With the launch of Intel's 12th generation Core processors, a large number of gaming notebook product lines have updated the new suffix of "2022 model".
Compared with the RTX30 series graphics cards that we are familiar with, the 12th generation Core CPU with the "hybrid architecture" design seems to be Intel stepping on a tube of toothpaste fiercely, and it is also the biggest highlight of this batch of new game books.
So, today we're going to talk about the Tomahawk 300 (2022 model) belonging to acer's high-end esports notebook series Predator. Its core configuration is the Intel i7-12700H processor and Nvidia RTX3060 graphics. In addition to cpu architecture changes, the new Tomahawk 300 also offers "single direct connection" functionality.
Narrow bezel 165Hz screen, reasonable interface layout
The overall appearance of the Marauder Tomahawk 300 is similar to that of the previous generation, the A side of the notebook uses aluminum alloy as the main material, supplemented by an anodized process to create a slightly frosted surface, and a Predator logo is placed in the upper position of the midline, eliminating the decorative strips on both sides and becoming more concise and neat.
The logo contains an LED blue backlight, and the computer will light up the blue light synchronously after it is lit.
Compared to the previous generation, the main changes in the new 2022 model are concentrated at the screen hinge.
The screen is equipped with a 15.6-inch QHD resolution (2560×1440) IPS matte screen, and the left and right sides and top of the screen are treated with narrow bezel.
This screen from BOE BOE (NE156QHM-NY5) offers a screen refresh rate of 165Hz and a low latency response of 3ms, supporting NVIDIA G-SYNC rips-resistant technology, which is obviously all for gaming, especially FPS games with high operational requirements.
In addition, the screen also achieves 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut display, with the red spider SpyderX Elite colorimeter can be understood, this screen does reach 100% sRGB color gamut coverage and 99% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. The color performance is very good, the viewing angle is wide, and the 2K resolution also brings a more delicate display effect.
Unfortunately, the maximum brightness of this screen is only 266 nits, and the indoor use experience is acceptable, and if you use it outdoors, you need to avoid the bright light environment.
The C side of the Marauder Tomahawk 300 is also made of aluminum alloy, and the anodizing process is consistent with the A side. The keyboard adopts the mainstream numeric keypad layout of the game, the power key is located on the top of the right side, the additional three independent media control buttons, and the four-way arrow keys are also designed for full height.
The keyboard keys are all scissor feet designed, the pressing sound is very light, but the rebound is relatively fast and powerful, whether it is playing games or working input, this keyboard can satisfy me.
There's also a predator logo function button above the numeric keypad that, pressed with the Fn key, evokes the Predator Control Center, where performance, fans, and RGB lights can be adjusted.
Through the Control Center, users can set the keyboard's backlighting effect, providing static quad-zone RGB adjustment.
There are only two USB-A ports on the right side of the fuselage, one of which supports USB3.2 Gen1 (up to 10Gbps rate and shutdown charging) and the other supports USB3.2 Gen2, with two status indicators.
On the left side of the body, in addition to a USB-A interface of USB3.2 Gen2, there is also an RJ45 Ethernet interface and a 2-in-1 3.5mm headset interface.
The left and right sides and the tail of the fuselage are balanced and symmetrically equipped with air outlets, and the rear two are the main air duct outputs.
Interfaces that may affect mouse operation are moved to the rear of the fuselage. So the Predator Tomahawk 300 is behind the fuselage, with a DC power connector, a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C interface, an HDMI2.1 interface, and a mini DP 1.4 interface.
In terms of interfaces, the Marauder Tomahawk 300 has a reasonable layout, and each interface has relatively high specifications to meet the needs of high-speed data transmission and external ultra-clean displays.
The only fly in the ointment is that the whole machine only provides a USB-C interface, and the USB-C cables and equipment in hand are difficult to directly come in handy. For me, it was rare to encounter the dilemma of having USB-C to USB-A.
The inlet grille at the bottom of the fuselage is obvious, and the dual cooling fans inside can be faintly seen. An RGB strip can be seen at the bottom that can be linked to the keyboard lights.
In a low-light environment, such an RGB ambient light should be the favorite of many e-sports teenagers.
Although the Tomahawk 300 is loaded with a 15.6-inch screen, thanks to the narrow bezel design, the fuselage is about the same size as a 14-inch computer. The weight of the bare machine is 2.4kg, plus the huge power adapter, the weight after the combination will come to about 3.5kg, and it is still a little stressful to carry it, and it is not recommended to move and carry it daily.
The 12th Generation Core i7 performs well with the RTX3060 to play Aaa games
After this notebook is in hand, we are more concerned about the performance of the 12th generation Core i7 standard voltage processor than the onboard RTX3060 graphics card.
