predator 21x lcd panel ips tn made in china

Acer amazed the world last September when it announced a laptop with a 21” curved display, a quad-core Intel Core i7 “Kaby Lake” CPU with an unlocked multiplier, two graphics processors, a mechanical keyboard, and other features of a desktop PC. Then the company surprised once again, when it disclosed pricing of the Predator 21X in early January: at $8999, the machine is one of the most expensive gaming notebooks ever. By now, the PC is available, but this Predator will be a rare beast because only 300 will be made.

The final version of the Predator 21 X notebook got Intel’s quad-core Core i7-7820HK CPU with an unlocked multiplier and overclocking capabilities, two GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs with 16 GB of GDDR5 memor, as well as 64 GB of DDR4 RAM — specifications that even few gaming desktops can match. The storage sub-system of the Predator 21 X also resembles that of an SFF or AIO desktop: the machine can fit in four M.2 SSDs (NVMe or SATA) and one 2.5” hard drive. Acer ships the system with two 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSDs working in RAID 0 as well as one 1 TB 7200 RPM HGST HDD, but the system is upgradeable and owners can install almost whatever they want eventually.

They key selling point of the Predator 21 X is its curved 21” IPS display panel with a 2560×1080 resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and NVIDIA’s G-Sync dynamic refresh rate technology. After trying out the Predator 21 X at Computex, I cannot say that curvature on a monitor of this size is any more immersive to me, but it may work in a very dark room. In addition to curvature, the notebook also has Tobii infrared eye-tracking sensors, which opens up different user experiences in games that support the appropriate tech. Meanwhile the audio sub-system is also worth mentioning as it has four integrated speakers and two built-in subwoofers.

As one would expect from a laptop that is 2.71” – 3.3” (68.8 mm – 83.82 mm) thick and weighs 18.74 lbs (8.5 kilograms), the Predator 21 X has all the connectivity that one might ever need (just like high-end desktops), including 2×2 802.11ac + Bluetooth Wi-Fi module, a Gigabit Ethernet port, one Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) port, four USB 3.0 Type-A connectors, an HDMI 2.0 output, two DisplayPort 1.4 headers, and an SD card reader. For input, the Acer Predator 21 X uses a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches with five programmable buttons. The numeric keypad does not have mechanical switches, but it can be flipped and turned into a touchpad.

From performance point of view, the Predator 21 X has rivals from ASUS and MSI, but when it comes to its curved 21”/120 Hz display panel, it does not really have direct competitors (except desktops, of course). Meanwhile, the panel itself is custom, which adds to the cost of an already expensive machine. After considering performance, dimensions and price, Acer figured out that demand for a laptop that is priced at $8999 will be limited, and instead of trying to reduce the price tag, decided to make an ultra-exclusive product out of its Predator 21 X. The company will only produce 300 of such machines (referring to 300 Spartans?), each of which will have an individual number. The Acer Predator 21 X will ship in a Pelican-style case that can be “repurposed” and actually be used as a luggage.

Gaming is big business and Acer has done well with its Predator products that target the gaming market. According to Chen, the Predator line has had a 64% year over year (YoY) growth for Acer. The Predator product line includes monitors, laptops, desktops and projectors, all specifically designed to give gamers an edge. One thing gamers consistently demand is high speed displays, including both high frame rate and short LC response times – they don’t want to waste milliseconds waiting for their opponents to show up on their screens.

Acer is the official sponsor and monitor partner of the League of Legends Championship Series for professional gamers. As I said, gaming is big business – the 2016 Championship series was viewed by 46 million people, more than the Superbowl! Acer will be supplying the 24” Predator XB241H monitor to all teams in the championship so none will have an advantage by having a better monitor. This monitor can be over-clocked to 180 Hz frame rate and has 1mS response time. Of course, Acer doesn’t mind that all aspiring gamers want to use this monitor so if they make the championships, they won’t be using an unfamiliar monitor.

