3820TG vs. 4820TG

I really can't decide between these two models.


The 3820TG misses the optical drive but have a better cooling system, runs cooler and produces less noise.

But at the same time it will have a bit less of batter life because it consumes a bit more power.

The 4820TG has an optical drive, has slightly bigger screen and the touchpad is a bit bigger , more comfortable.
Also i have read in several reviews that the display of the 4820TG is a bit better.

But the big downsides are firstly the higher noise and then the heat.
I have read that the CPU might get throtteled to 1,2Ghz when under max. stress.

When gaming, it won't be sitting on my lap, but it is definitely a no go if the CPU will be throtteled in any way. Usually it should rather run with boost.

When i buy the 3820TG , i will definitely need to get an external optical drive, atleast to burn the backups.

The downsides of the 4820TG are not anything to joke with.

I really don't know now.

 

YouTube - ‪TimelineX 4820 TG Auto-Shutdown‬‎

I don't want to face these kind of problems.

 

You do not live up to your name, then?

Anyways, if you're in the U.S. then the 3820TG is gonna be hard to come by...

 

Yeah... and I don't think anyone has been able to duplicate the auto-shutdown on the 4820TG (and there are a lot of 4820TG owners right now). I am skeptical about that Youtube video. Seems like a defective unit. I can run the Heaven Benchmark 3-4 times in a row and my CPU/GPU will still be in the high 70Cs.

 

No, first i wanted the nick Undecided, but it was already given away.

@aylafan

Well, in a few reviews it was mentioned to have heat problems which results in throtteling or in that video in a restart.

 

Throttling, yes; auto-shutdown, I haven't seen anyone duplicate.

 

Please dont repost search before you post.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/502155-acer-3820tg-vs-4820tg.html

 

I haven't seen any evidence of throttling in the I5 versions and very little of it in the I3 models that I did not believe was due to some defect in the unit. To be sure, the I3 has its temp limitations.

Plain and simple, the biggest advantage of the 4820TG is the warranty and the ability to take the units back.

Bronsky

 

Guess i gotta have to play the guinea pig then to get a good model without heat problems which results into throtteling, if i go for a 4820TG.

That's the last thing i need, throtteling during intensive gaming sessions.

 

I'm not sure where bronksy gets his ability to tell that my i3 4820tg is defective and others are fine - we're talking about rather razor thin differences here - if someone is 1c below the throttle temp when reporting during one game does that mean their laptop is defect free, but someone who reports temps of 1c-2c higher (on a different game, with throttling) has a physical defect? I'm not sure I would be that confident in my own diagnostic skills.

The i3 seems to throttle at 86c cpu temp.

The reports that I've seen in the 4820tg thread:
(user - game - max core temp)
maverickar15 - Dirt2/BC2 - "around" 81c (using laptop cooler)
alyafan - SC2 - 85c
KingRaptor - Alien Swarm - 87c (probably throttling, but hasn't checked as he doesn't think it is impacting his gameplay)
ngaw (me) Alien Swarm / l4d2 - 87c (definitely throttles)

Please post anyone else's i3 gaming temps that are known.

So anyway, if there are 4 reports, and the 3 that aren't using a laptop cooler are all +-1c away from the throttle temp while they are playing games. I'll leave any conclusions up to the reader.

I certainly wouldn't buy a 4820tg over a 3820tg. If I could return mine now I'd leap at the chance. I sent it in to acer service and it came back with the exact same issues it went in with.

 

Ok, then i will have to deal with the smaller touchpad and the missing optical drive.

Another question:

Can i use my mobile phone as a 3G/UMTS modem for mobile internet?
The version with 3G integrated costs 50 bucks more.

 

Depends on your provided and the phone. Some phones are a wireless hotspot and the UMTS is unnecessary. They are singificantly slower than the built in UMTS. You can always get a prepaid 3G plan with a dongle for the times you can use wifi.

Bronsky