3820TG Owner's Lounge - Part Two

Hi guys,you lucky owners... Can please anyone of you try Microsoft Flight Simulator X? Even after oc... I really want to know if this bird can fly Thanks

 

Nice, still loving the 3820TG.

 

i didnt test the timeline 3830 laptops but with my experience with 3820 its very cool light piece with screen that need some improvements but as you all know no thing perfect :-(

 

If Superfetch isn't on, you'll have to give it time after you turn it on to "learn" your system/usage and optimize it. If it is, hard to say what else is going on, did you check your event log too?

The write performance is higher on larger capacity drives due to the way SSD's write in parallel (more chips = more performance). I usually just judge by my need and the GB/$ ratio - my 120GB for $210 was the cheapest at the time and was more than enough space for me (after turning the original 500GB into an external backup drive).

Awesome, thanks . I read up in the 3830TG thread and still decided to get the latest refresh of the 3820TG. After using the laptop for a week I am just amazed - what an incredible piece of technology. I can go from getting 8 hours of productive battery life (Wifi on, etc.) to playing BF: BC2 maxed, cool and quiet, on the same machine - just incredible. Btw, I just yesterday took apart the whole laptop to reapply the thermal grease and what a difference it made - about 5C off load temps on both the GPU and CPU.

 

Hey long time 3820tg owners.

Acer Canada finally replaced my screen with some halo it had..

they put a AUO322C Matte non glossy screen as the replacement.

And this one looks less (way less) grainy than my previous AUO322 screen
the older posters know what i am talkinga bout

They were kind of cool - acer support that is, the first screen they shipped back had dead pixels, just one.. they took it back and put a new screen again dead pixel free.

-

Anyway has anyone updated to sp1? i've been out of the loop for a while..

 

Alright, I'm back in the fray!

I've waited for prices to drop, and indeed they have (dramatically), and the 3820 is still just as dreamy as it was a few months ago.

I've seen that a Canadian retailer is practically giving it away for 700CAD, was wondering if there's any chance of finding a similar deal in the U.K..

When is the 3830 due to be out in Europe does anyone know?

And why didn't the s (awesome laptop making s) add a second fan?

And why is it that only Acer was able to make a good affordable 13" gaming laptop?

 

You can only upgrade to SP1 if you upgrade your graphics driver to the hybrid driver mentioned one or two pages ago as certain Intel HD Graphics drivers are incompatible with SP1. Quoted from the webpage:
"Update device drivers as necessary. You can do this by using Windows Update in Control Panel or by going to the device manufacturer's website.

Important If you are using an Intel integrated graphics device, you should be aware that there are known issues with certain versions of the Intel integrated graphics device driver and with D2D enabled applications, such as certain versions of Windows Live Mail. The versions of the Intel integrated graphics device driver that are known to be problematic are Igdkmd32.sys and Igdkmd64.sys versions 8.15.10.2104 through 8.15.10.2141. For more information about a known issue with these drivers and with Windows Live Mail, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 2505524.

To check whether you are using the Intel integrated graphics device driver Igdkmd32.sys or Igdkmd64.sys versions 8.15.10.2104 through 8.15.10.2141, follow these steps:

Start DirectX Diagnostic Tool. To do this, click Start, type dxdiag in the Search programs and files box, and then press Enter.
Click the Display tab.
Note the driver and driver version.
If you have the Intel integrated graphics driver Igdkmd32.sys or Igdkmd64.sys versions 8.15.10.2104 through 8.15.10.2141, visit the computer manufacturer's website to see whether a newer driver is available, and then download and install that driver."

You could do a forced install of SP1 by manually downloading the full SP1 package, but you risk Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Messenger crashing randomly. SP1 will not show up in Windows Update if it detects that you have the affected versions of the driver.

 

I install SP1 by manually download it from Microsoft. I am not using hybrid graphic driver BTW. No issue so far. Using IE9 too, but IE9 will automatically disable Hardware Acceleration when you are in Switchable mode. No crash so far.

 

The issue as stated by Microsoft is with Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Messenger. AFAIK IE9 is not affected.

 

Hi folks, I have been eyeing the new 3830TG but I might go with the old monster instead with all these throttling issues. Plus dual fans is very nice.