Perhaps the most impressive new product shown at [email protected] was the 27” Predator X27 HDR monitor. High-end gamers demand high end products and the X27 is 1) not only high-end, but 2) is specifically dedicated to gaming applications. It’s not a television, it isn’t a color grading monitor, it isn’t a general-purpose computer monitor – it’s dedicated to high end gaming. It uses quantum dots to produce a wide color gamut (WCG), with a gamut of 99% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB and 96% DCI-P3. The unit is HDR with 384 backlight zones and 10-bit drive. The panel is IPS and the maximum peak brightness is 1000 nits. With local dimming, Acer claims a 100 Million:1 contrast ratio, whatever that means!

Acer also introduced a second 27” gaming monitor, the Predator Z271UV. This monitor had 2560 x 1440 resolution and a curved (1800R) TN panel. Color gamut is said to be 130% sRGB or 95% DCI-P3 – almost as good as the X27, and contrast is said to be 1000:1 Some gamers might prefer this monitor over the X27 because it has a refresh rate of 165 Hz and a 1mS grey-to-grey response time. In high-end gaming, speed is everything. This monitor had HDMI, DisplayPort (v1.2) and a built-in USB 3.0 Hub (1 up, 4 down) plus audio out. This is said to be the first curved monitor to incorporate Tobii eye tracking. Price and availability for the Z271UV are not available.

Acer also showed its Predator 21X laptop, said to be the world’s first curved laptop. This was not newly announced since it was shown at IFA last September. Calling it a “laptop” is a bit of a misnomer, as you can see in the image. Weight of the unit is 18.74 pounds (8.52 Kg).

The Predator 21X has a curved 21” WFHD (2560 x 1080) IPS display with an aspect ratio of 21:9. Refresh rate and response time are not given. While it has an internal 6000 mAh lithium ion battery, the unit consumes up to 330W so I suspect most people run it off of the AC adaptor. Starting price is $9,000 and it’s available now.

Acer did introduce two new Predator gaming laptops at the event, the Triton 700 and the Helios 300. These two laptops are a lot less extreme than the 21X and a laptop user who is also a gamer could consider them for both uses.

The Triton 700 notebook is said to be the first in the Triton series and comes with a 15.6” FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS screen and is only available with a solid state drive. The thickness is 18.9mm and the weight is 2.6Kg. Acer confirms the dual use of this as a general purpose/gaming laptop by saying “Skype for Business Certification ensures conversations are clear and lag-free.” A large Corning Gorilla Glass plate above the keyboard serves as a window into the notebook’s cooling system, showcasing the AeroBlade 3D Fan and five heat pipes, and also functions as a touchpad. The second generation of the AeroBlade 3D fan is said to provide 35% more airflow than a conventional fan in the same size package. This, in turn, is said to provide the ultimate in thermal performance, which allows Acer to pack massive computing power inside an ultrathin form factor without compromise. The Predator Triton 700 gaming notebook will be available in North America in August starting at $2,999 and in EMEA in August starting at €3,399.

The Helios 300 is also a dual-purpose laptop that represents the first in the Helios series and will come with either a 15.6” or 17.3” FHD IPS display. It is available with either a solid state or hard disk drive. In addition to gaming and business uses, it is said to be ideal for movie watching. With the 15.6” display it weights 2.7Kg and with the 17.3” display, 3.0Kg. The Helios 300 is “housed in a classic but tasteful gaming chassis with an iron red backlit keyboard, selected models include a metal top cover and keyboard area for added strength and rigidity”

The Predator Helios 300 gaming notebooks with a 15.6-inch display will be available in North America in July starting at $1,299; in EMEA in August starting at €1,199; and in China in June starting at ¥9,999. The Predator Helios 300 gaming notebooks with a 17.3-inch display will be available in North America in July starting at $1,399; in EMEA in August starting at €1,199; and in China in July starting at ¥9,999.

Jason Chen also announced the Nitro 5 laptop at [email protected] without providing any detains – it wasn’t in the press materials and it wasn’t on display. While it was discussed with the other gaming laptops, it isn’t even clear if Acer considers this a part of its Predator line.

