas preserving nearly the entire graphics settings maxed out. Meanwhile, in Returnal at 1080p on Epic, the Triton 14 AI fared even higher, hitting 115 fps. That falls wanting what I noticed on the Alienware 16 Area-51 (154 fps), however contemplating that is a bigger system with an RTX 5080, the distinction between the 2 machines is comprehensible.

As for cooling, Acer went past merely utilizing a built-in vapor chamber. Instead of the paste or liquid steel utilized by the competitors, the corporate says that is the primary time a graphene-based thermal interface materials has been used inside a gaming laptop computer. This makes a distinction, particularly on a pocket book this skinny, as a result of it means for much less demanding video games like Teamfight Tactics, if you happen to alter its efficiency mode you’ll be able to really play them in your lap with out worrying about scorching your legs. That mentioned, you continue to should be careful as a result of there are two largish followers on the underside as nicely, so for extra critical titles you will nonetheless wish to swap to a desk or desk.

Battery life

Longevity is commonly a priority for small, power-hungry gaming laptops like this. But by some means, Acer managed to suit a greater than sufficient 76Whr battery inside. On PCMark 10’s Modern Office rundown take a look at, the Triton 14 AI lasted seven hours and 26 minutes. That’s three hours higher than bigger programs just like the Alienware 16 Area-51 (4:13) and half an hour higher than smaller rivals just like the ASUS ROG Z Flow 13 (6:54). And although it fell quick by an hour when in comparison with a conventional ultraportable just like the Dell 14 Premium (8:30), that is nonetheless very strong when you think about the Triton’s extra highly effective graphics.

Wrap-up

If you are out there for a extra highly effective and sedentary sort of gaming laptop computer that may solely get moved round a few occasions a month (if that), the Triton 14 AI won’t be for you. But as somebody who prefers gaming laptops which might be, you realize, really moveable, this factor is just about my superb pocket book.

For $2,500 as examined, the Predator Triton 14 AI has a vivid OLED show, strong efficiency, surprisingly good battery life and an extremely glossy chassis that begs you to take this factor in all places. It’s a bit expensive, however contemplating a similarly-specced Blade 14 prices $2,700 (earlier than gross sales or reductions), you would possibly even say it is a bit of a discount. What places this factor excessive although, is that Acer may have stopped there and nobody would have complained. But then it added further options like ample ports, highly effective cooling and built-in stylus help (to not point out the included pen). In a whole lot of methods, this is not only a travel-friendly gaming machine, it is a true do-everything ultraportable.