Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) vs. MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) and MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD). Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

powerful AMD processor

high refresh rate display

reasonable price point

robust gaming performance

solid build quality

average battery life

heavier than competitors

no Thunderbolt support

limited color accuracy

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) and MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
76 % - Design
75 % - Display
75 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) vs. MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 42.8 cm x 29.8 cm x 3.87 cm 35.77 cm x 24.8 cm x 2.75 cm
Weight 4 kg 2.3 kg
Case Material Polycarbonate, ABS plastic -
Colour Obsidian black Black
DISPLAY Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Screen Size (Type) 17.3" - IPS 15.6"
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
V-Sync Rate at Max Res. 144 Hz 120 Hz
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:9
Image Brightness 300 cd/m² -
Features Anti-glare, ComfyView, Slim Design, Mercury free, FreeSync Technology, 9 ms response rate Anti-glare, MSI Matrix Display
PROCESSOR Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
CPU AMD Ryzen 7 2700 / 3.2 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 3750H / 2.3 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.1 GHz 4 GHz
Number of Cores 8-core Quad-Core
Cache L3 - 16 MB 4 MB
64-bit Computing Yes Yes
Chipset AMD B450 -
MEMORY Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
RAM 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) 8 GB
Max RAM Supported 64 GB 64 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM
Speed - 2666 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty 4 2
Empty Slots 2 -
STORAGE Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 2280 - Micron 512 GB SSD M.2 PCIe - NVM Express (NVMe)
Secondary Storage 1 TB HDD SATA / 5400 rpm - HGST -
AUDIO & VIDEO Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Graphics Processor (GPU) AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 AMD Radeon RX 5500M
Video Memory 8 GB GDDR5 SDRAM 4 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
Camera Yes - HD Yes - 720p
Frame Rate - 30 frames per second
Sound Stereo speakers, subwoofer, microphone Stereo speakers, microphone
Compliant Standards Wave MAXX -
Audio Features MaxxAudio, Acer TrueHarmony technology Nahimic 3 sound technology
COMMUNICATIONS Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave 2, Bluetooth 5.0 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0
Wireless Controller Killer Wireless-AC 1550 - M.2 Card -
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet
Ethernet Controller Killer Ethernet E2500 Killer Ethernet E2600
BATTERY Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Technology 4-cell lithium polymer 6-cell Lithium Ion
Battery Capacity (Size) 74 Wh 51 Wh
AC ADAPTER Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) -
Output 330 Watt, 19.5 V 180 Watt
INPUT Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Type Keyboard, touchpad Keyboard, touchpad
Numeric Keypad Yes -
Keyboard Backlight Yes (RGB) Yes
Features Multi-gesture touch pad, Acer FineTip keyboard, precision touchpad, Acer PredatorSense Red backlighting
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Interfaces LAN
HDMI
DisplayPort
USB 3.0 (with power off charging)
2 x USB 3.0
Audio line-out
Audio line-in
2 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2
Headphone/SPDIF combo jack
HDMI
Mini DisplayPort
USB-C 3.2 Gen 1
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
Microphone input
LAN
Memory Card Reader - Yes (SD Card, SDHC Card, SDXC Card)
SOFTWARE Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Home 64-bit Edition Windows 10 Home 64-bit Edition
MISCELLANEOUS Acer Predator Helios 500 (PH517-61) MSI Alpha 15 (A3DD)
Included Accessories Power adapter Power adapter
Security Slot Type Kensington security slot -
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) -
Features Acer CoolBoost technology, Dual Acer AeroBlade 3D Fans, WMR compatible SteelSeries gaming keyboard, Cooler Boost 5 technology
Manufacturer Warranty - Limited warranty - 1 year - pick-up and return
Model Number R3D7 057UK
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