The leading member of the Swift family is the Swift 7 and, according to Mr. Chen, at 0.39” (9.9mm), it is still the thinnest laptop in the world. He added that the Swift family has had a 11% YoY growth rate. At [email protected], the company introduced two lower-end members of the Swift series, the Swift 1 and Swift 3. The Swift 1 comes with a 13.3” FHD display and the Swift 3 comes with either a 14” or 15.6” FHD display. All displays are IPS. These new introductions carry on the lightweight tradition of the Swift 7 and Swift 5. The Swift 1 and the Swift 3 with the 14” display both weigh 1.8Kg while the Swift 3 with the 15.6” display will weight 2.2Kg. All members of the Swift family come with metal cases in a variety of colors.

The Acer Switch family computers are 2-in-1 laptops and are essentially touch-screen tablets with detachable keyboards. The two new members of the family are the Switch 3 and Switch 5. Both are fanless and use Acer’s LiquidLoop cooling technology. The Swift 3 uses a 12.2” FHD (1920 x 1200) IPS display and the Switch 5 has a 12.0” 2160 x 1440 IPS display. Both displays are touch displays and both also have 2MP front webcams and 5MP rear webcams. There is an optional USB Type-C docking station for the Swift 5.

Acer also introduced two Chromebooks, the Spin 11 and the Spin 11 N7. Both have 11.6” 1366 x 768 displays. In the Spin 11, the display is IPS and has a touch screen. In the Spin 11 N7, the display options are IPS with or without touch screen or TN. The units also have different processors and webcams. The Spin 11 N7 also doesn’t have the 360° hinge used in the Spin 11 and shown in the image. The reduced features of the Spin 11 N7 give it a longer battery life (12 vs 10 hours) and a slightly lower weight (1.35Kg vs 1.4Kg). Price and availability are not available for either unit.

Acer introduced one new non-gaming computer monitor, the ProDesigner PE320QK. This is a 31.5” UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate and a 4mS response time. While it only has 550 nits peak brightness and 8-bit drive, Acer called it a HDR monitor. Well, maybe. HDR-compatible, at least. It has a color gamut of 130% sRGB or 95% DCI-P3 and a variety of interfaces including HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2 plus the unit serves as a USB 3.1 Hub. Color accuracy of ΔE <1 is claimed for the monitor and the system targets photographers, video editors and others working in creative industries. Price and availability were not announced.

Acer also introduced two 4K projectors at the show, although neither was mentioned by Chen in his talk nor were they on display. They are nearly-identical single panel DLP UHD projectors with TI pixel shifting XPR technology. The only difference between the two is the V7850 has 2,100 ANSI lumens while the H7850 has 3000 ANSI Lumens. The difference appears to be the V7850 has a RGBRGB color wheel to produce accurate colors while the H7850 has a white segment to increase the brightness. Both projectors include Acer’s ExtremeECO power-saving feature that can reduce power consumption by up to 70% and extend lamp life by up to 15,000 hours.

Acer introduced the Leap Ware sports watch with a 1.1” color touchscreen transflective LCD. In addition to various fitness functions, it can be used to control your music. It uses the MediaTek MT2523 chipset and MT2511 bio-sensing chip; has a 3 – 5 day battery life; and is compatible with iOS 8+ and Android 5+ smartphones.

Predator Gaming is a gamer-focused brand and line of computer hardware owned by Acer. In 2008, Acer introduced itself in the gaming computer market with a line of desktop computers: the Acer Aspire Predator series, later renamed as Acer Predator. The series is characterized by the futuristic computer chassis and high performance. In 2016, a complete range of Predator desktops, gaming laptops, tablets and accessories exists.

Acer"s 9000$ range gaming laptop that run"s as powerful as a desktop with 2 nvidia gtx 1080"s in sli. It comes with 64gb of ram memory and 1tb of ssdAcer Predator 21 XDeveloper

Whether you’re seeing it for the first time as you take it out of the custom Pelican case it ships in, passing someone struggling to carry it on their way to a meeting, or sitting down to see it at a desk day after day, the sheer bulk of the 21-inch, almost 19-pound laptop will shock you almost every time. It’s a laptop that looks like it has grown strong dining on the blood of other, smaller laptops. The screen by itself is thicker than a MacBook Pro.

