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Acer's Predator Triton 16 is more powerful than ever, but the Predator Orion X desktop is a really cool mini gaming desktop PC.

At Computex 2023, Acer introduced the Predator Triton 16, which, despite the name, isn't a totally new laptop. Much like the Swift series, Acer's gaming lineup is also being rebranded, and the company says the Predator Triton 16 is the successor to the older Predator Triton 300 SE. Its placement in the lineup is a bit confusing, and even Acer couldn't exactly tell me what each of the previous tiers of Predator laptops will become.

What I do know is that you'll be seeing the Predator Helios and Triton brands, and Acer will also use terms like "Neo" for more affordable models, such as the Predator Helios Neo 16. There used to be Predator Triton and Helios, and then tiers like 300, 500, or even 900 for each series, so maybe Acer is trying to simplify a bit here, and I think that's a good thing.

Back on the Predator Triton 16, it comes with upgraded specs, including up to a 13th-generation Intel Core i9-13900H (whereas the previous model maxed out with a Core i7). It also comes with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, and that should let you run your games pretty smoothly. I got to play Bethesda's Redfall (I didn't have much of a choice in what to play) at Quad HD resolution and the highest overall quality preset, and I was getting upwards of 100 frames per second, which is quite good.

On that note, the display is a 16-inch panel with Quad HD+ resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and a refresh rate of 240Hz. Of course, in the example above -- with Redfall at high settings -- we couldn't really make use of such a high refresh rate, but you have that option for less demanding games, so you can get even smoother gameplay and faster reaction times.

It also has plenty of RGB, which I always find fun, and it's especially good for this silver chassis. I'm not a big fan of silver in most laptops, but having these RGB accents does give it a bit more flair. It's also nice that this is a gaming laptop with Thunderbolt 4 support along with plenty of other ports, including 2.5Gbps Ethernet.

The Acer Predator Triton 16 is set to be available in September starting at $1,799 in the US.

While the Predator Triton 16 is a pretty great laptop in its own right, what I was really excited to see from Acer at this show was the Predator Orion X, the company's latest gaming desktop. It's a very different take from everything else the company is doing, and in more ways than one. For starters, it's a mini tower PC made for mini-ITX boards. It's really small compared to all the Acer desktops had at the show.

But what's really cool about it is that despite the super-compact form factor and the fact that it's a pre-built, the Predator Orion X is made to be easy to upgrade (or as easy as you can reasonably expect for this kind of chassis). Up on the front are three zone indicators that let you know the three main areas you can work on.

Zone 1 is where the CPU, PSU, RAM, and M.2 storage are, and Zone 2 is where you'll find the GPU along with two slots for SATA storage. Acer is using a PCIe riser to get the GPU connected but sitting on the opposite side of the case to the motherboard, part of what enables this design. Zone 3 is where you can access the cooling components. Both the sides and top covers are easily removable, so you can get inside the desktop quickly, too.

Also on the front are two hot-swappable SSD slots. Yes, this case essentially has two M.2 2280 SSD enclosure at the front you can easily slide in and out as needed to connect or disconnect additional storage space. The enclosures even have their own RGB lighting complementing the rest of the components in the case.

The inside of the desktop is pretty cool in a few ways, too. Not only is the CPU water cooled with an all-in-one Acer cooler (also featuring plenty of RGB), but the GPU itself is also water cooled. It's pretty rare to see a GPU with a custom water block in a pre-built PC, and this should give you more performance headroom. It also allows Acer to fit the massive GeForce RTX 4090 GPU inside this tiny chassis.

Rounding out the Acer Predator Orion X is an arm mount that can be used to put your headset when you're not using it. The mount is easily removable if you don't need it, but it fits pretty well with the overall design of the rest of the chassis.

The Acer Predator Orion X was announced back in April, but it's only set to be available in September for $2,999.99. It's a pretty pricey machine, but it's a really cool piece of hardware.

I've been covering the tech world since 2018, and I love computers, phones, and - above all that - Nintendo videogames, which I'm always happy to talk about.