Acer 3820TG North America Purchase Options

Thanks.. and does the RAM they include is compatible?

 

Anybody know the differences between these two models outside the "free gifts"? Look the same to me, am i missing something like 3g?

PChome¥þ²yÁʪ«¡mACER Aspire 3820TG-5462G64nss.(i5-460/1G)¡n 34,900 TWD

PChome¥þ²yÁʪ«¡m¡½ACER Aspire 3820TG-5462G64nss.(i5-460/1G) ¡n 29,000 TWD

 

The only thing right now is that i dont know if to choose the i3-370 or the i5-450 or the i5-430

i3-370 inc. extra 2GB = $960

i5-430 inc. extra 2GB = $980

i5-450 inc. extra 2GB = $1078

The difference between the 370 and the 430 is $20, but im not sure that there is any noticeable difference between them. if anything, the 370 is clocked higher, so i think the main dilemma is between the 370 and the 450.

As far as i know, im not going to do programming or any heavy editing if any at all (atleast not in the near future). I already have a desktop PC and this acer is going to be with me mostly outside doing office tasks, watching movies, some small gaming maybe. but i keep thinking if its just better to take the i5 just to be future proof.. what do you think? does it worth the $118 to go from the 370 to the 450?

Also, does the i5 is going to give me less battery time just for being an i5 and not an i3?

 

Welp, the trigger has been pulled. Ordered from LU this morning! Hopefully it gets here before the 18th. Now to order up a keyboard and bluetooth.

 

well one has turbo boost and the other does not...heh

 

Hey everyone, I just recently bought a 3820TG from NCIX. And although I agree with the person who posted before how they're shipping package lacks protection I am overall very satisfied with my new laptop. Just to clarify, NCIX sent me a box with only one sheet of construction paper which only covered one side of the laptop box. In other words, they just put a box over the laptop box.

Anyways, I have a few questions, I'm worried that my laptop was somehow internally damaged during the shipment. One issue I encountered was in regard with the hinge. When I pull the screen up (when it's closed), I hear a slight screechy noise, kind of like plastic. Not only that, I feel like I'm bending something in between the hinges when I pull it up. Next, I took out the battery and did the same thing, pull up my screen after closing it. To my surprise, I did not hear any screechy noise. Do you think my laptop could have a hinge issue by any chance?

And another issue I had was involved with the internal microphone. Whenever I go webcam with a friend, they have trouble hearing me because all they hear is a loud static-y sound and also air blowing. Is there anyway to fix this or replace the microphone? I can always ship it back to NCIX, I just don't want to get in the hassle to re-ship and wait. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

so I canceled my m11x order today(hinge issues turned me off) so now Im looking at getting this instead.

my questions are:

where can I get this laptop for the best deal?

how is this laptop (performance wise) compared to the m11x?(i3 model for this, SU7300 on the M11x)

how does shipping go? (coming from Canada to the usa)

do i need insurance coming from Canada to the Seattle area of WA?

thanks!

edit:

also whats the warranty on this thing, and how do u do that living in the USA?

 

@barrz while I have not this laptop, Im glad your pleased with it but dismayed about your quick problem. Can you not see if the screen is rubbing against the battery? The microphone sounds like a driver issue that can be sorted out in win 7 and congrats on your new machine! So sweet! Lots of new people are getting them which is cool!

The best place for me was NCIX just checking the price although I haven't ordered one yet I have done all the research. With acer for one the warranty covers all hardware failures but shipping for repair comes out of your pocket unless you specify with the retailer you buy from. Also as the above poser mentioned the box isnt packed all the well from NCIX and is worried that it damaged the machine. I'm sure it will resolve it self. I would recommend ncix still as the above poster also states is very pleased.

Comparing the m11x to the acer 3820tg you will see 1200 or so extra points in 3dmark 06 roughly at stock speeds. Please someone correct me if Im wrong. I checked a few days ago the 3dvantage score on the ati 5650 which is right around 3196 stock, with overclock comes probubly close to 4k and a nvidia gtx 280 scores 6k something (6328 from notebookcheck) so the performance is there, also the gt 335m scores 3015 in 3dvantage. I think the most highest 3dmark06 scores in m11x came to around 8k and the acer can get to 10k, 7 and half k at stock and most overclock to 9. The battery dosnt last as long in the acer though especially while gaming on the go with battery power.

The keyboard is a canadian keyboard which alot of people swap out. No models have bluetooth so you would probably have to find one of those seperate on ebay or where ever. That stuff is cupcakes though installing, just the hassle of finding it and having to order and wait and be around when it ships etc... The processor is i3 also which unlike the soldered processor on the m11x can be upgraded all the way to i7 duel core 620/640m processors and also to i5-430m/460m/520m/580m.

NCIX has shipping all the way to USA for 25.00$ 5-7 buisness dayCanadaPost Expedited USA. This is the one Im referring to, the only downside to ncix is it only accepts paypal as a form of payment.

 

thanks for the reply, now to my question, is it necessary to pay for the insurance? or just go for the free one? if my parts were damaged in shipping would they not be covered if i didnt do this? btw i plan on shipping it fedex 3 day.