A question, and sorry in advance if this is a stupid question and or answered earlier, what kind of increase in for example 3DMark Vantage can you see with a 5%, 10%, 15% overclocking of the GPU?

 

Sorry, I should have added more details, I meant with the latest version with i5 480m ATI 6550. But any indication on how much extra it gives is appreciated.

And by the way, my old laptop decided to maybe die permanently one hour ago so it seems it's really time to get a new one...

 

hey natural,

I have the latest 3820tg with core i5-480m and hd6550m.

I have to say that the thing is a BEAST! soooo light and sooo thin!

I love how the i5 gives incredible cpu performance with 7hours battery life on internet. And the hd6550 is really awesome! easy to OC, and great on most games maxed or high. I had 45 fps on SC2 all high. I could've gone ultra but didn't had the time to.

all in all. Best computer I've seen in my life for the price. You know, even with sandybridge out and LLano almost out, this thing still kicks the of any notebook for weight, price, thin, performance... for 700$, can't go wrong dude... can't go wrong...

freaking 3830t will be lik 1300$. not worth it

 

I just ran 3DMark11 on mine (i5-480m, 6550m) because I was curious as well. With the CPU overclocked to 3.4GHz I got 1143 with the 6550m on stock clocks of 600/800. When I overclocked the 6550m to 1435, so a 25.5% boost! This is using the "Performance" preset on the free version of 3DMark11. Hope that helped!

I completely agree. It's been a week and a day and I'm still as impressed as on day one. What an absolutely amazing machine .

 

I can only dream about those prices (for the 3820).
Where I live the 3820 goes for about $1090 and the 3830 for $1246.

 

Hi folks,

Just for those who are interested, currently I noticed only 2 versions of the new 3830TG (Sandy and GT540 2048MB inside + 1x USB3):

2x 2,3Ghz @ 800€
2x 2,7Ghz; 8GB, 120GB SSD @ 1200€ "Devil Version"

The rest is very comparable to 3820TG (750GB HDD, 6 cell, 1,8kg, hdmi etc...). For comparison, top edge 3820TG (480M, 6550 1GB) is 700€.


I think it is quite reasonable to say that Sandy is 10/15% better than Arrandale (as GT540 might be 10/15% better than 6550M), so a 10/15% increase in price sounds to me quite fair for a new product.
However, as many of you have noticed, dual fan 3820TG may provide quieter operation than 3830TG.
So far, (and before tests) I would say that it remains 2 good products depending on customers priorities.

best regards to all

 

SB = one fan + no oc
3820tg forever!!

 

Hey Bronsky, here is my review of the BOOQ Vyper XS3 case.
Post it in the first post if you think it is worthy
http://forum.notebookreview.com/acc...3-notebook-case-review-3820tg-56k-no-way.html

 

Stickied on the first page. May I just add that you are completely out of your mind. I can't believe you stood on your Acer inside the case and it survived.

The new 3830TG models are really a step backwards IMO. The dual fans are such a perfect cooling design.

Wow. I would love a matt display in my Acer. Did you ask them to do that or did they just do it that way?

Glad to hear you like the one you have. Was there a model/part number on your service receipt? It would be nice to know the # for future reference. BTW, I had the same good experience with the service people here in the US at the Temple Texas Depot.

Bronsky

 

The only real advantages with the 3830tg seem to be the upgraded processor, graphics, usb 3.0 and chiclet keyboard.

With all of the disadvantages such as the single cooling fan and less solid construction, I am reassured that i made the right decision getting the 3820
I have the I3-370 which is certainly no powerhouse but the thing has stood up to all that I can throw at it. usually I have the CPU limited to 911mhz on battery and that is perfect for web browsing and even 1080P flash.

The only thing I would really benefit from is the increased graphics performance and I think that for now, I will live with the 5650m.

 

Hey guys, the search doesn't seem to like my search term '3G', anyone have a quick answer whether it's possible to add a 3G module to a laptop that doesn't have it?

My model is 3820TG-7945

Thanks!

 

Possible but complicated, you have to ad the pci express slot.