The Core i7-12700H processor features a 14-core, 20-thread design with 6 high-performance cores (P-Cores) up to 4.7GHz and 8 energy-efficient cores (E-Cores) with a maximum turbo frequency of 3.5GHz, plus up to 24MB of L3 cache and a base power consumption of 45W.
With Windows 11, Intel's Thread Director (hardware thread scheduler) function can autonomously perform thread scheduling, intelligently handing over load threads for high-performance requirements to P-Core and simple tasks to E-Core.
With CINEBENCH R23 for running score test, multi-core score of 18314pts, single-core score of 1637pts, such a performance can already be described as "excellent", compared with the previous generation of improvement is obvious, "heterogeneous multi-core" can indeed better improve performance.
Moreover, after multiple tests, the difference between the scores is small, which means that the CPU can provide a stable high load performance for a long time.
PcMARK10's benchmark score of 6194 and Express's score of 4882 are upper-middle, with smooth workflows and productivity tasks.
In the 3D Mark Time Spy test, fan speed in Beast mode varied with cpu and GPU load power consumption, and overall performance was stable, with a processor score of 12734 and a graphics card score of 8636. If you turn on the full speed turbo mode of the fan directly, this score will increase a little.
In terms of graphics cards, RTX3060 believes that everyone is no longer unfamiliar, but one of the highlights of the change is that the Marauder Tomahawk 300 provides a "unique direct connection" function, which can automatically switch the display mode when opening the game, without restarting, which is very efficient and convenient.
In the actual game experience, the configuration of the i7-12700H + RTX3060 is enough to play all the AAA game masterpieces, but the premise of this "play" is that some games may have to make certain concessions in resolution: the resolution is set to FHD, which can be played.
The first is the recently played "Extreme Speed: Horizon 5", the average frame rate under the highest quality of QHD is 50fps, and the system recommends the use of QHD ultra-high quality, with an average frame rate of 75fps.
Then there is the often played online game "Overwatch", in the case of extremely high image quality, you can choose to 2560×1440 (165fps) resolution and refresh rate, the average frame rate in the game can reach 121fps or so.
When playing Overwatch, the competitive advantage of high frame rate is still very strong, and the fan speed is stable, not as early as other games to maintain high speed.
As for Cyberpunk 2077, it can barely run at QHD resolution when the light chase is turned off, and after adjusting the picture quality to FHD, it can get a smoother picture experience. Of course, if you turn on DLSS, you can also save some frames.
Battlefield 5 is also a pleasant surprise that it can achieve an average level of 85fps in very high QHD quality.
Oh, the built-in 512GB SSD comes from Magnet 3400, and the measured maximum read speed can reach 6524.02MB/s, and the maximum write speed can reach 3901.16MB/s, which is a good performance.
However, although this Samsung DDR5 memory has a frequency of 4800MHz, the overall rate is average, and the delay is slightly larger (102.4ns). When running Battlefield 5, you can see that the memory occupation will often suddenly become red, and then the screen will be slightly framed, so the whole configuration may be more dragging this memory.
The power consumption of the single-baked CPU can be maintained for a long time at about 110W, the RTX3060 is 121W at full load, and the performance of double-baking is 65W+115W, and the core power consumption is stable at the level of 180W.
Thanks to the internal five heat pipe dual fans, plus the processor part uses liquid metal as the thermal conductive medium, so the Marauder Tomahawk 300's thermal performance is really good, and the processor and graphics card can get stable high-performance release.
Without the use of keyboard peripherals, the temperature of the keyboard itself is not high, and the game operation will not be affected by heat.
However, the fan with this metal blade can reach a speed of 7000 rpm when it is fully open (Turbo mode), and its noise is very difficult to ignore.
As measured with apple watch, the real-time noise level is 89dB. In fact, every time you open the game, the fan sound will inevitably attract the attention of colleagues in the whole office, so it is not recommended to use this computer to play games in a relatively quiet office environment.
Even my colleagues sitting across from me said that they were affected by the hot wind at the outlet, and the player himself may need to wear a noise-canceling headset to be happier to concentrate on playing for a long time.
Overall, the overall performance of the 2022 Marauder Tomahawk 300 met our expectations, with a relatively reasonable new design and interface layout, and a high-quality 2K high-brush screen. The 12th generation Core processor has a more obvious improvement over the previous generation, and its performance is very balanced even for long periods of high-voltage loads.
For me, the only problem is that the heat dissipation sound is relatively large, but on second thought, it is this strong heat dissipation that has been exchanged for the high-performance release of the processor and graphics card. The choice between the fish and the bear's paw depends on how you weigh and choose.