Acer Predator G1
Reviewer: Teh Wi-Liam
Straight Out Of A Sci-Fi Movie
Looking much more like an alien rather than a predator (fans of the movie will get what I mean), the Acer Predator G1 comes with a ferocious outlook, much like an alien spaceship from the distant future. Its casing is somewhat reminiscent of the exoskeleton you can see in the Transformers movie series, particularly the Decepticons due to its menacing and evil outlook. Although great to look at intially, it did slowly grow on me and I got accustomed to it.
Behaves Like A Predator
This pint-sized behemoth is not to be messed with; the outstanding component would be the inclusion of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, giving you VR-ready capabilities so you can game with a next-level immersive experience. The G1 is also packed with the 6th Gen. Intel Core i7-6700 quad-core processor for even quicker and smoother daily usability. In terms of storage, the G1 is capable of holding up to 512GB of SSD storage while also coming with standardised 2TB HDD.
Lacking Ports
Thanks to the inclusion of the GTX 1080 GPU, it makes the G1 VR-ready, which means more ports will be taken up for the VR headset and such. With only four USB ports located at the back of the casing and an additional port located at the front, it surely doesn’t seem like much. The silver lining is the inclusion of the USB Type-C port located at the front of the casing, allowing you to charge your smart device without having to move from the PC.
Putting It Through The Test
It was pretty exciting to run the G1 through the benchmarks tests to see how well it would fair and sadly, it didn’t really live up to the expectations I’ve come to set from Acer. Although I’m pretty sure the G3 and G6 would’ve done a much better job, the G1 just pales in comparison as even running it through the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark, it topped up at just under 60 FPS, which is pretty disappointing for a system running on the latest GPU.
Free Mouse & Keyboard Combo
Unlike the typical generic accessories that you will usually get (which I hate), the G1 provides you with the Predator Flare mechanical keyboard with customisable backlight keys and a Predator gaming mouse. Although not as audible as Cherry MX switches, the keys on the Predator Flare are much softer than expected; it also makes typing much easier. Personally, I’m not a fan of the Predator gaming mouse as its much smaller compared to plenty of other brands so my palm fully covers the mouse, making my movements slow and uncomfortable.
Easy Headphones Storage
The G1 comes with two retractable headset cradles on both sides of the PC, allowing you to store your headphones with ease and not leaving them lying around on the table.
Quicker and Easier Connections
Thanks to the installation of the Killer DoubleShot Pro, the G1 can intelligently split your LAN data between cable and wireless connections for optimised Internet connectivity.
Unorthodox Power Source
Much like laptops, the G1 is powered by two seperate power bricks, which must be plugged into the back of the casing for it to work.
Sound-Reactive Growl Lights
You can now customise the multi-colour LED panels located at the front of casing to react to your music or games.
Boost Your Sound
In order to take the advantage on the battlefield, the G1 comes equipped with the SoundBlaster X-Fi MB5 with 7.1 channel audio.
Specs
Price: RM5,289
Dimensions (HxWxD): 16.5 x 13.7 x 4.3-inch
Weight: 7.98kg
Processor: 6th Gen. Intel Core i7-6700 quad-core processor 3.40GHz
Memory: Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
Storage: 2TB HDD ; Up to 512GB SSD
Operating System: Windows 10 Home Edition
Display: –
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
Connectivity: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth v4.1 LE
Ports: 1x HDMI, 1x DVI, 1x DisplayPort, 5x USB 3.0, 1x USB Type-C
Benchmark
3DMark Time Spy 1.0 – 6,119
PCMark 8 – 4,091
Rise of the Tomb Raider – 59.9 FPS
Score
Value – 8
Performance – 7
Features – 7
Design – 9
Usability – 8
Total – 7.8
Verdict: If you’re willing to fork out more than you should, it’d be best to get the Predator G6 instead of its younger sibling.