 

To be honest, I sat on the 3830TG/3820TG decision for awhile and the only advantage I could find was USB 3.0. The SB processor is nice, but by all accounts can't be overclocked, so any clock-for-clock advantage it has is lost due to its extreme clock disadvantage (e.g. my i5-480m overclocks to 3.4GHz). Same with the graphics - the GT 540M overclocked is only pulling 1246 in 3DMark11 - Result . My system gets 1453 at stable, gaming settings. Also, I'm not so sure what the draw of the "chiclet" keyboard is? It seems like it's the current keyboard with a piece of plastic below the keys, but mechanically it should feel the same. While some may appreciate the aesthetics, I think it just traps heat. In addition to the all the disadvantages you lsited, I agree, I'm very happy with my 3820TG and there's no way I'd take a 3830TG over it.

 

I agree, and to be completely honest I don't ever see myself really using the USB 3.0 for anything other than highspeed transfers to an external HDD, which I can live without...

Even without all the overclocking, the 3820 is still capable of handling anything that comes its way gaming wise, and at a great price.

 

Is that 4.5 hours playing games or just internet & office programs? Is this also on the 2.6.35 kernel or have you upgraded to something later?

For me, the 3830 is out of the equation and while I'd like to wait and see what Llano has to offer, these 3820 models at $700 CAD are looking really tempting.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/518032-adding-second-mini-pcie-3820tg-3022-a.html

 

I've created a Custom Fan Profile mod for the 3820TG

I made 3 hand crafted profile for a start, but I'll write about how to make your own.

If you have some problem, please reply to the thread in the link, as thats the appropriate thread for tweaks!

3820TG Custom Fan Profiles mod

 

The download link is not working for me, zsero.

 

No external hdd can take advantage of USB 3.0 only ssd will... It's only for marketing purpose.

 

internet / office apps. Gaming (in windows) yields from 45 to 90 minutes 120 tops on battery. Note that a lot of older games play just fine on the IGP, like half life 2 etc.

 

Been thinking of getting one of these to replace my four and a half year old Inspiron 1501.

I can get the Core i5, Radeon 6550m version of this notebook for $800 Canadian. I could also get a core i5, integrated graphics Lenovo T410 for about the same price.

In a lot of ways, the Acer seems like a better choice, being about a pound lighter and having dedicated graphics. However, I worry about a few issues, namely drivers and durability. Or special concern is screen durability: I've seen some $600 TimelineX models at a local Costco, and the screens had a lot of flex to them. Since the laptop would be going in the same backpack as my textbooks (albeit in a padded laptop compartment), I worry about cracking the screen. Aside from sharing a bag with textbooks, I'm pretty gentle with my gear... but my first laptop (a Seanix SL226) developed a crack in the LCD panel (but not housing) after only 14 months, which makes me very leery of screen flex.

Does anyone here have input on this issue? I should also note that I can wait a few months before purchasing as I won't be going back to classes until the fall.

 

That's not true. USB 2.0 offers maximum real transfer of roughly 30MB/s.
Any external drive made since 2008 or so would average closer to 50-60MB/s (for 2.5" 5400rpm drivers) or higher (for 2.5" & 3.5" 7200rpm).
Another words any fairly modern external HDD would benefit from USB 3.0 and since it's a new technology all drives that come with USB 3 are modern.

 

This is just so easy: do you game? If yes, choose the Acer. If you don't, or if you only game with few year old games, then choose the T410. They are in totally different leage!

It has to work now!

 

I do game some, however, for one of the programs I'm considering this is a none-issue since I can commute to class from home, where I have a still-decent desktop. My first choice option would require me to be in residence during the week though, so having a discrete GPU might be useful there.

I should probably wait and see which program I end up in before buying... I was initially thinking that I'd need to grab the T410 deal soon if I wanted it, but then I realized that the Canadian base price for the Thinkpad X220 is $850 and hence well within my price range.

Still interested in hearing some general impressions on durability for the 3820 series.

 

The old owners lounge was over a thousand pages of posts and the 3820TG has had a surprisingly small number of problems. I lost one in an accident that even a thinkpad would not have survived. I've used this unit since September with one minor problem that Acer fixed. I use mine everyday and a lot of nights for work. It has proved very durable.

