A strong market trend for several months, thin and light 15-inch gaming laptops have become essential. If Gigabyte with its Aero 15 and MSI with its GS range have paved the way, now each brand offers its vision of the compact player laptop. At Acer, this role falls to the Predator Triton 500.
At Acer, the task falls to the Concept range of which ConceptD 7 is today the flagship. In addition to its powerful configuration, the CN715-71 stands out with its screen. If its UHD definition is quite common, its extended gamut with full coverage of the RGB space is less. Acer also puts forward a DeltaE lower than 2 as well as a pre-calibration in the factory.
Pros and Cons
| Predator Triton 500 | ConceptD 7 |
| Quite sober design | Quality screen (for a laptop PC) |
| Thunderbolt 3 | Noise well controlled |
| Comfortable and efficient keyboard | Good battery life despite the UHD panel |
| Average performance | SSD / RAM upgrade too complicated |
| No Windows Hello | No Windows Hello |
General Info
| Predator Triton 500 | ConceptD 7 | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | Acer | Acer |
| Model | Predator Triton 500 | ConceptD 7 |
| Weight | 2.1 kg | 2.1 Kg |
| OS | Windows 10 Home (64-Bit) | Windows 10 Pro 64-bit |
| Display | Full HD IPS | Ultra HD 4K LED |
| Dimensions | 15.6 Inches | 15.6 Inches |
| Type | Laptop | Laptop |
| Colors | – |
Predator Triton 500
The Triton 500 initially displays a rather sober look thanks to its elegant satin black color but quite sensitive to fingerprints. The Predator logo remains discreet (size 55×55 mm) even if its rim and the blue ventilation grilles will undoubtedly not be unanimous.
The aluminum frame gives a good impression when you first use it. A feeling of robustness is confirmed by opening the computer, at least for the lower part of the chassis. The screen is more disappointing due to its mat plastic surround, which contrasts with the premium positioning of this Triton 500 range at first, but also and above all because of a strong sensitivity to pressure in its lower part (at the level of the Predator inscription in bottom of the screen). To a lesser extent, the hinges are somewhat lacking in support. Nothing prohibitive in practice but a feeling accentuated by the contrast between the “bottom and the top” of the chassis.
ConceptD 7
In a world where dark colors and “raw” aluminum predominate, Acer relies on white for its ConceptD 7 range laptops. The advantage is that it is undoubtedly the color where fingerprints are least visible, even after several days of use. Nomads will appreciate it.
On the other hand, white is much more dependent on its environment. Consequently, depending on the light, one can perceive the color as drawing more towards yellow than white. An observation also presents with darker colors but whose perception is not so “clear-cut.”
Beyond this small detail, the aluminum frame is sober and benefits from a neat finish. The rigidity is good overall. Despite its muscular configuration – it embeds the most powerful mobile graphics card of the moment – its weight is contained, just over 2 kg, which makes it compatible with frequent trips.
Connoisseurs will undoubtedly have an impression of déjà vu with the chassis of this ConceptD 7. Indeed, it is a sober variation of that of the Predator Triton 500 PT515-51 tested a few months ago.
Display
| Predator Triton 500 | ConceptD 7 | |
| Display Type | Full HD IPS | Ultra HD 4K LED |
| Display Size | 15.6 Inches | 15.6 Inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840×2160 |
| Display Touchscreen | – | – |
| Display Features | Full HD LED IPS 144Hz 3ms borderless | Ultra HD 4K LED ComfyView IPS 400nits |
| Dimension | 358.14 x 254 x 17.78 mm | 304 x 217 x 14.6 mm |
Predator Triton 500
With 7mm side borders and a slightly thicker top post (11mm), the screen sticks to the borderless trend. However, the effect is less “impacting” because of the lower edge of more than 30 mm. On the other hand, we welcome the possibility of opening the screen to 180 °: an increasingly rare feature but practical to slide the computer under an external screen, for example.
The sRGB space is 90% covered; the contrast ratio is 1179: 1, the average DeltaE after characterization at 0.26 (max value at 1.46), the white point at 6850K for a maximum brightness of 332 cd / m2. Values consistent with the category average.