 

Well I suppose in this situation I would garner you would be ok but for others reading who knows down the road. Basically what its saying is if something happens for under a hundread dollars you will get it repaired. So say somehow there was a crack in the case or lcd it would use 100 bux to repair it but over it it would not. I would assume you would be pretty safe for 100 bux, and even if something else happened like if its DOA or not working the way you want it to you have 30 days to return the item. It says

so what thats telling me is as long as there are no defects on the outside of the computer its returnable but with a 15% restocking fee. Of course I guess Im a bit confused as to what happens when the laptop comes out of build with a defect? Any way for the most part I think you would be covered. If your in need of free repair shipping and easy warranty service then I would suggest a laptop like Y460. It has lenovos warranty service which is free shipping on repair and you always can extend your warranty with lenovo when ever you want with easy of clicking on there warranty section. lenovo also has nice forums for customer service. The Y460 is .7 inches wider then the acer, less then an inch by specs, acer is 12.7 and lenovo Y460 is 13.4.

 

Thanks for the advice! I just found out it was due to my battery from what I heard about the hinges. It seems that the left part of my battery is still popping out a bit, and having my screen touch it IF I try to bend it all the way. But I've been trying to reposition it a lot, it just doesn't seem to have that "snap on" sound/clip like some laptops do.

Aside from the battery/screen, do you know where I can get the driver update regarding the microphone. Not sure how I would do it, a little procedure would greatly help. Thanks again for the quick reply.

 

Well sometimes microphones have to be adjusted in windows before they work well I would give that a go first. I dont have the machine though so I cant say for sure but Iv never heard of any other acer 3820's having mic problems. Maybee someone can confirm about the microphone?

 

That's okay, I still appreciate your help. Hope you get a flawless one. Not sure how I would check it through windows besides going through the properties and etc. Couldn't really find a way to fix it when I got inside.

And to be honest, I tried many numerous attempts to see if anyone else had a mic issue for the 3820TG, unfortunately, I could not find any. There was only one person in the Owners forum where he posted that he had a background noise issue from the mic. But it wasn't really answered. I'm hoping just a driver update or perhaps a program could help fix my mic.

One more thing, can anyone show me a way to find the Synaptics software so I can find "palmcheck." I can't seem to find it. All I can find is the Synaptics Pointing Device. Thanks in advance!

 

Does it worth $118? Would it be smart to take the 460 just to be future proof?

 

Sounds like a faulty ground or loose connected wire. I would send it back.

 

Hrmm, I can probably check if I disassemble my laptop. Even if I did, is there anyway to fix it? I just kind of don't want to ship it back and wait again, the waiting time kills me. Or is it possible if I can even REPLACE the microphone.

 

It could be very difficult to diagnose, or it could be simple. It's probably wiring and not the mic itself.

 

I just ordered the 3820TG from Pchome.TW with the i3-380 + the Yadi keyboard protector + extra 2GB and it all cost me $1,041.03 USD (with PP horrible conversion rate)including the shipment to Israel (with PP horrible conversion rate)
In the gifts, they changed the router to a 500GB external HDD which is nice..

Well, i now hope it will be here soon and without any problems or damage

 

There of equal performance in games that dont use netcode like mmorpgs(massive multiplayer online role playing games) from what Iv read but doing other tasks in windows benefit from Turbo boost like adobe or programs similar to that.

 

Did you do a clean install of Windows or are you running the stock Acer configuration? With the Realtek drivers installed (on a stock configuration), check to make sure "Acoustic Echo Cancellation" is enabled in the microphone settings:

1. Right click on volume icon in system tray, go to "Recording devices"
2. Double click on the Microphone device
3. Under the "Enhancements" tab, check if "Acoustic Echo Cancellation" is enabled

I had issues with the microphone using HD audio drivers installed by Windows Update (not specific to Realtek devices), but using Realtek drivers plus this enhancement made it at least useable (still some interference in the signal but it sounded more like unavoidable hardware interference, perhaps from the hard drive). Also take advantage of the Microphone Boost in the "Levels" tab if you need more recording volume.

Oh, I just remembered that another thing that might have helped is to mute the "PC Beep", though it might have helped headphone jack interference more than the microphone interference. I don't know if a stock Acer configuration has the ability to change the volume level of it or not, but to get it to show up after a clean install I had to first install a specific version of the Realtek HD audio drivers (I think R2.29), then the Acer driver for 3820TG (R2.41), and then the latest audio driver from Realtek's website (if you wanted the latest driver). Doing it this way gets all the Dolby enhancements and the "PC Beep" level to show up, at least it did for me.

 

what makes the 3820tg future proof at this moment is that no laptop in this size (sony vaio included) has a graphics card this powerful, and the only thing on the horizon that could have overtaken it would have been the next 3820tg iteration from Acer. Now we know that Acer is just sticking with the same GPU for the next generation and rebadging it as the 6650.

 

Actually, there seems to be a model in China with an HD 6570 GPU which is an improvement over the HD 6550.

