Acer 3820TG North America Purchase Options

Done. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

Hey all,

First off thanks for all the great info. I just ordered my 3820tg from ncix today. I figured I would let everyone know that the link to ncix at the start of this thread is no longer valid. They have raised their price on the model they offer. The new link is Acer AS3820TG

I have confirmed with them by phone that this is the exact same model they were previously offering even though the description is lacking.

So far my dealings with them has been outstanding. I'll post again once my order arrives.

 

Hey iLude, your order go through? I ordered on the 27th and I called today for status and they said I should cancel my order because theres non left...

 

I believe memoryexpress is all sold out too.

 

Did mem express discontinue the product though? NCIX FULLY discontinued the 3820TG (all pages).

 

mm no but it showed "OUT" or "Call"

 

@Damarious25,

Yes my order shows as processed and I'm just waiting on it to ship.

I did another search http://ncix.com/products/?sku=111127045&vpn=LX.PV102.288&manufacture=Acer looks like they still have one left, but the price is up again. Thats the same model number.

I have a feeling that Acer is planning to launch a new model at CES in January to replace the current TG. I have nothing to back this up, just seeing that everyone is showing little or no stock and no replenishment dates. Feels like acer is clearing out inventory in the supply chain.

 

Doubtful. Dual core sandybridge units are not scheduled to be anounced until late January. It is possible that there will be no replacement for the TG as Acer is ending the TimelineX line. It is more likely that the 6550 models are coming.

 

Son of a bit(h... that link shows they have some available. Unreal.

I ordered on the 27th and then today was told they're out and spent a majority of my time on the phone trying to arrange something with them and here you order one yesterday and its processed

 

Canada Computers have a few in stock still, however they're selling for 699$ with no pricematch options.

 

Crap, crap, crap

I had a voicemail from NCIX saying that my order is "in queue", but that it doesn't look like they will be able to fill my order.

Unless someone knows somewhere that has them for sure and that will ship to the US for less than $850 (DM me a link if you do pls), I'm going to hold out till I can talk to them next week and confirm that they absolutely will not be able to fill my order.

I'm going to open a new thread to ask everyone whether I should settle for the 3820T or should i be considering something else. Any and all input is appreciated.

 

Three things:
1. small size
2. great graphics
3. great battery life

There is nothing close unless you go way up in price. Even then a lot of machines with a $1000 price tag don't have as nice graphics.

 

If you can wait, I would. This is the same pattern that has been repeated a few times. It normally accompanies a change of model. Canadian distributers may be getting the new I3-380 CPUs. They might even be getting the HD 6550 GPUs. I suspect that Acer will ship out the 3820TG until its replacement is put into production sometime late in Q1 or early Q2. Unfortunately, I think the TimelineX replacement may be an ultralight Sandybridge unit with no dedicated GPU. The 3820TG design may go the way of the LG P310.

Bronsky

 

Either that, or most stores just plain ran out of stock because so many people were buying them at $649.99. Lol.

 

Everybody ran out of stock at the same time. That would indicate to me that the distributer doesn't have any more. That is exactly what happened when the 4820TG went from I5-450M to I5-460M models.

Of course, it could just mean that there are no more and the TimelineX models are finished forever.

Bronsky

 

Yeah I knew this going in... A stronger CPU, portability and battery life were all higher criteria for me - which was why I opted for this model rather than the one with the better GPU. The funny thing is, I was actually looking for ways to optionally turn off the GPU to save battery life in Ubuntu And as weak as it was, it was still better than the notebooks out there that have no discrete video whatsoever.

Thus far, my kid Loves the notebook. He plays very non-graphics intensive games, and will be using it for schoolwork as well.

 

In your opinion, when will this happen?

 

Not necessarily a great upgrade, Euro bros posted significantly higher GPU temperatures with their 6550 (basically 5650 with higher voltage) 3820TGs when overclocked; in the 90s (Celsius), while with 5650 it's kept below 80 C especially on the 3820TG. Well yes, the 6550s are able to be overclocked higher (750 to 800 MHz maybe a bit more core clock, as opposed to 700 to 750 MHz core clock limits on most 5650s), resulting in maybe 10% higher performance, but at a cost of 10 to 20 C higher temperatures under strong load. I'd say it's not worth it in the long run.

 

Depends on how quickly Acer has the 3740G ready to import. I would guess that the Canadian distributors/retailers will get at least one more shippment of 3820TGs. Hopefully, that shippment will have the HD 6550. However, the OP above is right and it looks like these new GPU's run really hot. It might be because of the stepped up voltage.