Weighing in at an impressive 18.76 pounds, the Predator 21 X physically dwarfs pretty much any other laptop ever made. And with an $8,999.99 price tag, weight isn"t the only place the 21 X beats out any competitor. Put simply: this is the biggest, most powerful, and most expensive gaming laptop ever made. And yes, it is technically still a laptop, with a built-in screen, keyboard, mouse, and batteries that, at least in theory, allow it to function away from a desk.

Acer has made the most of the enormous size of the 21 X, cramming what feels like every inch of it with some serious firepower. Like the external design, the 21 X"s spec sheet feels built for sheer overkill. A Core i7 Skylake Intel processor that’s overclocked up to 4.1 GHz. Two SLI linked GTX 1080 GPUs, with a total of 16GB of dedicated onboard VRAM. USB-C, USB 3.0, an HDMI port, two DisplayPorts, and an SD card slot. 64GB of DDR4 system RAM. Five fans. Five storage slots: three SATA, two PCIe. (Acer ships a single configuration, with one 1TB hard drive and two 500GB SSDs in a RAID configuration.) A Tobii eye-tracking rig, for further immersion. And of course, the show-stopping curved 21-inch screen, which Acer highlights as the first in a laptop (the screen also features a 120Hz refresh rate and NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology). Side by side with any other laptop (gaming or otherwise), it almost feels like the punchline to a joke: "You call that a laptop? No, THIS is a laptop."

While the scale and specs the 21 X may be impressive (as is the engineering to actually build it), Acer hasn"t taken any dramatic departures when it comes to the aesthetic design. Between the slew of glowing LED lights, the sharp edges on the plastic case, the giant plastic exhaust vents, and the enormous metallic blue dragon that graces the vast expanse of space above the keyboard, this is a gaming laptop through and through. (As a side note, the blue dragon is one of 20 options for the panel, which is removable to access internal hardware.)

Battery life is a disappointment with the 21 X, even compared to the lowered expectations for gaming laptops. The Predator lasted just an hour and 51 minutes on the Verge Battery Test, which cycles a series of web pages through Google Chrome. Unplugging it for gaming resulted in even poorer results that brought the time to under an hour (exactly how much depends on how hard you’re pushing it) along with a hit to performance to boot. Hypothetically, you can use the Predator unplugged for a few minutes, but it was clearly designed to remain attached to the nearest wall. And the power bricks — yes, there are two of them, each individually massive — are made even more comical when placed together in the custom rubber enclosure that comes with the laptop.

Given that the Predator 21 X is so obviously, single-mindedly focused toward gaming, I figured the only natural thing to do with it was to try and use it as a regular computer for my day-to-day life. Look, I was curious to see how it would work.

The same can be said about the screen. On paper, the massive 21-inch curved panel seems like it would be great for productivity. But the resolution is relatively low at 2800 x 1080 pixels — sure, it’s wide, but it comes out to the same vertical resolution of a regular 1080p panel. That said, it was nice to be able to stack tons of windows side by side, even if I had to manually adjust text size smaller to fit a reasonable amount of information.

As for performance? You might be able to trip up the 21 X if you do advanced CAD work or heavy video editing, but there"s certainly nothing in my workflow that could manage it. Ultimately, using the Predator 21 X for regular work feels a lot like driving a Lamborghini to a supermarket — sure, it"ll get you there, but that"s not really the point of owning one.

When it comes to the actual act of playing games on the Predator 21 X — its sole raison d"être, — there’s actually surprising little to say. This is a $9,000 computer built solely towards that purpose and function. Of course it runs games well. With the kind of hardware on tap here, it would have been surprising if things didn’t run well.

Still, it was my duty to put the Predator through its paces, and the results were pretty much as expected. But beyond the binary of whether or not games worked well, it’s the experience of gaming on the Predator 21 X that make it stand out. Put practicality aside for a moment, and you’ve got perhaps the single most powerful laptop ever made at your disposal. The curved screen dominates your field of view, and really does lend itself to a more immersive experience (assuming the game you’re playing supports a 21:9 aspect ratio — not all do).

