Acer’s Predator Helios 18P AI and Friends Arrive at IFA 2025
PREDATOR ORION 5000 01 1
IFA in Berlin is where gadget dreams go to strut, and this year Acer rolled in with an entire battalion of Predator machines. Forget subtle upgrades or polite little tweaks. This was a full-blown assault on the idea that you need separate devices for work, play, or showing off. The centrepiece is the Predator Helios 18P AI laptop, a hybrid machine that promises to chew through spreadsheets and then turn around and obliterate games with the same level of aggression. Alongside it, Acer pulled the covers off two Orion desktops, a monitor that could make your eyes water, and a keyboard built for obsessive gamers.
Predator Helios 18P AI: A Laptop With Delusions of Grandeur
Gaming laptops have always been the gym junkies of the computer world. Bulky, loud, and determined to remind you of their existence every time the fans kick in. The Helios 18P AI is different. It is a hybrid bruiser, running an Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 285HX with Intel vPro, and backing it with up to 192 GB of ECC memory. That is the kind of serious business-grade stability usually reserved for workstations in labs, not a machine you can sling in a backpack.
Graphics grunt comes courtesy of the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with DLSS 4. Add in up to 6 TB of PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage, Thunderbolt 5, and Killer Wi-Fi 7, and you have got a portable monster that does not flinch whether you are editing 4K video, generating AI images, or trying to win in a 200-player online brawl.
The 18 inch screen is no afterthought either. It is available in Mini LED 4K with HDR at 1000 nits and 100 percent DCI-P3 colour, which means content creators finally get laptop visuals that do justice to their work. Cooling is handled by Acer’s AeroBlade fans and liquid metal thermal grease, because all this muscle generates enough heat to fry breakfast if left unchecked.
Orion 7000: The Flagship Tank
Desktops are far from dead, and the Predator Orion 7000 proves why. Built for gamers and creators who want nothing but overkill, it packs up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor paired with NVIDIA’s latest RTX 5090 GPU. That is ray tracing and AI workloads handled in stride. Acer even brags about NVIDIA NIM microservices running here, which basically means the machine can double as your personal AI development rig when you are not blowing things up in Cyberpunk.
Cooling is the secret weapon. The Predator CycloneX 360 system with liquid cooling keeps everything frosty, boasting a 15 percent bump in efficiency over previous setups. It can hold up to 128 GB of RAM and a mountain of storage, so you can hoard every game you own, every piece of media, and still have room for your tax files.
Orion 5000: The Leaner Sibling
The Orion 5000 is slightly smaller but still more powerful than most people will ever need. It can be specced with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and an NVIDIA RTX 5080 card. Memory goes up to 128 GB DDR5, and storage options include SSDs and hard drives for balance. It also benefits from the CycloneX cooling system. In short, if the Orion 7000 is a tank, the 5000 is a sports car.
Predator X27U F8 Monitor: Faster Than Your Reflexes
If your eyes can keep up, Acer’s new Predator monitor will happily push them to the limit. The Predator X27U F8 is a 26.5 inch OLED panel with WQHD resolution and an absurd 720 Hz refresh rate. That is faster than most people’s reactions and well beyond what casual players will ever need. Still, for competitive gamers who live and die by millisecond advantages, this monitor is like handing them a superpower. It also covers 99 percent of DCI-P3 and carries DisplayHDR 500 True Black certification, so the visuals are as gorgeous as they are fast.
Predator Aethon 550 TKL Keyboard: Built to Smash Keys
No gaming lineup is complete without a flashy keyboard, and Acer’s Predator Aethon 550 TKL is exactly that. Tri-mode connectivity means you can switch between wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz wireless without fuss. Hot swappable switches let you customise your feel, per key RGB lighting provides the inevitable rainbow glow, and the compact tenkeyless design saves space while keeping things practical.
Pricing and Availability
The Orion 7000 will start at AUD 8,199 in Australia early next year, while the Orion 5000 starts at AUD 4,999. The Predator X27U F8 monitor will cost USD 1,299.99 in North America, and the Aethon 550 TKL keyboard comes in at USD 129 this September. Pricing for the Helios 18P AI will follow, but expect it to land squarely in the premium category.
Why It Matters
Acer is not just chasing specs here. The Predator lineup represents a deliberate swing at gamers, creators, and professionals who want one machine that can do it all. Whether you want a laptop that rivals a workstation, a desktop that could probably power a space launch, or a monitor fast enough to make your eyes water, Acer has decided to give you options.
The message is clear. Gaming gear is no longer just about playing games. It is about power, flexibility, and the sort of over-the-top engineering that makes people stop and stare.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