The 0.9 MP webcam is typical of a laptop computer. It lacks details and quickly presents a pronounced noise as soon as the light declines of average quality. We can only recommend a USB webcam if you have regular use of the camera.
ConceptD 7
Acer to guarantee stricter specifications in terms of colorimetry on its ConceptD laptops. It must recognize that screens remain the weak link on most models. And apart from the generalization of IPS, no effort has been made in recent years.
The ranges intended for designers, however, seem to be raising awareness. Thus, on our ConceptD 7, we see that the promises are well kept with a native white point around 6300 / 6540K depending on the chosen brightness. Ditto for the average DeltaE at 1.21 before characterization, which drops to 0.9 afterward. The sRGB and Adobe RGB spaces are fully covered (compared to around 87% for the DCI P3). Maximum brightness is 375 cd / m² for a contrast ratio of 1365: 1.
Apart from these characteristics, the ConceptD 7 panel (AU Optronics AUO31EB / AUO B156ZAN03.1) stands out for its UHD definition and matt surface. Thus, you will benefit from an increased fineness of display or even why not a useful surface greater than Full HD for those who manage to read with a scaling less than 200%.
The webcam is typical of a laptop, quite average. If the light conditions are good, the quality is correct despite a fairly marked noise—a phenomenon which is accentuated as the darkness increases.
Unfortunately, the webcam is not compatible with Windows Hello. A dead-end is all the more regrettable as no fingerprint reader has been integrated. You must therefore enter your password to unlock your Windows session.
Specification
| Predator Triton 500 | ConceptD 7 | |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-9750H Coffee Lake Refresh (2.6 GHz, 6 cores) | Intel Core i7-9750H Coffee Lake Refresh (2.6 GHz, 6 cores) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB GDDR6 Dedicated Max-Q + Intel UHD Graphics 620 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB Dedicated GDDR6, Intel UHD 630, and Optimus |
| RAM | 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4 2666 MHz (32 GB), 2 slots (occupied) | 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4 2666 MHz (32 GB), 2 slots (occupied) |
| Storage | 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD | 1 TB SSD (WDC PC SN720) (NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4) |
Performance
| Predator Triton 500 | ConceptD 7 | ||
| Clockspeed | 2.2 GHz | 2.6 GHz | |
| Graphic Processor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 | |
| Discrete Graphics Processor | Yes | Yes |
Predator Triton 500
The Triton 500 comes in various configurations, typical of a gaming laptop PC. There are, therefore, no surprises on the model tested, the Core i7-9750H, a hexacore processor. Some more affordable versions are content with the Core i5-9300H (Quad-Core).
The Triton 500 does not offer any settings to adjust the TDP of the processor and thus gain a few seconds. Likewise, the Windows “Best Performance” profile has no impact on performance nor pushes the fans hard. Admittedly, the followers of the best time and the highest scores in the benches will remain hungry, but this simplicity may appeal to other user profiles.
RAM is also classic for this segment, with 16 GB of DDR4 2666 MHz in dual channel (remember that the RAM is inaccessible).
ConceptD 7
Unsurprisingly, the ConceptD 7 is therefore equipped with an Intel Core i7 Hexacore processor. This is a ninth-generation model, as Comet Lake processors were not yet available at marketing. For reasons of cost (and low availability), Acer skipped an Octo-Core processor. Too bad, because even if the programs remain very dependent on the frequency, two additional cores would have brought a little more welcome, as shown by the performances of the last Ryzen 7 4800H and Ryzen 9 4900H.
Good point, the highest version of the range has 32 GB of RAM. A quantity of RAM is largely sufficient at present.
We also find the best mobile graphics card of the moment, namely the RTX 2080, here in its Max-Q version due to the compact chassis of the ConceptD 7. Apart from games, where the interest is obvious, the question is more complex for creative profiles. At present, photographers will not be able to exploit the full potential of such a card. A GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (or even an RTX 2060) is already oversized. Admittedly, more and more programs like Lightroom rely on GPU acceleration to make display and/or process more fluid, but not (yet) to the point of requiring such GPU power.
