Acer’s Predator 21 X Gaming Notebook Screams Excess With GeForce GTX 1080 SLI And $8,999 Price Tag

Announced today at CES, the Predator 21 X is the world’s first curved screen notebook, and as its name implies, it measures a massive 21 inches diagonally. While the sheer size of the display is impressive, its resolution isn’t. We were expecting to see at least a 4K (3840x2160) display resolution, but instead we’re greeted with a resolution of 2560x1080. The IPS panel supports a 120Hz refresh rate and incorporates NVIDIA G-SYNC technology.

The Predator 21 X includes not one, but two GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs in SLI, which means that this machine should deliver blistering frame rates in just about any game that you could throw at it. Add in an overclockable Intel Core i7-7820HK processor and you have a recipe for gaming greatness.

When it comes to the storage subsystem, the Predator 21 X doesn’t disappoint. It can be equipped with up to four 512GB SSDs in RAID-0. Two of those SSDs can use an NVMe PCIe interface, while the other two will have to use a SATA interface. If that wasn’t enough, you can also add in up to a 1TB 7200 RPM hard drive. The machine supports both USB-C and Thunderbolt 3, and comes equipped with Killer DoubleShot Pro network connectivity.

Given all of the predatory hardware lurking under the full-size mechanical keyboard (Cherry MX Brown switches and individually programmable backlit keys), the Predator 21 X features a whopping 5 system fans and nine heat pipes to keep everything cool. Acer’s CoolBoost app also closely monitors system load to make sure that airflow is sufficient in even the most demanding situations.

As the Predator 21 X represents excess at its best, a high MSRP is to be expected. However, not many may be prepared for its starting price of $8,999. That is a staggering amount to pay for any notebook, but we’re sure that there will be more than a few takers for this beastly machine.

If you need a gaming notebook that is just a little less ostentatious, there’s the Predator 17 X. It too features a Core i7-7820HK processor, but “only” includes a single GeForce GTX 1080 GPU. Its 17.3-inch G-SYNC panel can be had in either 1920x1080 or 4K (3840x2160) resolutions.

The Predator 17 X can be optioned with up to 64GB of DDR4-2400 memory, and you can choose from a NVMe PCIe SSD or up to three SATA SSDs operating in RAID-0. Other features include a custom triple-fan cooling system and Microsoft Precision Touchpad support.

The Acer Predator 17 X will be available later this month with a starting price of $2,599.