Bronsky

 

Nvidia does have better drivers, but would it eat up the battery life compared to 5650 or 6550? I mean 5650 has 20 TDP, while GT540M has..what 50 TDP? For maybe 10~15% higher performance? (it's not even GDDR5)

 

memoryexpress and visions.ca still have these for $700

 

If I remember correctly, they don't ship to US though :S

 

I think it wouldn't make much of a difference for me since I almost always use the Intel integrated graphics when on battery... though I don't know how troublesome it is to prevent Optimus from powering on the discrete GPU when lots of software these days are becoming more GPU accelerated.

 

@Jerg - it's not just the 10% increase between the HD5650 and the GT 540M, it's the difference between the GT 540M selected for the 3740G and the HD 6630 that should be in the Timeline replacement. That is the same GPU selected by Sony for the 13" and Lenovo selected for its ultrathin 14" E420. It's not just a comparison between the current model and Acer's replacement but the differences between Acer's replacement and all of the other ultralight units being introduced with SB CPUs. If this is the best Acer has to offer, it seems to have lost its leadership position in the ultralight w/GPU market.

I have to say that I really like the Sony SA that we saw a brief glimpse of. If it is not vaporware, it will be offering a 13" 3.5lb unit with I5/I7 dual core SB CPU, HD 6630 GPU, ODD (Second high capacity HDD?), a 1600 x 900 300+ nits display, and backlit keyboard, all for $1,250. Considering the 10% discount you can get from Sony ordering from Sonystyle, this unit will be competitive with the lower priced 3740G, even if it sells for $800. When the Envy 14 had a $300 option for the 1600 x 900 Radiance display, it was included in nearly every order. If Sony produces the SA as previewed, it has a winner on its hands. Add to that the availabilty it will have by being sold in the US.

Bronsky

 

That seems almost an impossible price point for Sony for all listed specs. If that is so, it will most definitely be the new king.

 

really hoping for a refresh come february when intel releases the dual core mobile sandy bridges. the 3820tg is a beast unlike all others which came before, and it's my sincere hope its legacy carries on.

a HD6550m and a higher resolution screen would be big on my list of improvements. a HD67xx would be sweet. the video of someone playing BF:BC2 on this laptop is lust inducing.

it's incredibly sad to see such a nice piece of hardware lose availability and have it's price slowly rise in the few countries it's still available in.

WE HOPE YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION ACER; WE LOVE THIS TIMELINEX.

 

Hey all,

just an update, I am now sitting at my conference ( CodeMash if anyone is really wondering ) with watching a brand new 3820TG do a clean install of windows 7 64 bit. Ordered late Wens. arrived Tues. from PCHOME.

I'm a very happy camper!!!

 

Wow the order processing and shipping took 4 business days only?

What are the specs and the cost?

 

I ordered the i3 370M, but just checked the system and its reporting the i3 380, woohoo for me!! Came with a 5400 RPM 500G HDD, which I've already upgraded to a 7200RPM 750G seagate, stock 4GB ram, upgraded to 8GB of Corsair DDR3 1333. Drive and Memory are both from newegg, 96 cents to ship and took two days. System just completed a clean install of windows and I'm getting the drivers loaded now. So far no issues with the new drive or memory.

Stock pc shipped was $873 USD. It was listed at 24,900 on PCHome. Please note that exchange rates fluctuate on almost all the time so your order maybe different. Check the latest exchange rates before ordering. When I ordered they were running a $20 shipping special also.

Order also included a 3 prong grounded to 2 prong ungrounded adapter, nice but I won't likely use it. Everything about the power supply was ready to plug straight into a grounded US outlet. Keyboard (as noted elsewhere ) is a US layout with Chinese letters below the english letters, once again no issue for me so I don't think I'll be swapping the keyboard. Also shipped with a "porter" bag. Pretty sure most males would not consider using that bag for a second. Even the wife thought I should just throw it out. On the plus side the laptop had a bad included in its box as well and I must say its not bad. Cloth briefcase style, not very large but can carry the essentials without issue.

 

Sorry for the poor quality but hotel room lighting + iphone != good photo.

Picasa Web Albums - Mike Glenn

Thats my work Dell Latitude E6510 beside it.

 

Nice! Mine should be here friday. I got a 120GB SSD lined up as well but it might be 3 weeks until its in my hands. Small price to pay for an unopened cheap intel SSD.

 

Thanks for posting all that you have. It's given me the courage to, if I decide to, order the 3820tg from Taiwan. I think I will try to wait for the next iteration of this beast, or this crazy 13'' SA from Sony that Bronksy speaks of.

Just wondering, how could you tell whether or not the 3820tg was in stock?

BTW, enjoy your conference!

 

posting from cell so can't include link. Engadget had more info on the sonys and the highest gpu was a 512 nvidia. Could be different machines but i'm pretty sure it was vaio s. I'll look and post link when I can


EDIT: link

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/sony-delivers-customizable-vaio-s-laptops-choices-abound/

 

@ Damarious25 - That is not the SA. That is the S. Once the S series gets an SB CPU, it will be as powerful as the 310M in the S, so you won't see anymore 310M dediated GPU units with SB CPUs. The SA will probably be introduced or anounced after the dual core SB CPU notebooks are released in a couple of weeks.