Bronsky

 

On the other hand even the oldest models are not yet a year old, so its not possible to say anything about the reliability. I'm still buying 5-6 year old second hand X60-s for half the price of some laggy Atom netbooks and I know that they are going to run for a couple of years without problems. The only thing which needs to be done on a 5-6 old X60 is the cleaning and reapplying the thermal paste. I really love the 3820TG, but I would not want to type on its keyboard after 6 years of use.

I think generally that none of the discreet GFX card notebooks last as long as the IGP based ones.

 

I use my KB 6-8 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. It has held up surprisingly well considering how flimsy it feels. I am not gentle with my notebook. It travels with me quite a bit, has been dropped more than a few times (Incase sleeve has been great).

I don't take it onto investigation sites anymore, since I got my Slate (and destroyed my first unit ). But, it does still travel in my trunk quite a bit.

We replace our units every two years because of the steady wear and tear we put on our notebooks. The Sony Z's in the office have been as maintenance free as my Acer but the Latitudes have not held up as well. We've had Thinkpads in the office as well and they're equally tired after 2 years of constant use.

Bronsky

 

That's very interesting. Do you have any examples or links that explore this?

I've never though of or heard that before but I can see it possible from the extra heat the IGP generates. Chips are getting much hotter and chassis are becoming more and more often solely plastic. Great for processing power, weight and 'manufacturing costs', bad for anything else. That said, having kept a close eye on the x820TG threads, I myself would have little worry about damage during travel or overall longevity. I'd surely also pick up a sturdy case for overhead compartment fun.

Hmm, 4.5 hrs is not too encouraging. I was hoping to get at least 6 hours wifi use from this with Linux. How do your Linux battery times compare to your Windows times? Thanks!

 

Does anyone have the latest drivers for the Atheros AR5B97 WiFi card? I'm getting tons of problems lately with certain access points. My friend's house has a Draft N router and I can't keep a stable connection while his laptops and computers can. I also can't seem to establish a stable connection at my old high school while everyone else can according to my sister. She takes the laptop to school sometimes so working Internet is a must.

 

In Windows 7 I get 6-8 hours of general office/internet use. I switched to an Intel 6200 WiFi card, I'm not sure if that helps. This is in "Power Saver" mode (I tweaked it a little) with Intel Graphics and the lowest screen brightness.

 

My run time is about equal, maybe 5 hours tops in windows, 4.5 in linux. Not a big difference.

I'm a sysadmin and I type a LOT on my keyboard, and I'm not just starting to see wear issues on my space bar and enter key after 4 months. But they're pretty minor so far. Replacement keyboards on amazon are $30 so I already have one in a box ready to go when I need it.

I have worn out several other keyboards, including 2 on my old T42 and one on my eMachines D620. Both lasted about 1 year before having serious issues, so this one seems to be having problems a little bit early compared to the last ones.

 

im getting max 5 hour in battery powersaver mode thinking about getting 9 cell battery from Ebay

 

Hey proud owners,

I've been looking for a replacement for my aging 15.6" Clevo monster with the 9800M GTS and the most important system demand now is a 13.3inch size. I would still like to play the occasional WoW so it didnt take long before I ended up with the 3820TG or maybe the newer 3830TG.

There are two things that I consider also important next to performance. The first having a system with acceptable (and preferably low) fan noise and second having proper speakers. I've been reading a bit here and have seen the tweaks for the fans, which looks promising. However I know there are 2 fans in the 3820 and I'm still a bit worried.

How loud are the fans when tweaked? I'm not planning to O'C as I care more for silence. Does anyone know if the fan in the 3830 is louder?

I also read that the speakers in the 3820 are a bit of a dissapointment. Are they really that bad? Do they sound real "thin" (as in only treble?).

Are the speakers in the new 3830 an improvement? where are they placed on the 3830?

Thank you for your answers

 

Laptop speakers are usually of poor quality (with some exceptions), if the 3820 is what you're looking for it might be better to invest in good headphones or a pair of nice portable speakers.