But while impressive, it’s still the kind of high gaming performance that illustrates exactly why the 21 X is impractical. Does the Predator 21 X run games well? Undoubtedly. But it doesn’t run them $6,000 better than a less powerful desktop, or even a comparable one. Between the sheer bulk of the laptop and chargers, the almost non-existent battery life, and the oversized carrying case you’ll need to move it around anywhere farther than down the hall, the 21 X is barely easier to carry around than a desktop. (In fact, there’s tons of desktop computers that are more portable.) Even if you want to just park the Predator 21 X at a desk and pretend its a desktop computer, you’ll probably want to use a larger external monitor and a separate keyboard, which could be difficult to fit on a single surface. And given that it’s perfectly possible to build a similarly specced desktop PC for roughly half what the Predator 21 X costs, you’re paying a massive premium for what amounts to a laughable idea of mobility.

But that’s sort of the point to the Predator. It’s not practical because it’s not meant to be practical. It’s a trophy for anyone who buys it, a status symbol of having the biggest and best thing out there. Of course it doesn’t fit on a desk or in a bag — because the Predator is meant to stand out, to make people take note.

Despite all the shortcomings in price and practicality, I’m still glad the Predator 21 X exists. While it’s probably as unobtainable as a multi-million dollar supercar at an auto show for the vast majority of consumers, much like a Bugatti or a Ferrari, the technology and engineering that went into making the 21 X can trickle down to the more affordable models in Acer’s Predator line. It’s something that we’re already seeing direct results of with laptops like the upcoming Predator Triton 700, which clearly draws from its larger cousin when it comes to design. And at the end of the day, it’s just cool that someone has managed to stuff this incredible amount of hardware into a single device for to achieve this singular purpose at the highest level possible.

Acer held its IFA 2016 press event today and one of the main focuses were the company"s new Windows 10 notebooks. The most interesting one is the Predator 21 X with a curved display aimed at the serious, on-the-go games.

There"s no going away from the fact that the Predator 21 X is a beast. It"s the first gaming laptop to sport a 21" curved display and its dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs support the awesome G-Sync technology. The CPU options include the latest 7th-gen Intel Core K-series. The resolution of the IPS display is 2560 x 1080.

That"s because it also sports Tobii eye-tracking, LED RGB mechanical keyboard with CherryMX switches and a SoundPound2+ sound system (4 speakers and 2 subwoofers). The list of cool features goes on with a numpad that flips over to become a touchpad, a large window that shows off some of the five cooling fans in total.

Each Predator 21 X will be made to order and shipping starts in January, 2017. Pricing is yet to be detailed. Meanwhile, you can check out the awesome promo video of the laptop.

The Swift 7 sports a 13.3" IPS2, Gorilla Glass display with micro-bezel design and a 1080p resolution. Acer says the notebook"s battery can last up to 9 hours on a single charge.

Inside the all-aluminum unibody, the Spin 7 houses a 14-inch 1080p IPS touch display with Gorilla Glass on top for protection. The display can be flipped to become a tablet, giving you more versatility.

In the usual race to claim industry firsts, Acer does so with the Predator Z301CT in exemplifying it as the first 21:9 curved display. The Z301CT features a 30” display and utilizes an 8-bit VA panel. The VA panel type doubtless affords the Z301CT the high refresh rate (200Hz) and contrast ratio of 3000:1. The VA panel also contributes to the slower (in comparison with the XB2 series) response time of 4ms.

All of new Predator panels, including the Z301CT, will support nVidia G-Sync. The Predator Z301CT will be available beginning February 2017 with prices starting at $900.

The second additions to the Predator display line up are two different displays, with the only distinct difference being size. The Predator XB252Q is a 24.5” display, while the XB272 is a 27” version. Both displays use a TN panel; not surprising, given the 240Hz refresh rate. Maximum resolution for both displays is 1920x1080 at 240Hz. For color, we have 100% of the sRGB color space covered, and 1.67 million reproducible colors.

