Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 vs Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)

89 facts in comparison

Based on 699 Reddit opinions. 5 (2021) leads by 9 points.

699 opinions
5 (2021) leads by 9pts
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
77%
B
Based on
609 Redditors

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16

281 opinions

tldr; Mid-range RTX 4060/4070 value option. Good thermals for price, decent display. Budget Predator line without premium tax.

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VS
Reddit's Pick
Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)
86%
A-
Based on
759 Redditors
Winner

Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)

~$1,499
418 opinions

tldr; Solid RTX 3060/3070 value laptop. Good thermals, quality keyboard. Watch for soldering issues on early batches.

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Gaming PerformanceDisplayThermals & NoiseBattery LifeBuild & Portability
🎮GAM
🖥️DIS
🌡️THE
🔋BAT
🔧BUI
68
Points
84
Points

Score by Category

Gaming Performance
67%94%
Display
92%86%
Thermals & Noise
49%81%
Battery Life
26%71%
Build & Portability
77%80%

Why is Legion 5 (2021) better than Helios Neo 16?

  • Higher Reddit score (86% vs 77%)
  • Better battery (71% vs 26%)
  • Better thermals (81% vs 49%)
  • Better gaming performance (94% vs 67%)
  • Excellent value on clearance
  • Solid 1080p gaming
  • Good thermal management
Based on 1,368 Reddit opinions
Slight Edge

Reddit prefers the 5 (2021)

Winning by 9 points (86% vs 77%)

Better battery
Better thermals
Better gaming performance
High confidence (1,368 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 1,368 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Neo 16
7.7/10
609 mentions
5 (2021)
8.6/10
759 mentions
THERMALS
Neo 164.9/10
5 (2021)8.1/10
GAMING PERFORMANCE
Neo 166.7/10
5 (2021)9.4/10
VALUE
Neo 169.8/10
5 (2021)9.2/10
BUILD QUALITY
Neo 167.7/10
5 (2021)8.0/10
BATTERY LIFE
Neo 162.6/10
5 (2021)7.1/10
DISPLAY
Neo 169.2/10
5 (2021)8.6/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Neo 16: 2|5 (2021): 4
Thermals5 (2021)
Neo 1649%
5 (2021)81%
Gaming Performance5 (2021)
Neo 1667%
5 (2021)94%
ValueNeo 16
Neo 1698%
5 (2021)92%
Build Quality5 (2021)
Neo 1677%
5 (2021)80%
Battery Life5 (2021)
Neo 1626%
5 (2021)71%
DisplayNeo 16
Neo 1692%
5 (2021)86%
Neo 1677%
5 (2021)86%
5 (2021) wins by 9 points

Key Specs

SpecAcer Predator Helios Neo 16Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)
Brand
acer
Lenovo
Manufacturer
Acer
Lenovo
Color
Black
Eclipse Black
Weight
5.5 Pounds
4.1 pounds
Height
1.3 Inches
0.85 inches

Key Highlights

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
💰 Good value for RTX 4060/4070
🔧 Solid thermal management
📌 165Hz display standard
🔧 Plastic build but sturdy
📏 Upgradeable RAM and storage
Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)Winner
💰 Excellent value on clearance
🔧 Solid 1080p gaming
🌡️ Good thermal management
📌 Great keyboard layout
📌 Check for 2021 soldering issues

Topic Battles

Neo 16: 1|Tied: 0|5 (2021): 4
🎮Gaming Performance
5 (2021) wins
Neo 16
67%
5 (2021)
94%
🖥️Display
Neo 16 wins
Neo 16
92%
5 (2021)
86%
🌡️Thermals & Noise
5 (2021) wins
Neo 16
49%
5 (2021)
81%
🔋Battery Life
5 (2021) wins
Neo 16
26%
5 (2021)
71%
🔧Build & Portability
5 (2021) wins
Neo 16
77%
5 (2021)
80%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)

Best Praise
+42 pts
The legion 5 has the same 16" OLED screen, the same CPU, and a better GPU. For less money. You have no idea what you're talking about.
r/GamingLaptops
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Top Criticism
+14 pts
Yeah, I've had the bad luck of having a corrupted vbios twice in my legion 5. There's no acknowledge nor resolution coming from nvidia for these cases. I have to risk it all and flash my vbios with some random rom from TechPowerUp following a 7 year old video by JayTwoCents. And no, I don't even tweak my vbios.
r/GamingLaptops
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Acer Predator Helios Neo 16

Best Praise
+15 pts
Yes that's a great price, especially if you're buying from Acer themselves, I have a Acer predator Helios neo 16 and it's been great
r/GamingLaptops
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Top Criticism
+9 pts
I think you can find some legion 7 or zephyrus deals with that budget. Acer predator Helios neo 16s 5070 ti(115w) is probably in that budget as well but I won’t personally recommend acer. These are all pretty portable gaming laptops. You can also find Rog strix and legions in that price range but they ain’t as portable. They have better cooling tho.
r/GamingLaptops
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3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)
$1200$1500$1800$2100Aug '25Sep '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Mar '26Apr '26Apr '26Low: $1739.99Low: $1274.99Current: $1799
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
All-time low: $1739.99(2026-01)
Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)
All-time low: $1199.99(2025-11)
$140 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Lenovo Legion 5 (2021) Wins
86%
(2021)
vs
77%
16

Lenovo Legion 5 (2021) leads by 9 points based on 1,368 Reddit opinions.

Why 5 (2021)Winner
  • 💰 Excellent value on clearance
  • 🔧 Solid 1080p gaming
  • 🌡️ Good thermal management
Why Neo 16
  • Better Value for Money (98% vs 92%)

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

48%Positive
Positive
48%
Neutral
44%
Negative
8%
Based on 759 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

36%Positive
Positive
36%
Neutral
54%
Negative
10%
Based on 609 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Lenovo Legion 5 (2021) or Acer Predator Helios Neo 16?
Based on 1,368 Reddit comments, Lenovo Legion 5 (2021) is the preferred choice with 86% positive sentiment vs Acer Predator Helios Neo 16's 77%. Lenovo Legion 5 (2021) leads by 9 percentage points.
Should I buy Lenovo Legion 5 (2021) or Acer Predator Helios Neo 16?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Lenovo Legion 5 (2021) has stronger approval ratings (86% vs 77%). However, Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Lenovo Legion 5 (2021)?
Reddit users highlight: Excellent value on clearance. Solid 1080p gaming. Good thermal management. With 759 mentions and 86% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Acer Predator Helios Neo 16?
Reddit users highlight: Good value for RTX 4060/4070. Solid thermal management. 165Hz display standard. With 609 mentions and 77% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,368 Reddit comments: 759 about Lenovo Legion 5 (2021) and 609 about Acer Predator Helios Neo 16. Data was sourced from Gaming Laptops community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

699 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/26/2026