Finally, for other uses related to 3D, like video, opting for a version equipped with an RTX 2080 will only be justified if your favorite software and the calculations/renderings can really use it. Otherwise, opting for a ConceptD 7 with a GeForce RTX 2060 will probably be more reasonable.
Multimedia
| Predator Triton 500 | ConceptD 7 | ||
| Web-cam | Yes | Yes | |
| Speakers | 2 3D Waves NX MaxxAudio speakers | 2 Waves MaxxAudio, MaxxBass, Acer TrueHarmony speakers | |
| Microphone Jack | 3.5 mm | ||
| Network | WiFi ax + Gigabit Ethernet (Killer E3000) | Wi-Fi ax (Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650), Gigabit Ethernet (Killer E3000) | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 | |
| Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes |
Predator Triton 500
Despite a contained thickness (21 mm), Acer retains a rich and varied connection. On the left the power port, then Ethernet ports (RJ-45, Killer E3000 2.5 Gbps), USB 3.1 (gen 1), HDMI, then a microphone input, and a headphone output.
On the right, there are two additional USB 3.1 ports, a mini-DisplayPort output and a USB-C 3.1 Gen2 compatible Thunderbolt 3 (which can therefore act as a video output as well as a data port, including for an external SSD high performance).
The perforated frame above the keyboard could suggest that the speakers are located there. Well, no, they are, in fact, placed below the frame, at the level of the wrist rests. They, therefore, take advantage of the reverberation effect on a hard surface, with the advantages and disadvantages that this implies. The power is satisfactory, the rendering a little less. Even when activating the Waves MaxxAudio, the sound lacks warmth. We can always argue that in this type of configuration, many use a helmet. With this in mind, the utility offers a compelling virtualization function.
ConceptD 7
On the right side, a Thunderbolt 3 port, a mini-DisplayPort output, and 2 USB-A 3.1 gen 1 ports. On the left side, in addition to the connector for power, the ConceptD 7 has an Ethernet port, a third USB-A port (compatible with charging when the computer is off), an HDMI output as headphone, and microphone sockets (separate).
Therefore, the essential is present, but about the target audience, an SD card reader would undoubtedly have been appreciated by photographers and videographers (even if more and more new devices are abandoning SD cards in favor of XQD / CFexpress cards).
The openwork part above the keyboard could suggest that it is a design element intended to hide speakers, but no. These are, in fact, located under the frame, at the edge of the palm rest. The sound, therefore, reaches the user indirectly. Advantage of this implementation, the rendering benefits from a welcome “sound box” effect when the computer is placed on a hard flat surface.
In use, the ConceptD 7 audio system does quite well for a laptop computer, aided by the software optimizations of the Waves MaxxAudio utility. If the rendering often lacks warmth, it makes up for good spatialization and power that is large sufficient daily.
Battery
| Predator Triton 500 | ConceptD 7 | |
| Battery Type | LiPo 4 cells | Li-Ion 4 cells |
| Battery Life | 11 hours | 7 hours |
| Power | 84Whr 5550 mAh | 84Whr 5550mAh |
Predator Triton 500
With an average battery life of 5:45 (active WiFi, brightness at 140 cd / m2), the Acer ultrabook gamer trails its main competitors. The Triton 500 can last a little more than 11 hours on battery by activating airplane mode and lowering the brightness to its lowest point. Conversely, continuously requested, he surrenders after 1h25.
The power supply unit delivers 180W, weighs 600g for dimensions of 155x73x23 mm, and a cable length of approximately 2.8 m.
ConceptD 7
Equipped with a UHD screen, the ConceptD 7 tested is not the best equipped to beat autonomy records. However, he is not doing so badly. Expect an average of 6.15 hours in light use, for example, in office automation or Web browsing (WiFi active, brightness set to 140 cd / m²).
By activating the airplane mode and brightness at the lowest, it is possible to hold about 10 hours on battery. Conversely, continuously requested, the autonomy oscillates between 1h15 and 1h30.
The power supply is rather compact (156x75x23mm – 550g) for a laptop of this caliber.
