TechRadar Verdict
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is a real improvement on its previous model, though Acer has missed the opportunity to fix that PC’s most commented-upon flaw: super-turbo about-to-lift-off fans. But it hasn’t “fixed” the series’ gorgeous aesthetic and has taken us from an RTX 3080 to the outstanding RTX 4090. Performance-wise the machine is impeccable. It is expensive, but really the price is pretty good for what you get. Along with its upgradability, its spacious chassis, and well-laid-out internals, the Orion 7000 can be kept top-of-the-line for years to come.
Pros
- +
Beast performance
- +
Gorgeous ARGB lighting
- +
Very upgradable
Cons
- -
Huge and heavy tower
- -
Can get very noisy
- -
Expensive
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Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Two-minute review
Acer, always a competitor where price is concerned, is better known for cost-effective laptops than high-end gaming PCs, but they’ve been producing some of the best gaming PCs since 2008.
The newest of its Predator line, the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023), is a monolith of a PC, which is to say it looks like a proper sexy space monolith, except it's nowhere near as quiet. Rather, it’s so loud that if you wanted to go on holiday but couldn’t, you could get part-way there by closing your eyes and make-believing you’re on a plane. That’s how loud the fans get on “gaming mode”.
On the normal power setting, the fans don’t spin up all that often even while gaming – but they definitely will at some point during a gaming session. If you value immersion while playing, you will find it broken by the Orion 7000.
But the PC excels in all other ways, making it one of the best computers we’ve seen in a while. It’s gorgeously designed; particularly its ARGB lighting is lovely. It’s got more ports than a leopard has spots. Its very large chassis is very well laid out, affording you ample opportunity to customize and upgrade the PC in the future.
Performance-wise it delivers everything you could ask for. It performed well in all the benchmarks we ran, and when we very enthusiastically played the brand-new AAA game Starfield at max settings, it was utterly smooth, with nary a frame-drop.
The fans will be a real problem for some. You wouldn’t be able to record live audio on it. Even voice chat is affected. The 2022 version of the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) had the same problem and was criticized for it, so it’s not like Acer didn’t know.
It’s clear what Acer’s priorities were, though: The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is not all that expensive – for a high-end gaming PC, you understand – and Acer has thrown in a decent mouse and keyboard combo. For this decent price, you may well be happy to slap on a good noise canceling headset with directional mic and enjoy the power you’ve bought.
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Price & availability
- How much does it cost? Starting at $3,000 / £3,300 (about AU$4,655)
- When is it available? Available now
- Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
Starting at $3,000 / £3,300 (about AU$4,655), the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is expensive, but considering its specs, the price is actually pretty OK. Acer is known for producing more budget-friendly laptops and PCs, and, for a high-end gaming PC, the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is not egregiously budget-un-friendly. Anyone looking for a PC armed with an i9 and RTX 4090 is already girded to pay at least this much.
Still, it’s a lot, and you don’t need to spend this much just to play the latest games. If you're looking for anything under $4,000 / £4,00 for the specs of our review unit, then you might want to look at older models like the superb Predator Orion 3000, which we’ve pronounced the best value gaming PC out right now.
- Price score: 4 / 5
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Specs
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) comes in four configurations in the US, three elsewhere. The cheapest of the US’s configurations has an i7-13700KF, a RTX 3080, and 10 GB dedicated memory; the other three can be succinctly summed up with GPU numbers: 3090, 4080, and 4090. Of Australia’s three configurations, two have an i9-13900K, and either an RTX 4090, or 4080. UK customers also have three configurations, the cheapest of which comes with an i7 hexadeca-core 3.40GHz and an RTX 4070Ti. The other two configurations come with an i9 and an RTX 4080 or 4090.
| Component | Base model | Review unit | Top configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $3000 / £3,300 / (about AU$4,655) | $3,800 / £4,000/ AU$4,000 | $4,500 / £5,000 / AU$4,999 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-13700KF processor Dodeca-core 3.60 GHz | Intel Core i7-13700KF processor Hexadeca-core 3.40 GHz | Intel Core i9-13900KF processor Tetracosa-core (24 Core™) 3 GHz |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 with 10 GB dedicated memory | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 with 16 GB dedicated memory | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 with 24 GB dedicated memory |
| RAM | 32GB, DDR5 SDRAM | 32GB, DDR5 SDRAM | 32B, DDR5 SDRAM |
| Storage | 1TB SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB SSD, 2TB HDD |
| Ports | 1x HDMI, 4x USB 2.0 slots, 4x USB 3.1 bays, 2x USB-C ports | 1x HDMI, 4x USB 2.0 slots, 4x USB 3.1 bays, 2x USB-C ports | 1x HDMI, 4x USB 2.0 slots, 4x USB 3.1 bays, 2x USB-C ports |
| Wireless | 2.5G Ethernet, 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5 | 2.5G Ethernet, 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5 | 2.5G Ethernet, 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5 |
| Weight | Starting at 30.8lbs (14kg) | Starting at 30.8lbs (14kg) | Starting at 30.8lbs (14kg) |
| Dimensions | 19.09 x 8.62 x 19.87 inches (485mm x 219mm x 504.8mm) | 19.09 x 8.62 x 19.87 inches (485mm x 219mm x 504.8mm) | 19.09 x 8.62 x 19.87 inches (485mm x 219mm x 504.8mm) |
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Design
- Humongous chassis
- Gorgeous RGB lighting effects
- Easy to upgrade
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is a no-nonsense PC. Its exterior alone proclaims “hard as nails”, meaning it’s serious business, serious gaming business. It scores almost full marks on aesthetics, and no, not simply because of its delicious ARGB – we’re not so shallow we’re completely swept away by a few million colors.
