Acer Predator Triton 14 reviewed: A 14-inch gaming laptop with a bright display and an RTX 4050

The compact gaming laptop represents the current state of the art: Raptor Lake, Ada Lovelace, LPDDR5, PCIe 4, Thunderbolt 4. What we’re dealing with here is the almost identical successor to the already reviewed Acer Predator Triton 300 SE . Competing devices are the Razer Blade 14 , the MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V , the Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED BMF , the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023 M2 Pro Entry and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RJ .

The laptop’s technology is housed in a silver-gray metal case. Acer has opted for smooth, matte surfaces. The compact computer doesn’t offer any eye-catching design elements meaning it can also pass as an office laptop.

Likewise, extravagant LED bars are also absent. In addition to the key lighting, a small illuminated Predator logo on the palm rest mixes things up color-wise. The Triton does show any signs of manufacturing flaws.

The gap dimensions are correct and no excess material protrudes from the device. The base unit and the lid can be twisted slightly but all within an acceptable range. Pressure placed on the rear of the lid does not result in any image distortions.

The hinges hold the lid firmly in place with the maximum opening angle coming in at around 175 degrees. Opening the device one-handed is possible. Regarding the dimensions, there’s not much to choose between most of the competing devices.

The MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V is the exception to the rule: It takes up more space than the competition. When it comes to weight, the Acer laptop finds itself in the middle of the pack. The selection of ports is quite limited: The PT14 can call two USB-A ports (USB 3.

2 Gen 2) and a USB-C port (Thunderbolt 4) its own. The USB-C port supports Power Delivery and can output a Displayport signal. There are a total of two video outputs (HDMI 2.

1, DP). An audio jack completes the package. The MicroSD memory card reader (reference card: AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) belongs to the slowest models with its maximum transfer speeds of 19 MB/s (the transfer of 250 jpg image files at around 5 MB each) and 26 MB/s (copying large data blocks).

Under optimum conditions (no Wi-Fi devices nearby, a short distance between the laptop and the server PC), wonderful Wi-Fi data speeds can be achieved. The laptop has a Wi-Fi 6E chip (Killer AX1675i) on board. An ethernet port is not available.

The webcam (2. 1 MP, max. 1,920 x 1,080 pixels) doesn’t come with a mechanical shutter.

However, in terms of quality, it cannot set itself apart from the competition. It falters in the area of color accuracy with the colors deviating from their target value. On top of the usual documents (quick start guide and warranty information), no additional accessories are included with the laptop.

After removing all of the screws on the base of the device, the lower shell can be removed with the help of a plectrum. Consequently, this helps gain access to the SSD (PCIe 4, M. 2 2280), the BIOS battery, the Wi-Fi module, fans, speakers and the battery.

Acer has granted the 14-inch device a two-year warranty. Extending this to three years costs almost $100. The chiclet keyboard’s flat, smooth keys (RGB lighting) have short travel and a clearly defined pressure point and nice key resistance.

When typing, the keyboard doesn’t wobble. Good: All four arrow keys are normal-sized. Overall, Acer has provided a keyboard suitable for everyday use.

An alternative mouse comes in the form of a multi-touch capable Clickpad (around 10. 5 x 6. 5 cm) across which the user’s fingers gilde effortlessly.

It enjoys short travel and a clearly defined pressure point. Acer has equipped its Predator with a 14-inch display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) in a work-friendly, 16:10 aspect ratio. On the plus side, there is G-Sync support, the absence of PWM flickering, short response times and a high brightness of (516.

2 cd/m²). The contrast ratio (944:1) just misses its target value (> 1. 000:1).

The alternatively available mini-LED display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) ought to have significantly higher contrast and comes with a DisplayHDR 600 certification. Out-of-the-box, the screen has decent color reproduction: With a deviation of around 3. 3, the target value (DeltaE < 3) is narrowly missed.

A calibration reduces this value to 1. 1 and ensures balanced gray scales. Color accuracy is given: The panel reproduces the sRGB and the DCI P3 color spaces completely and the AdobeRGB space to 86 percent.

The competition’s screens tell the same story. We have created our very own color profile which can be downloaded and used. A link for this can be found in the “Display” inbox.

The IPS panel has stable viewing angles and is legible from every position. Thanks to the display’s high brightness, the screen can also be viewed in an outdoor setting. With the Predator Triton 14, Acer has a 14-inch laptop made for gaming and rendering.

The Core i7-13700H and GeForce RTX 4050 deliver the necessary computational power. More performant variants have a GeForce RTX 4070 on board. .

The laptop offers six manufacturer-specific system modes – four in mains operation and two in battery mode (see table). We used the “Balanced” (benchmarks) and “Eco” (battery tests) modes. “Turbo” and “Performance” are only available when plugged into the wall (battery level > 30 %).

One key located above the keyboard is responsible for fast switching between the modes. Alternatively, this can be done via the PredatorSense software (the laptop’s control center). An LED displays the active mode.

The Core-i7-13700H processor (Raptor Lake) consists of eight efficiency cores (no hyperthreading, 1. 8 to 3. 7 GHz) and six performance cores (hyperthreading, 2.

4 to 5 GHz). In total, this represents a total of 20 logical CPU cores. The benchmark results are above the typical CPU average – regardless of the selected performance mode.

