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HP OMEN Accelerator vs OWC Mercury Helios 3: Comparison
HP OMEN Accelerator vs OWC Mercury Helios 3 psu wattage compared
Start with psu wattage, because it is the widest measured gap between them: HP OMEN Accelerator 460 W against OWC Mercury Helios 3 400 W, 13% in favour of HP OMEN Accelerator.
Who each one is for
Buy the HP OMEN Accelerator for buyers who find one bundled cheap with a compatible laptop and collectors of early proprietary eGPU solutions, though it is not the pick for any laptop without HP's specific proprietary Accelerator port and current HP OMEN laptops, which use standard Thunderbolt/USB-C instead. It is equally the pick for owners of a compatible 2016-2017 HP OMEN laptop with the Accelerator port. The OWC Mercury Helios 3 suits simple, no-frills dual-slot GPU builds under 400W, though it is not built for cards that need more than 290mm of clearance and Windows users wanting extra I/O built into the box. The same goes for Mac users who find a used unit cheap and just need a bare Thunderbolt 3 enclosure. It is not the one for anyone buying new, since the Mercury Helios FX replaced it with more PSU headroom. Our rating of the HP OMEN Accelerator (5/10): A niche, single-generation product locked to specific older OMEN laptops, not a general recommendation. Our rating of the OWC Mercury Helios 3 (6/10): solid basic Mac eGPU box, superseded by the Helios FX which OWC still actively sells.
Frequently asked questions
Do the HP OMEN Accelerator and OWC Mercury Helios 3 differ on connection standard?
Yes. Connection Standard reads Proprietary on the HP OMEN Accelerator versus Thunderbolt 3 on the OWC Mercury Helios 3.
Is the Cooling Type the same on the HP OMEN Accelerator and OWC Mercury Helios 3?
It is. Both are listed at Active Fan, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- HP
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- OWC
Connection Standard
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- Proprietary
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- Thunderbolt 3
Model Number
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- OMEN Accelerator
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- Mercury Helios 3
Extra Ports
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- 3
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- None onboard beyond the GPU's own outputs
PSU Wattage
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- 460 WBest
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- 400 W-13%
Max GPU Length
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- 290 mm
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- 290 mm
Cooling Type
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- Active Fan
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- Active Fan
GPU Compatibility
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- GTX 10-series and equivalent AMD cards, dual-slot
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- GTX 10-series through RTX 20-series, dual-slot cards
Price
- HP OMEN Accelerator
- Launched around $299 (2017)
- OWC Mercury Helios 3
- Launched around $299 (2018)
Which one should you pick?
Choose HP OMEN Accelerator if you want the higher PSU wattage (460 W vs 400 W) and the higher max GPU length (290 mm vs 290 mm).
Choose OWC Mercury Helios 3 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | HP OMEN Accelerator | OWC Mercury Helios 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Newegg | $299.00 View on Newegg | |
| Consumercarts listing | $299.00 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
HP OMEN Accelerator
5 / 10 Expert Rating
A niche, single-generation product locked to specific older OMEN laptops, not a general recommendation.
OWC Mercury Helios 3
6 / 10 Expert Rating
Solid basic Mac eGPU box, superseded by the Helios FX which OWC still actively sells.