Bronsky

 

At this point, would you recommend purchasing a 3820TG or waiting for the next iteration?

 

depends on when you need it. I you need it soon, order the current gen, it may be 4-6 months before the next one arrives.

 

+1 The 6550 model is not that big an advancement, but if I didn't need the computer right now, I would wait until the rebranded GPU is released.

@htwingnut - You'll shoot your eye out kid!

 

@htwingnut; @Bronsky Thanks for the advice. I've been using the Envy 13 with the 4330 for awhile and I guess I don't absolutely need the additional horsepower of a 5650 yet. However, with Cataclysm dropping next week, it looks the day is coming pretty soon.

 

LOL! HO! HO! HO!

Fra-gee-lee! It must be Italian!

 

@bronsky

Won't the rebranded edition be released in a really long while? As in 6+ months?

This laptop has only been available since October in North America.

EDIT: I'm dumb, htwingnut gave an estimate right above Bronsky.

 

Thats odd... when checking my order status on pchome site, it is stuck at the same date and time of a day ago.. even the EMS tracking number isnt valid yet.. i believe that means they didnt ship it yet, but its been more than a day already. but how can they have a EMS tracking number if they didnt ship it yet?

 

They get the tracking number when the information is given to the shipper. The unit is then picked up by the shipper which can take a day or so. HP just shipped our Slates from China to the US in 2 days with FedEx.

Bronsky

 

People that ordered from NCIX, which screen did you receive?

Going to order my unit in the coming week or so. Deciding if I should order it from LU or NCIX.

 

I think judging from others results there is no set screen x with ncix and y with Lu. I think you just get what you get.

 

Whats the difference in screens that come with it?

 

The LCD could be made from one of three manufacturers: LG, Samsung, or AUO (predominantly the last two, only a mythical few got LGs I think).

There's mixed praises / rants about screens made from any of those manufacturers; the consensus is that Samsung is best usually, AUO makes inconsistent screens (some great, some horrible), and LG makes ok (I think) screens.

It's really impossible to tell since it's all very subjective.

 

From this thread, I read that people are getting the LG screen from LU.

Not really sure but Bronsky mentioned he received LG and AUO and said the AUO was better?

Have you place your order yet JB?

 

Hey Bronksy what do you think about the asus U36J:

ASUS announces ultraportable U36 laptop (updated with specs and price) -- Engadget

 

im selling my 3820tg im located in vancouver, Canada
heres my thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/notebooks-desktops-sale/538295-acer-3820tg-i5-460m.html

 

That does look nice. It's $969 at ExcaliberPC though (gasp, actually an American vendor carries it!). A little pricey, but nice little machine. I guess if it's your primary machine not a bad price, but if its your secondary like mine would be, a little over budget.

Not only that, but the 310m in a new released product? Seems that they would want to throw in some new tech. It's a bit underpowered too.

 

Iv placed a order through paypal but it hasnt processed yet, I still have to actual pay for it. I wont for a few weeks.

Anyone from US have any experience with acers advantage warranty service?

 

It's about a year too late. That is that they should have released instead of the U35 with the I3. In less than a month, there will probably be Sandybridge options that will easily outperform the U36 with integrated graphics alone. No dedicated GPU needed for that level of graphics performance.

Bronsky

 

can the asus handle 8 gigs...

in addition which version of the as3820TG align with a i5 460?

i am really getting anoyed with the acer aqusition options... i need this for work...

 

Well I got an LG screen. I don't see any signs of graininess at all. I think it usually depends whether you got a good one or not. So I got lucky on my screen.

 

Hi guys, first time poster here.
I've been reading quite a bit about the 3820TG on this and other threads, and I'm still lost as to what would be the cheapest purchase option for me. I'm looking to get an i5, but I don't care if it involves upgrading from an i3 if it would cost less in the end (which does seem to be a possibility). I've got relatives in China and Taiwan, which means local sellers would be accessible. Any particular suggestions?

Edit: Tigerdirect.ca apparently has a 9-cell (12 hour claim), i3 model for $780. I wouldn't mind upgrading to an i5-540M from there. Anyone know how the "additional handling charges, higher shipping rates, and applicable customs, duties and taxes" add up for international orders?

 

where are you located>?

 

Oops, sorry, I live in the US.

 

hmm cheapest would be buying one from canada but they only come with an i3 370m

edit: sorry im not to sure about the international fees

 

Hm. It looks like getting this 9-cell model from Tigerdirect and upgrading the CPU myself to an i5-540M (~$180 from would Ebay) would actually be cheaper than buying the 6-cell, i5-460M model from PChome for ~$990. Better proc and battery for less? The Tigerdirect one might come with a US keyboard, too.

 

i have a i5 460m model for sale if your interested

 

9 Cell!! I definitely want one. Im in us too. Its funny cause i think tigerdirect.ca ships out of illinois here in us.

Taken from tigerdirect.ca Also remember the acer warranty is non-transferable when buying second hand.

 

Sorry, Wayne. I definitely wanna get a 9-cell off the bat, since I can't seem to find any on Ebay/Amazon. And the warranty might come in handy, with my luck.