Acer Predator G3-710

WHAT IS THE ACER PREDATOR G3-710?

This striking machine is Acer’s latest attempt to gain a foothold in the lucrative gaming market. The Predator G3-710 is an mean-looking system that aims to blast through top titles at 1080p.

The Predator faces an uphill battle. Although its £700 price won’t break the bank, with machines such as the Overclockers Marvel 4K promising far better performance and versatility for similar cash, it faces serious competition.

ACER PREDATOR G3-710 – DESIGN, BUILD QUALITY AND CONNECTIVITY

The Predator certainly attracts attention. The plastic front is angled in the middle and decorated with layered sections resembling tank tracks. An illuminated Predator logo sits close to the top, above which you'll find a triangular button that glows with red lighting.

A handle can be found on the top of the chassis, and the upper portion of the façade has two spring-loaded sections that pop open – one holds the DVD drive and the other a spare 3.5-inch hard disk bay that eases out of the case with a tool-free handle. There’s even a spring-loaded holder for a set of headphones.

Build quality is reasonable. The metal used to construct the side panels isn’t too thick but it has undeniable strength, and the façade’s plastic is just as strong. The Predator isn't too big – just 410mm tall and 185mm wide.

So while the Predator’s chassis certainly looks the part, get beyond the striking design and this system begins to underwhelm.

The interior is made from bare, unpainted metal, and there’s no motherboard tray – so the multi-coloured cables are strewn through the interior, with little regard for cable-tidying. The processor is secured with a bog-standard cooler, the graphics card is tiny, and the motherboard is a dull shade of green lacking any ornamentation. By comparison, the Overclockers’ smart black Asus board featured yellow slots and heatsinks.

Upgrade potential is minimal too. There’s a single hard disk bay on the inside, a couple of PCI Express x1 sockets, one empty SATA connector and two free memory sockets. This isn't great, and it gets worse: the front-facing 3.5in bay is the only part that can be replaced, since removing the Predator’s side panel and switching out the components voids this machine’s warranty.

Little impresses about the G3’s connectivity. Its front-panel loadout of two USB 3 and audio jacks is standard, and the rear panel offers four more USB 3 connectors, two USB 2 ports and three audio connectors – and that's your lot.

It’s a far cry from the Overclockers Marvel 4K. That system might cost £100 more than the Acer Predator G3, but the attention to detail is far superior. The cables are routed sensibly to maintain a tidy interior, and they’re all black – as is the metal used inside the case. There are a greater number of storage bays free, and the Marvel 4K's warranty also won't be voided as a result of any tinkering.