Acer last week demonstrated its upcoming ultra-high-end convertible gaming laptop. The Predator Triton 900 notebook is the first high-end mobile PC that uses a convertible form-factor; previously Acer only experimented with entry-level and mid-range convertible gaming laptops.

The Acer Predator Triton 900 comes with a 17-inch display featuring an Ultra-HD (3840×2160) resolution that supports NVIDIA’s G-Sync dynamic refresh rate, but the manufacturer does not disclose ranges of the latter. The LCD is attached to a CNC-machined hinge that can flip it into various modes, including laptop and tablet.

Just like its predecessor, the Predator Triton 700, the new notebook places its programmable mechanical keyboard in a rather unorthodox location in order to enable better cooling for high-TDP components while retaining a relatively low z-height. Meanwhile, the laptop’s trackpad can be flipped and transformed into a numpad. Speaking of cooling, it's worth noting that the new Predator Triton 900 is outfitted with Acer’s fourth-generation cooling system featuring Aeroblade 3D fans made of metal, which can generate up to 3.8 CFM of air flow, and which the manufacturer says can offer better cooling performance than traditional coolers.

Acer does not disclose which processor and graphics chips it will be using inside the Predator Triton 900, but considering all the efforts with the form-factor and cooling, it is safe to say that the notebook will pack something like Intel’s Core i7/i9 with overclocking capability along with an NVIDIA’s GeForce GPU.

As for connectivity, the Predator Triton 900 looks pretty standard. Besides usual Wi-Fi + Bluetooth on the wireless side of things, the laptop has one Thunderbolt 3 port, one USB Type-C header, two USB 3.0 Type-A connectors, two display outputs (HDMI and a DisplayPort), Gigabit Ethernet, and two 3.5-mm audio jacks. There is also a mysterious bay on the left side of the laptop that could be a compartment for a 2.5-inch storage device or an add-on card, but we cannot confirm the nature of this bay just now.

Acer did not disclose price or availability timeframe for its Predator Triton 900 notebook. Typically, companies tend to release products they demonstrate at IFA towards holiday season in the U.S. Meanwhile, considering the fact that the 17-inch convertible gaming laptop is a very special product that may require additional work and Acer’s history of showing early prototypes at IFA, the Predator Triton 900 may not hit retail until sometime in 2019.

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  • Gc - Friday, September 7, 2018 - link

    "The LCD is attached to a CNC-machined hinge that can flip it into various modes, including laptop and tablet."

    Does "tablet" imply that the screen contains touch sensors? Interesting design might mean touches put less torque on the hinges (distributed across both hinges, so less on each one). But two hinges could also be more wobbly than one.

    The design also allows family members with different vision (near- or far-sighted) to adjust how close the screen is to their face, an option not normally adjustable in laptops without changing arm and back positions. Maybe inspired by the keyboard position closer to the front edge.
  • s.yu - Saturday, September 8, 2018 - link

    I think this could be especially interesting when set on an ergonomic typing stand, but it's still somewhat ugly as some have pointed out.
  • sonicmerlin - Sunday, September 9, 2018 - link

    Really? I think it looks pretty cool. Sort of a Mass Effect, futuristic vibe.
  • Spunjji - Monday, September 10, 2018 - link

    Agreed! They could take the "Gamer" looks down a notch, though, but I would *love* this as a portable workstations for serious use. It would be bosslike for portable photo editing.
  • PeachNCream - Monday, September 10, 2018 - link

    I get a sense that the style is rather outdated looking. It's like a throwback to how we thought of computers of the 21st century when we were envisioning them from a 1980s perspective. That's not to say its bad, but it just looks old. I agree with the Sponge as well. If the gamer stuff was toned down, it would be a nice looking piece of hardware. The biggest turn-off for me is the Predator branding. It implies something statutory at worst and Arnold Schwartz-whatever in some silly action movie at best. I'd like something more business-class or something that implies status in a subdued manner rather than begs for attention through bling.
  • Diji1 - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link

    >It implies something statutory at worst and Arnold Schwartz-whatever

    Those who don't think about statutory rape and fictional human killing machines might think it means a predatory animal like a lion or a panther or some other animal that is totally awesome at PUBG.
  • PeachNCream - Friday, September 14, 2018 - link

    PUBG?
  • eastcoast_pete - Saturday, September 8, 2018 - link

    As mentioned here by others, maybe not the prettiest, but very interesting design. The ability to tilt the screen up makes a lot of sense for the 17+" format, as those make for good "tabletops", but are a bit big for actual use on a lap. Also, if the dedicated GPU kicks in, these things get a bit toasty if you have them on your lap. The screen will probably be a touchscreen, I wish they would offer a (cheaper) version "just" with a good IPS or a really good, fast TN screen w/o touch - I'd like one of those. Touch adds additional layers in the screen that lowers contrast and brightness, and I rather have no touch for the screen and a good quality touchpad + a good, bright screen instead. For those able& willing to spend more, Acer should consider a fast, bright HDR-capable screen as an option - looks great for games, also for photo/video editing.
  • sonicmerlin - Sunday, September 9, 2018 - link

    As far as I can tell people's idea of "pretty" is "plain as vanilla".
  • darkich - Monday, September 10, 2018 - link

    Honestly this concept is brilliant ..just a touch and stylus support away from Perfection.

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