Although bereft of the more astonishing features of the abovementioned model, both the XB252Q and XB272 do feature nVidia G-Sync and Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB). Both panels tout 1000:1 contrast ratios and 1ms response times.

Perhaps the jewel in Acer’s CES crown, and certain anomaly in the notebook landscape, is the Acer Predator 21 X. Being the world’s first curved, 21:9 screen on a notebook, the Predator 21 X aims to be a portable, no compromise gaming solution whilst doing so in standout fashion.

The Predator 21 X boasts a 21” IPS panel of 2000R curvature with a maximum resolution of 2560x1080 at 120Hz. The display also features nVidia G-Sync as well as the previously mentioned Tobii Eye Tracking technology. The Predator 21 X uses the i7-7820HK overclockable CPU in combination with a GPU array consisting of two GTX 1080s in SLI.

The Predator 21 X can support up to 64GB of DDR4 2400MHz memory, and will offer support for up to four SSDs in RAID 0. Two of the SSDs are NVMe/PCIe capable while the other two are SATA based. Furthermore, there is a fifth storage option in the form of a 1TB HDD.

In similar fashion to that of MSI, Acer has implemented a fully mechanical keyboard on the Predator 21 X, featuring Cherry MX Brown switches with per-key RGB backlighting. The numeric keypad will also invert and serve as a tracking pad.

Onboard audio is a three-way (tweeter, midrange, subwoofer) design consisting of 4 speakers and 2 subwoofers. Also included is a Windows Hello IR camera for facial recognition. In the vicinity of the keyboard will be a maintenance panel adorned with a blue dragon logo. The panel will allow access to the RAM modules and one of the 2.5” SSDs. The first 300 units will feature a unique, limited edition series number about the panel.

Preloaded on the Acer Predator 21 X is the PredatorSense software and the Xsplit Gamecaster software. The former being an application used for control of lighting, overclocking, and fans while the latter is aimed at game streaming and video editing.

The Predator 17 X will see a refresh of sorts. The predator 17X sits near the top of the stack in Acer’s gaming notebooks. It will be updated to offer the i7-7820HK CPU and GTX 1080 video card. The newer Predator 17 X will contain four SODIMM slots with 64GB DDR4 2400MHz capacity. Storage options include one PCIe/NVMe or 3x SATA SSDs with RAID 0 support. Either options will be complimented with optional HDD support.

The Predator 17 X will offer the following interfaces and ports: 1x Thunderbolt 3 (USB 3.1 Type-C), 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.0 w/ power off charging, 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI w/ HDCP support, 1x Ethernet port, 1x headphone/speaker/line-out jack, 1x Kensington lock slot.

Display options on the Predator 17 X will come in either 1920 X 1080 or 4K 3840 X 2160, both using a 17.3 “IPS display. The Acer Predator 17 X will be available this month, starting at $2,600.

While it may be difficult for… well, anybody… to purchase an Acer Predator 21X of their own, it’s definitely a machine that needs to be seen, and even after seeing it you may not be able to really believe it. If you have the opportunity, I definitely recommend checking one out, even if buying one may be almost entirely out of the question.

All of this is to say: why? For all the excessive “shoot-the-moon” attitude that went into the Predator 21 X, why not go all the way and outfit it with a proper screen? It doesn’t even have to be 4K—we’d be plenty happy with a high-refresh-rate 1440p panel. But 1080p? That’s unacceptable. For we expect the best. -bo moore.

For the price of the Predator 21 X, you could buy a "normal" gaming laptop and have enough left over to buy nicely built gaming desktop, too. Or a used car, or several months" worth of rent on your apartment. But that attitude misses the entire point of the Predator 21 X. It"s not for you or me, or the kind of person who gets weak-kneed over a good hardware bargain on Slickdeals.

Normally our review is supposed to tell you whether to buy this product. Answering that question for the Predator 21 X seems simple: probably not. But the actual answer is more complicated.

