Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

These Acer gaming laptops just got more powerful with a simple firmware update

Jacob Roach
By

It’s not often that laptops get a free performance boost after launch, but that’s what’s happening with Acer’s latest gaming notebooks. The company has released firmware updates for several machines that increase the total graphics power (TGP) on RTX 30-series graphics cards, which could lead to a significant performance increase.

TGP is a key spec when choosing a laptop with an RTX 30-series graphics card. Manufacturers have a lot of control over how much power the GPU receives from the board, leading to wildly different performance on what should be identical components. More graphics power means that RTX 30-series graphics cards in select Acer laptops will run faster than they did before, all while targeting the same temperature.

Related Videos
An Acer gaming laptop on a desk.

Various models from the Acer Nitro 5, Helios 300, Triton 300, and Triton 300 SE series have firmware updates available now on Acer’s website. You can look up your laptop to see if it’s supported. Depending on the model and graphics card, you could see anywhere from a 5W boost to a 30W boost. The largest update is for the Helios 300 PH317-55 with an RTX 3060, which is the only model with a 30W boost.

“Our claim to gaming hardware is to offer a balance between the best possible CPU and GPU performance, volume and durability. Accordingly, we are pleased to be able to offer both interested buyers and many of our existing customers improved graphics performance with the BIOS update,” Marcel Behm, senior business manager for Acer Germany, said in a statement.

New machines will ship with the firmware update already installed. That said, we recommend checking for an available BIOS update regardless of when you purchased your machine.

More board power will surely increase performance, but there’s no saying how much. The performance uplift will largely depend on your laptop’s configuration and thermal limits, not on the board power of the graphics card alone. The best way to tell is to download the update if you have a supported machine.

If you’re interested in updating, all you need to do is download the update from Acer’s website, extract the folder, and run the executable file inside. Before doing that, though, make sure you save any work you have, plug your charger in, and remove any devices connected to your machine. If your computer loses power or there’s a conflict with a connected device during the update, it could ruin your laptop.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
The ROG Flow X13 redesign makes it even thinner, even more powerful
The keyboard of the ROG Flow X13.

Asus has announced updates to its Flow family of ROG gaming laptops at CES 2023, including a full redesign of the Flow X13, improved graphics and screens across the board, and an updated XG Mobile external graphics card.

The Flow X13, the company's gaming laptop with a 360-degree hinge, is the biggest news, though. The chassis has been shrunken down by 10mm from the original Flow X13, without having to shrink down the keyboard. Asus has even added extra battery capacity, going from 62 watt-hours up to 75 watt-hours. Battery life should be improved further by including both a MUX switch and support for Nvidia Advanced Optimus, which allows the device to automatically switch between taxing the discrete GPU and the integrated GPU.

Read more
MSI might have the best 14-inch gaming laptop this year
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio laptop sits on a table, with its lid half-open.

MSI has just unveiled a slew of new products at CES 2023, including some Stealth Studio laptops. These notebooks, aimed chiefly at creative professionals and gamers, come equipped with some of the latest hardware that could make them highly competitive.

While there are three different variants, the one that stands out the most is the 14-inch Stealth 14 Studio, which could be well on the way to being one of the best gaming laptops this year. Here's why we think this particular laptop might set MSI ahead of the curve.

Read more
CES 2023: 18-inch gaming laptops are back, baby
Alienware m18 laptop sitting on a table.

Eighteen-inch gaming laptops have made a grand return at CES 2023. Nearly every major laptop manufacturer brought their own version of 18-inch laptops, including ROG, Alienware, Predator, and even Razer.

It's certainly a shocking turn of events, especially since the trend has been moving in the opposite direction. Gaming laptops have continued to get thinner, lighter, and smaller -- even moving toward 14-inch devices in many cases.

Read more