The relevant single-thread performance (179 points) drops less in battery mode than the multi-thread performance (992 points). Under continuous multi-thread load (CB15 loop) the turbo clock speed drops from the first to the third run. Subsequently, a consistent level is maintained.

The “Turbo” profile ensures minimally higher results. Generally, the difference between the modes is very small. The smooth-running system has enough power at its disposal for demanding applications such as rendering and gaming – something confirmed by the good PC Mark results.

The RAM’s transfer rates are within a normal range for LPDDR5 6000 RAM. The standardized Latency Monitor test (internet surfing, 4k video playback, Prime95 High Load) revealed abnormalities. The system doesn’t appear to be suitable for real time video and audio editing.

Future software updates could either improve or worsen matters. Storage stinginess at Acer: The installed PCIe 4 SSD (M. 2 2280) has a capacity of only 512 GB – not enough for a gaming laptop and especially one in this price category.

The Micron SSD is very decent but does not have outstanding transfer speeds. Cons: In the course of the DiskSpd loop, there are performance dips due to thermal throttling. There is no space for an additional storage medium.

The GeForce RTX 4050 laptop GPU offers 2,560 shaders, a 96-bit wide bus and fast GDDR6 RAM (6,144 MB). Acer has set the maximum TGP to 95 watts. According to the Witcher 3 test, the TGP is not maxed out.

The benchmark results are above the RTX 4050 average. However, this doesn’t apply when using the “Quiet” mode. The direct video output via the GeForce GPU doesn’t provide an increase in performance and switching between the dGPU and Optimus doesn’t require a reboot – Advanced Optimus is supported.

The Predator’s hardware is intended for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings. Nevertheless, the screen’s maximum resolution (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) can be taken advantage of – at sometimes lower settings. We measured frame rates above the RTX 4050 average.

In order to check whether the frame rates remain stable over a longer period of time, we ran the Witcher 3 game for around 60 minutes at FullHD resolution and maximum quality settings. The game character was not moved and we did not detect a dip in the frame rate. In everyday use (office, internet, .

. . ) the Triton usually runs quietly – irrespective of the selected mode.

The noise level can increase to up to 56 dB(A) (“Turbo”) and 53 dB(A) (“Performance”), respectively. We used the “Balanced” and recorded a moderate 43 dB(A). Overall, lower noise production can be achieved by applying the “Quiet” mode – with a relatively small drop in performance.

Under load, the laptop heats up noticeably. At several measuring points, we recorded temperatures between 50 and 56 °C. When it comes to everyday use, these figures are in the green zone.

The stress test (Prime95 and Furmark in continuous operation) is an extreme scenario which examines the system stability under full load. The CPU clock speed drops initially from 4. 4 to 4.

5 GHz (P) and 3. 1 GHz (E) and then gradually from 2. 1 to 2.

2 GHz (P) and 1. 3 GHz (E). The GPU clock speed levels off at 1,750 at 1,800 MHz.

The stereo speakers produce decent sound which is mostly free of any bass. A better audio experience could be achieved by using headphones or an external speaker. There’s nothing abnormal can be said regarding the computer’s power consumption.

The results find themselves in a normal range for the installed hardware. The stress test and Witcher 3 test were run with either dropping or constant power consumption. The PSU (230-watt) is more than adequately-sized.

In the Wi-Fi test (loading websites with the help of a script) and video test (the Big Buck Bunny short film (H. 264 coding, FHD) in a loop), the 14-inch device achieved runtimes of 5 hours 2 minutes and 8 hours 59 minutes, respectively. During both tests, the laptop’s energy-saving functions were deactivated and the display brightness was set to around 150 cd/m².

In addition, the video test was carried out with the radio module switched off. The 14-inch laptop’s main applications ought to be in the areas of rendering and gaming. The Core i7-13700H and the GeForce RTX 4050 provide the necessary power with both chips running at a consistently high clock speed.

If more graphics power is required, Acer also has GeForce RTX 4070 variants on offer. A ton of computational power in a 14-inch frame: With the Predator Triton 14, Acer has delivered a potent laptop. The laptop gets noticeably warm and can produce a considerable amount of noise.

We primarily used the “Balanced” system mode and it ensured only moderate background noise with relatively small performance loss. Overall, the 16:10 display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels, IPS, 165 Hz, G-Sync) is impressive. Stand-out points include its high brightness and DCI P3 coverage.

These are joined by real-life battery runtimes of 5 to 9 hours. Positive: The battery can be charged via the USB-C mains adapter (min. 65-watt, 20 V).

Power Delivery is supported. This means you don’t have to be accompanied by the proprietary PSU (230-watt) wherever you go. The Predator’s weaknesses lie mainly in its storage: A meagre SSD capacity (512 GB), no space for additional SSDs, soldered RAM with no expansion possibilities and a very slow-running memory card reader.

All in all, more should be expected of a laptop in this price category. An alternative could come in the shape of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V . It is equipped with the same CPU and GPU, offering a little more power than the Predator and scores extra points for its two RAM banks.

However, at a price of around $2,000, it’s not one of the cheapest devices. The review spec variant of Acer’s laptop can be currently had on Amazon for $1,440 . .