The value of this laptop is very low but that"s probably not an issue if you"ve got the money to afford one. Acer has successfully made the most insane gaming device we"ve ever seen that, despite some flaws, we"d love to own. It"s a great way of showing off what it can do and to point the majority of gamers to its more accessible Predator devices.

The Acer Predator 21 X is the world’s most powerful gaming laptop, and while the price tag is likely to be far too much for most people, there’s still a lot to admire about this machine.

As we concluded when we reviewed the comparatively, ahem, "small" 18.4-inch MSI GT83VR Titan SLI, we love the concept of huge gaming notebooks with built-in mechanical keyboards. The Acer Predator 21 X takes the best aspects of that notebook to the next level, especially size. Bigger isn’t always better, but we think the Predator 21 X is living proof it can be. Sitting down in front of the Acer’s brilliant 21-inch curved display was enough to convince us of that.

But that’s sort of the point to the Predator. It’s not practical because it’s not meant to be practical. It’s a trophy for anyone who buys it, a status symbol of having the biggest and best thing out there. Of course it doesn’t fit on a desk or in a bag — because the Predator is meant to stand out, to make people take note.

With the Predator 21 X, Acer is delivering a statement of intent to consumers and its competitors: the Predator gaming lineup is here, and you need to take notice.

The Acer Predator 21 X offers an excellent 21-inch curved display paired with an overclockable processor and a pair of Nvidia GPUs for an incredibly powerful gaming experience.

As an example of what a manufacturer can do, given an unlimited budget, the Acer Predator 21 X mostly succeeds. It"s one of the fastest laptops we"ve tested, with the largest screen we"ve seen on a portable PC. It costs as much as one of the exquisite desktop gaming rigs like the Maingear Rush X99 Super Stock, though you"d have even less incentive to move that monolith once you"ve set it up. The Predator 21 X barely meets the definition of transportable, but it"s far too bulky to bring to your friends" house every day, the price far exceeds current top picks for high-end gaming laptops, and we"re still left wanting a 4K resolution screen. Because of these factors, we"d still steer well-heeled gamers toward the Editors" Choice Origin EON17-X 10 Series or the Razer Blade Pro.

The limited edition Acer Predator 21 X is equal parts Insanely powerful and crazy cool -- you just need a lottery win or random inheritance to afford it.

Acer set out to make the craziest, most insane notebook to show the world what their new Predator gaming line can do, and the result is the Predator 21 X. Nothing approaches it in terms of ridiculousness, though obviously the $8,999 (Php 450K) asking price isn’t that surprising. Will there be any takers here in the PH? That’s a difficult question – the Predator 21 X is certainly a technical wonder, though few people would be able to justify paying for the price of a car for a gaming notebook.

It’s really hard to compare this laptop to anything currently available on the market. It’s definitely one of a kind. Yes, there are some alternatives with dual-GPU SLI configurations but nothing can come close to the feature-packed powerhouse Acer is currently offering. In addition, the unit we received had problematic SLI configuration that wasn’t able to even surpass the results of a GTX 1070 SLI system and thus all performance tests would have been useless. Also, no temperature tests and no battery tests. But close examination of the cooling system suggests that the laptop will have absolutely no problems with all three chips on board (the CPU and two GPUs). And, of course, we expect around 90% better performance than a single GTX 1080 setup.

The Predator 21 X offers plenty of unique features that make it a proper prestige laptop. But its very high price means even the most dedicated and well-off gamer will have to think twice before buying it.With its mighty 9kg+ weight including two power adapters, this stretches the concept of desktop versus laptop to its very limit. While you won"t get such ridiculous power in such a small package anywhere else, it seems more sensible (and cost-efficient) just to buy a mini desktop and cart that around instead. That doesn"t make the21 X any less impressive, though.

It"s huge, loud and about as brash as can be, but it"s hard to deny that the Predator 21 X is a little bit genius, too. However, with an eye-watering price of $8,999 (around £7,350, AU$12,500), most will have to remortgage their house to buy one.