BTW, all, Just got notice that my unit is on its way back from Acer's Temple Texas Depot. Decided to RMA it when I concluded that the uninstalled device was a hardware issue, not a software issue.



Can't wait to see if Acer resolved my problem. I missed my 3820TG. Been using my HP Slate in its dock with a BT Mouse and KB as a temporary unit. I have an Ipad KB and it is really nice to type on.



Now if I can only figure out a way to backlight it.

Bronsky

 

Yea. I'm pretty sure I saw the sa during ces with the 6xxx gpu but that was a while ago now.

How'd you manage to rma the 3820 with all the tweaks you've done?

 

Put it back stock before I sent it.

Bronsky

 

Try this like 3820TG search at pchome

Heres the one i ordered: 3820TG i3 370M

and it looks like they are still running the shipping special for $20.

Update on my thoughts so far. Laptop is performing its job today wonderfully. Without even tweaking I can get 5 hours outta the battery. screen size is good for me, not to small, any bigger and the weight starts climbing up there.

only two negatives. First the system doesn't always go to sleep when you close the lid. Need to check with Steve Jobs cause maybe I'm just holding it wrong. But i'm guessing is a power setting I have to tweet.

Second the power cable from the wall the the brick is really heavy duty. I've seen data center power cables that are thinner. So I may be on the lookout for a thinner two prong that will wind easier for bag storage.

 

The major gripe of all 3820TG users that I've run into, be it in Taiwan or in Canada, would be the fact that the fat power brick'o war is an antithesis of portability in every way. I am still debating if I should go for a personal hotspot first or getting a thinner power supply...

By the way, how big of a jump from i3 to i7 is it realistically?

 

Check out notebookcheck. They show each processor and how it fairs in most major benchmarks (3dmark, pcmark, cinebench, etc), but those are all just synthetic tests.

 

So why did iLude order from PChome rather than Canada?
What are the advantages? As I see it, there are only disadvantages from PChome, like higher price and non-English OS.

Anyway, does the i3-380m have the same limitations as the i3-370m? Namely, the max temperature of 90 instead of 105 in the i5's?

 

after christmas I tried to order from two different canadian suppliers. both ended up being out of stock and did not foresee getting a restock. So after going through that and determining the cost of having someone in canada buy one for me and ship it to me from a supplier that would not ship to the US, the cost of order from taiwan became a non issue.

I went with the cheaper i3 because I will eventually be upgrading to an i5 and want to go with a 500 series proc instead of the 400 series that i5 versions I have seen are shipping with. (I believe this will work, but I've not confirmed that any of the 500 series procs are socketed correctly)

I'm not sure if about the temp limit, but I'm sure that intel has it listed on the specs for this both procs. I'm not planning on overclocking at this time so it was not a big deal for me.

@panzerfan,

actually the power brick is not very big. Its not an apple wart but its certainly better than some of the dell "Bricks" that I've used in the past. The cable from the brick to the wall is too thick and unwieldy to wind and stow. depending on the manufacturing cost I would say that a magnetic power adapter, like the macs, would be very very nice. I saw a post a year ago or so with pics where a guy diy'ed his own on an asus 1005 or 1008.

I will probably end up finding a universal power supply thats easier to deal with and carry and leave the stock one at the house for day to day use and charging.

 

This is my first day with it and I'd already like an extra. One for home and one for on the go

I also want my SSD, backlit keyboard, RAM, an i5 and a 9cell battery. Will document the upgrades over the coming year.

 

Thanks, though that's not really what I was asking. I was just kinda wondering how you figured out what to click as it was in another language. I've figured it out. I was just wondering what method you used to translate/transcribe.

 

Google chrome does everything on the fly. Personally I think its the best browser since netscape.

 

Sorry about that. I used the howto steps that were published way back in this thread and google chrome to translate.

 

I already had it installed, just wasn't using it Chrome is pretty amazing, thanks.

Alright, thanks Chromular advice, with that alone I should be good.

 

OT:

On ebay there was a pretty solid seller from the UK with i5 processors. I can't remember the name but I know it had "monkey" in it. The prices were great but now I cant find him. Wondering if it sounds at all familiar to anyone here?!

 

I've been watching 3820TGs on the US ebay and there was a Candian guy selling 10 i5/5470s at $700 USD. I don't know if that's the guy your thinking about.

 

No. This guy had 4 i5 480s. He also had a lot of other processors and pc accessories. He also had high sales/reviews so he seemed really legit. I can even picture his logo in my head, just can't seem to find him on ebay. Seems he pulled everything once SB was released. I was hoping to strike a deal for a lower price.

 

Agilecomputers seems to have in stock, but they're website looks sketchy. Has anyone purchased from them before?