Well, regardless of whether we are or not, the whole package is gorgeous. Its massive ATX chassis is black all over with rounded edges, and the interior is spacious and very neatly arranged. The interior is visible through a crepuscular glass side panel paired with the gorgeous 16.7m ARGB LEDs. To finish is a matte black metal door with a shiny Acer logo printed in black, and topped with mesh.
The front of the chassis has two Predator FrostBlade fans in a raised glass casing with a shiny plastic frame; most of the glass is the same shadowy glass as the side panels, and part of the upper part of the glass is opaque with an Acer logo that lights up blue.
While it’s gorgeously designed, the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) really is huge. At 485mm x 219mm x 504.8mm and starting at 14Kg in weight, it’s not easy to carry and takes up a lot of space, so you’ll want to recall your manual handling training when you lift it and position it where you can access the back and not have to move it ever.
And it’s designed to keep you from having to. It’s designed to be easily-upgradable. It’s “toolless” – that is, you don’t need tools to access its internals. And its spacious interior means you don’t need to sweat and curse and get cramps while replacing parts.
As for ports… there’s a really impressive selection both at the back and the top of the chassis: 1x HDMI, 4x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.1, and 2x USB-C. As for storage, there’s a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and 3TB HDD SATA 3 (and you can have up to 2 of each), and on the top, a 2.5-inch bay for hot-swapping USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C drives (one of our favorite features).
Also, there’s some cool free wallpapers on the Acer Predator site to finish off the look of your PC if you’re interested.
- Design score: 4 / 5
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Performance
- The 4090 is superb
- Not a single game exists today that cannot be played on it
- Very upgradeable
Here’s how the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Port Royal: 25679 Speed Way: 10026; Fire Strike: 46869; Fire Strike Ultra: 24059 Time Spy: 31781; Time Spy Extreme: 17409
GeekBench 5.5: 1908 (single-core); 21380 (multi-core)
GeekBench 6.1: 2896 (single-core); 17399 (multi-core)
GeekBench 6.0.3: 2764 (single-core); 16780 (multi-core)
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 251.7 fps;(1080p, Low): 559.5 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p): 117.1 fps; (4K): 41.1 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p): 256.5 fps; (4K): 187.3fps
Assassin’s creed Valhalla: (1080p): 204 fps; (4K) 117 fps
Borderlands 3: (1080p): 258.95 fps; (4K): 129.11 fps
Grand Theft Auto V: (1080p): 186.032240 fps; (4K): 84.786770 fps
Far Cry 6 (1080p): 129 fps; (4K): 109 fps
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (High 1080p): 153.91fps (4K):127.50 fps; (Ultra 1080p): 144.91 fps (4K): 105.92 fps; (Extreme 1080p): 134.95 fps (4K): 72.65 fps
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium 1080p): 186.1147 fps (4K): 79.3755 fps; (Ultra 1080p): 109.0437 fps (4K): 36.7910 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: (1080p): 244 fps; (4K): 129 fps
25GB File Copy: 1233.809283
Handbrake 1.6: 2:26
CrossMark: Overall: 2,305 Productivity: 2,151 Creativity: 2,631 Responsiveness: 1,904
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) performs, well, fantastically. It'd be surprising if it didn't. The review unit we received comes with an unlocked AIO liquid-cooled i9-13900KF processor with 24 cores, 32 threads, a stock frequency of 3000MHz and a clocking speed of 5.4GHz, and the scrumptious beast that is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.
That partnership alone needs no explanation, it is the creme de la creme of gaming parts. Most games we benchmarked it with stayed above 100 FPS even at 4K. A couple managed to tax it at 4K, like Red Dead Redemption 2.
For everyday tasks – browsing, watching Netflix, emailing, programming – well, of course there were no problems. Even playing games while doing most of those things at the same time didn’t disturb the Pool of Performance at all.