Model: The Acer Predator 21X is a high-performance gaming laptop which appeared at the CES 2017. It is the first laptop with a curved ginormous 21-inch display. Weighing 8.8 kg (19.4 pounds), it"s probably as heavy and hardly portable too. But, it can function quite well as a desktop replacement machine with insane amounts of power. Its curved display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,080 pixles is a viable replacement for a regular monitor. Furthermore, the gaming laptop has a mechanical keyboard that uses Cherry MX Brown switches with RGB backlighting built into each key. It is just as tactile and satisfying to use as any keyboard. The trackpad is located on a magnetically attached piece to the right of the keyboard. The laptop"s touchpad can also be flipped over to be used as a numeric keypad. Exquisitely designed and deadly efficient, the Acer Predator 21 X has five fans work in unison to maintain a constant cool. Above the keyboard is a triangular window used to show off just one of the three Predator AeroBlade machine"s cooling fans, giving notebook lovers the sort of visual satisfaction that desktop PC gamers have enjoyed. Besides that, nine heat pipes are built into the laptop to distribute and rid the Acer Predator 21 X of its excess heat. The Predator CoolBoost will increase fan speeds based on generated heat, keeping critical areas continually cooled.

As for hardware specification, there"s also Intel"s new 7th-generation Kaby Lake Intel Core i7-7820HK processor on the inside, in addition to 64 GB of DDR4-2400 RAM, and up to four 512 GB SSDs in RAID 0 (two of which can be NVMe PCIe solid-state drives). Upgrading the RAM and storage is possible through a little compartment below the display. Overall, there"s more than enough disk space here to store user’s ample Steam library. For the graphic processing unit, which belongs to the essential hardware in a gaming laptop, it has dual GTX 1080 GPU in it. Each GPU is overclocked and eager for a challenge. It requires two power supplies to provide power to the dual GTX 1080 GPUs inside. On the left-hand side of the keyboard are macro keys that can be used to fire off specialised commands in-game. Slip around the side, there is a pair of full-sized USB ports alongside a microphone and headphone jack. Another interesting point about the Predator 21 X is the removable side panel that instantly converts from a number pad to a trackpad. Besides that, it has Tobii eye-tracking built in, which allows a user to peer around levels and change camera angles by focusing on certain parts of the screen with their eyes. This helps users to log in faster via Windows Hello. For audio, the Acer Predator 21X has Dolby Audio Premium, blaring through a four-speaker/two woofer setup. It promises to deliver audio that is clean, crisp and weighted with bass with 3-way Hi-Fi design, further enhancing the gaming experience. TrueHarmony also utilises a unique design that offers more accurate sound reproduction and fuller-bodied audio. The Acer Predator 21x is certainly a well-designed desktop replacement but the main question is still on its purpose. It is too big and heavy to be carried around like a laptop and if that is the case, a proper gaming desktop will still do better.

Acer unveiled its latest wares at IFA in Germany, announcing the anticipated GPU update for its Predator 15 and 17 gaming laptops, which can now be equipped with up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics. What wasn’t anticipated, though, was the debut of a new flagship enthusiast notebook with a curved display and Tobii eye-tracking technology. Enter the Predator 21 X.

The Acer Predator 21 X is about the furthest from conservative as you can get, with a 21-inch curved 2560x1080 G-Sync display and up to dual GTX 1080s in SLI. It also features the latest 7th Generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core-series processors and a robust cooling system with five system fans and some heavy-duty heatpipes. If that’s not enough, the behemoth comes with Tobii eye-tracking sensors on board, in addition to a full-sized RGB LED backlit keyboard with Cherry MX switches.

Full specifications for the Predator 21 X aren’t yet available, but on paper, this is the most powerful gaming laptop Acer has ever brought to market. It’s certainly the largest, and the company claims it’s a “world first” with its curved display.

Pricing for the Predator 21 X gaming laptop is also unknown, but we can expect the cost to land somewhere between dependable used car and moderately large engagement ring, judging by the provided specs. The updated Predator 15 and 17 notebooks will hit shelves this month, with both starting at $1,699.