Predator laptops are built to run games hard, and that’s exactly what wears them out: heat, heavy power draw and long sessions. We repair Predators in our workshop at board level, from a cooling service to a full motherboard repair, so you can get back to playing.
Laptop assessment is £45 + VAT and you’ll have a fixed quote before we begin.
Common faults we fix
- Running hot and loud – fans on full and frame rates dropping as the laptop throttles. A clean and fresh thermal paste and pads usually fix it.
- Shutting down mid-game – overheating, a failing power adapter or a power fault on the board.
- Graphics artefacts or no display – a failing GPU, display cable or screen.
- Power jack loose or not charging – heavy power bricks put strain on the jack. See DC power jack repair.
- Broken screen – high-refresh panels replaced with the correct specification.
- RGB keyboard faults – dead keys, or zones that no longer light up.
- Fan noise or rattling – worn bearings or a damaged fan blade.
Models we repair
- Predator Helios 16 and Helios 18 – Acer’s high-end gaming laptops
- Predator Helios Neo – the mainstream Predator models
- Predator Triton – the slimmer, lighter Predator range
Earlier Helios 300, Triton 300 and 500, and Predator 15 and 17 models are on our older Acer models page. For Acer’s other gaming range, see Acer Nitro repair, or browse all Acer repairs.
Heat and the cooling system
Predators move a lot of air through fine radiator fins, and those fins clog with dust and pet hair. Once airflow drops, the CPU and GPU run at their limits for hours, which wears out thermal paste quickly and stresses the board. A proper cooling service involves stripping the heatsink assembly, cleaning fins and fans, replacing the paste and thermal pads, and testing under sustained load. Some Predators use liquid metal on the processor from the factory; it needs to be handled and reapplied carefully, and we do that rather than swapping it for ordinary paste.
Board faults and data
If your Predator is completely dead, it’s often a single failed component in the power circuit rather than the whole board. We trace and replace it at component level, which is usually far cheaper than a new board. See laptop motherboard repair for more on how we work.
FAQs
How often should a gaming laptop be cleaned?
For heavy gamers, about once a year. Sooner if you have pets or the fans are noticeably louder than when it was new.
Can you upgrade my Predator?
Many Predators have upgradable memory and spare SSD slots. We’ll confirm what your model supports before quoting.
Will I lose my games?
Cooling, screen and power jack repairs don’t touch your storage. We’ll tell you in advance if a repair could.