The cost is fan noise. When Predator Orion 7000 (2023) gets into full gaming mode they hum in an endless high-speed harmony – as Acer says, hilariously. What they mean is they can’t deny the fans are loud. While voice-chatting, we had to use a headset with noise canceling, and a directional mic, which definitely improved things, but it’s such a shame it’s necessary.
The noise means you won’t always get to appreciate Acer’s DTS:X Ultra audio, which, Acer says, allows you to experience “real-world spatial sound” by transforming your speakers and headset into a 360 degree high-end surround sound system. We can confirm that the sound is full, clear and feels immersive.
Where internet connectivity is concerned Acer has installed its 2.5G “Killer Ethernet” and 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E, so fast and efficient internet access will run whether you want to use Wi-Fi or ethernet to get online.
The Orion 7000 comes preinstalled with Acer’s PredatorSense software. Despite the name it doesn’t alert you to predators or prey but to problems in your system: it’s the obligatory system-specific hardware monitor/configurer, one of the nicest we’ve seen, though; it shows temps and speeds very clearly, and lets you control the fans, power settings, lighting, and the clock speeds without having to go into the BIOS.
- Performance score: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023)?
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is an expensive gaming PC, justifiably so, and not as expensive as some. We’re satisfied with its cost based on what it offers. The CPU and GPU alone are enough to more than justify the price. | 4 / 5 |
| Design | Despite being huge and bulky, the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is a well-designed gaming PC. The effort put into upgradability is what you want to see in a PC; it has loads of ports; and its angular, voluminous design befits its monster performance. | 4 / 5 |
| Performance | Where the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) shines the most is performance. With its 13th Gen Intel core i9 processor, tasty NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, and 32 GB DDR5 RAM, it made mock of the games we benchmarked it with, and handled the freshly-released Starfield with not a single issue with performance. | 5 / 5 |
| Average rating | The value, design and performance of the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is top-notch. It is expensive, but what else would it be, as a high-end gaming PC with a 13th Gen Intel core CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 4090? It does have unpleasantly loud fans. They don’t huff and puff all the time, but that they do at all will be a deal breaker for some. | 4 / 5 |
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Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Also consider
| Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) | Alienware Aurora R15 | Acer Predator Orion 3000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price: | From $3000 / £3,300 / (about AU$4,655) | From $1,399.99 / around £1,175 / AU$2,085) | From $1,449 / £1,199 |
| CPU | From Intel Core i7-13700KF processor Dodeca-core 3.60 GHz | From 13th Gen Intel Core i5 13400F | From 12th Gen Intel Core i5 |
| GPU | From NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 with 10 GB dedicated memory | From Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 | From Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU |
| RAM | From 32GB, DDR5 SDRAM | From 8GB DDR5 | From 16GB RAM DDR4 |
| Storage | From 1TB SSD, 2TB HDD | From 256GB SSD | From 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD |
| Ports | 1x HDMI, 4x USB 2.0 slots, 4x USB 3.1 bays, 2x USB-C ports | 2x USB 3.2 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C, Headphone/Line Out (front); 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 10Gbps, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C 20Gbps, 2x USB 2.0 Type A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5Gbps, 1x Ethernet | 2 x USB-A 3.1, 4 x USB-A 3.0, 3 x analog audio jacks, 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, Ethernet |
| Wireless | 2.5G Ethernet, 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5 | Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210, 2x2, 802.11ax, MU-MIMO, Bluetooth | Intel Killer E2600 Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Weight | Starting at 30.8lbs (14kg) | Starting at 28.73lb (13.03kg) | Starting at 21lbs (9.5kg) |
| Dimensions | 19.09 x 8.62 x 19.87 inches (485mm x 219mm x 504.8mm) | 20.1 x 8.86 x 23.2 inches (510 x 225 x 589mm) | 15.4 x 15.2 x 6.9 inches (392 x 386 x 175 mm) |
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How I tested the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023)
- I used this beaut as my main gaming PC for almost three weeks
- Gaming-wise, I played various games, old and new
I used this beaut as my main gaming PC for almost three weeks. Gaming-wise, I played various games, old and new, mostly very new (Starfield, at max settings, which was glorious, loud at times, but glorious). Benchmark tests were carried out using games like CyberPunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and GTA V. I browsed the internet, joined video calls. And I, of course, wrote on it.
There’s very little the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) can’t do. Play your favorite games. The newest titles are nothing to it. Surf the web, watch shows, compile the Linux kernel, hell, do all of those things at once; it’ll look at you serenely like a lion challenged to a fight by a cat.
I have over 25 years of gaming experience and several years of testing gaming peripherals, PCs and laptops under my belt. I don’t just review these things in an “I have a job to do” type of way: I’m their manufacturer’s target audience; I thoroughly, honestly and fairly review and test all units. I pretty much live and breathe games, computers, and all the extras and have opinions about what is good and important, and can identify deficiencies and suggest improvements.
First reviewed October 2023