 

I know, can't say my clevo is very good either atm, but I once had a Dell Studio 17 and those speakers actually made me cry

 

I changed my bilingual keyboard to a US version a couple of months ago with no problems. However in the last couple of weeks, the keyboard keeps popping out of the tabs at the top. I have to keep just gently pushing the keyboard down and the tab will "re-click" into place.

Not a huge problem, but EXTREMELY annoying. Has anyone has this happen to them? I can't figure out why its not staying firmly under the tabs. Bronsky? Anyone.

 

Don't the tabs automatically pop out? If they're out, they shouldn't go back in unless there's a force pushing them in.

 

Hi guyz! Sorry if there is an answer on my question but i cant find.

So, there is still no chances to modify ATI5650 bios on my AS3820G, right?
Don't wanna use software overclocking every time. Want it permanent)
A?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...ex-3820tg-mods-tweaks-only-5.html#post7281311

 

Put that in a .bat file and create a link to it in your startup folder:

Code:

AMDGPUClockTool.exe -eng=700 -mem=900

Better for your warranty than a permanent BIOS mod! And with overclocking, you will have to lower the clocks from time to time as the machine gets older. Or raise the voltage, but in our case its not easy.

 

Drivers for 3820TG. For Windows 7 x64 only.

===AHCI===

Intel RST v11.1.0.1006 [TESTED] [Updated] - Updated 7/3/2012

===Audio===

Realtek HD Audio R2.6x Build 6577 [TESTED] [Updated] - Updated 15/3/2012

ATi HDMI R2.67 [TESTED] - Updated 16/12/2011 (not needed if installing hybrid drivers from Leshcat or Alien9)

===Bluetooth===

Atheros Bluetooth v7.4.0.115 [TESTED - thanks ChasePack] [Updated] - Updated 28/2/2012

Broadcom Bluetooth v6.5.1.1101 [TESTED] - Updated 17/2/2011

Intel PROSet/Wireless Bluetooth Software v1.2.0.0 [TESTED] - Updated 18/10/2011

===Card Reader===

Alcor Micro Card Reader driver v1.0.36.102 [TESTED] [Updated] - Updated 3/3/2012

===Intel Chipset Driver===

Intel Chipset Driver v9.3.0.1020 [TESTED] - Updated 28/1/2012

===LAN===

Atheros LAN v2.0.14.15 [TESTED] [Updated] - Updated 13/3/2012

===Touchpad===

Alps Touchpad Driver v7.109.411.103 [NOT TESTED] - Updated 20/2/2012

Synaptics Touchpad Driver v15.3.43 [TESTED] [Updated] - Updated 15/3/2012

===VGA===

Download - Catalyst 12.2 hybrid and hotfix

Contains AMD Catalyst 12.2, driver version 8.950.00, Intel HD Graphics v8.15.10.2622 and ATi HDMI drivers.

Clean install recommended, use the cleaning tool provided within the download (YaD's UnifL Cleaner)

Instructions:
1) Unpack 12.2 WHQL UnifL v1.0 constumising it per your desire.
2) Navigate to %12.2 WHQL UnifL%\Packages\Drivers\Display\W76A_INF\
3) Overwrite both files with downloaded one's.
4) Clean up driver using YUC.
5) Install driver again.

This driver update is compatible Windows 7 SP1. Install the drivers and Windows 7 SP1 update will appear in Windows Update. However it's still best to update Windows using the full installer, which can be found here.

[ For compatibility purposes] ATi Catalyst 11.11 and Watermark Remover. Contains ATi Display Driver 8.911.0, Intel HD Graphics 8.15.10.2555 and ATi HDMI 7.12.0.7702. Use this if the Catalyst 11.12 or 12.1 driver has problems. This is from Alien9.

===WLAN===

Atheros WLAN v9.2.1.470 [TESTED] - Updated 14/12/2011

Broadcom WLAN v5.100.235.19 [TESTED - Thanks NamrepuS] - Checked 15/12/2011

Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers v15.0.1.1 [TESTED] [Updated] - Updated 15/3/2012

===Miscellaneous===

If you are not sure which driver to use, check Device Manager in Windows, lshw in Linux or the Acer device detection utility (Windows) and download the driver appropriate for your system.

Launch Manager v5.0.6

Sorry if I did not credit any sources, please PM me and I will include you for the driver