Acer Aspire 3810 Thread

Dont worry the memory dedicated to graphics is dynamic and the system will allocate up to 1859Mb of system memory.

The chop is due to other reasons, player, codec`s, system load etc.

 

Anybody already checked the battery power consumption with the very new BIOS 1.20 and the new Power Smart Manager 4.07?

 

Subtitles are an additional task and they are drawn on the screen by various methods, as with The KMPlayer MPC HC has many options and settings although the default setting tend to work on the majority of systems. The KMPlayer has a dedicated forum and contains a wealth of knowledge on the player and media playback in general, and well worth a look.

The KMPlayer:
By tuning the player you can literally get picture perfect playback, the problem with SU3500 is that it can be overloaded fairly easily, so it is best change the settings one at a time and see the result.

For better picture quality: F2 Preferences

• For SU3500 or Atom etc; General, Work Priority set to High, this will reduce stuttering

Video Processing;

• Change the renderer from Overlay Mixer (Default) to either VMR9 Renderless (HQ Subtitles) or Enhanced Video Renderer (C/A) Latter offering the best quality. the renderers are Microsoft; XP, DX9, and Vista respectively (EVR wont work on XP without NET 3.0 installed)
  
• Post processing check MPlayer, Accurate deblocking, Nic`s, Nic`s first, PP7 Deblocking and Soft Threshold
  
• Sharpen check Asharp (A.=Adaptive) and High quality block filtering
  
• Reduce/Add Noise check Denoise 3D

Subtitle Processing;
I just change the font to Microsoft Sans Serif and size to my liking

The KMPlayer is one of the great secrets of video playback, most think of VLC etc KMP can literally work magic allowing you to play media files other players refuse to or are simply unwatchable.

I still also recommend Splayer as it will cut CPU usage significantly (as long as your HW is compatible), and at the rate it`s developing may be the one to watch.

Splash lite (sorry not Splash player) has potential as it`s CPU utilisation is extremely low a new version (1.1) will be released very soon, I did have some pixilation, and it would not always identify aspect ratio correctly, although a manual option is in the works, All this said and done I found the picture quality under DXVA to extremely good as presently decoding purely in SW by the CPU offers the best picture quality versa hardware decode using DXVA, my money is still on Splayer, although he could bring down the CPU utilization, that being said for those that have right hardware the player has a good balance as it does not overload CPU or GPU, the playback is very smooth with great quality.

DXVA is possible with KMP, however you will need components of MPC HC and several other SW packages. Personally I prefer to have one player for SW decode and a second for DXVA. KMP will not develop DXVA playback at present as is not native to the player. SPlayer will continue to develop its implementation GPU decoding as it is integral to the player.

For those that are really struggling, Netbooks etc, use the KMPLayer and CoreAVC as an external decoder this is by far the fastest/lightest solution for H.264 HD video decoding and you will be able to playback 720P on the Atom CPU

 

@PSidler
I have that problem with energy consumption,too. That means i have about 10-11Watts comsumption after hibernation.
Got the su9400 with the ati 4330. Checked that the intel gpu is running.
Do you still have that problem? And others? Posted on a german forum too( http://bit.ly/90VwAR).

You said you consume 4-6W while idle? Im using 6-9W. What did you do for that?

 

With the 3810 switched to the ATI graphic in the BIOS I get arround 6 to 7 h when surfing and WLAN but without youtube and movies. 4-6 W are with the Intel garphic only after new boot and before hybernation or standby. And now with the new BIOS the noise from the fan is so bad...

My solution to that problem was to buy an ASUS UL30. It is definitly the better notebook. Better battery run time (10-11h with WLAN), larger battery, better keyboard, larger touchpad, exactly the same size and much less fan noise. Also the speakers sound so much better. And everything works.

 

but a much heavier weight !!!
isn't it ...

 

The ASUS is 100 gram more for the larger battery. But the power adapter is 150 gram less than the Acer adapter.

 

you're right, I just sow it ... I don't know what I was confusing it with ...
so now some other differences
SU9400 vs. SU7300
Ati 4330 vs. GMA X4500HD
ca. 740€ vs. ca. 640€
4GB vs. 4GB
500 GB vs 320 GB

so it is really not easy to decide ... is it really so much better??

 

thanks for info on video players, i've used kmplayer for yrs on desktop so glad to know won't have problems with my new 3810t it as SU3500 with win7 home 64bit installed already



Anyone done hard drive upgrades on their 3810t yet as mine came with just 250GB hdd. Does it really void the warranty to remove those pesky void if removed seals ?

I get around 9-10hrs battery life, the battery i got is rated at 5800mah 63w 10.8v.

thanks

 

Hi,

so yesterday I got my new 3810TZG and I think it is really a nice machine after getting rid of all the bloatware etc.
However, as discussed in various threads, the fan noise is REALLY annoying when being charged with the wall adapter.

While here ar hundreds of posts and threads regarding the 1810T, including various tools to address this problem, there is literally no recent thread for the 13 inch variant which I don't quite understand.

So 3810 owners out there, is there any way of dealing with the fan issue? And related, what is the battery time you get with the standard battery?

I already tried various solutions proposed for the 1810 including setting the cooling to "Passive" also for power supply, but nothing worked. I am gonna write to Acer whether there is anything in the pipeline to allow a more flexible fan setup, but have not yet tried e.g. bios updates.

In any case, would be good to have an up-to-date thread on the 3810 if there are enough owners out ther, which I guess there are?

Cheers

Johannes

 

Hi,

after one week with the 3810TZG, I wonder how the graphiocs adapter gets selected. Cause frequently, it switches just without notice, no idea why, being in battery or AC mode. In particular, when I use the Intel graphics, it just switches to the ATI one without that I did anything.

So I figured that using the keyboard shortcuts or the ATI driver I can switch manually, but still sometimes it keeps switching on its own, anyone has the same observation?

Moreover it would be very convenient to switch the graphics based on the energy scheme used or e.g. just use the ATI when connected to the power supply, but I did not find any optioin to configure such a behaviour or did I miss a point??

 

did you have a list of which bloat is safe to remove?
i bought this laptop but haven't set it up yet.

 

well I basically got rid of everything apart from drivers, ATI CCC and Acer VCM, Webcam Crystal Eye (actually, that was not installed so got it from the website), Acer Backup).

Although, I did NOT make the backup CDs before which I probably should have so be sure to run the erecovery tool, then you can get rid of everything. REALLY increases speed a lot but will probably switch to Linux anyhow at some point, once the fan issue gets improved by acer.
Enjoy!

 

OVERCLOCKING / BIOS MOD

Now after browsing several fora (including some hard to understand Russian ones), I came across some nice works regarding the 3810 and overclocking and modded bioses, but the information is not easy to put all together so I decided to summarize the things I tried out so far:

So from what I found so far, there are basically three tweaks possible so far

1) Overclocking the ATI GPU
Posted by SEAM2 in this forum ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=391646&page=186&highlight=bios+overclock) you can use modded versions of the 1.17 Biso to increase the speed of your ATI graphics adapter

2) Modded BIOS 1.20 by advan20092 http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=391646&page=183&highlight=bios+overclock
Unlocks some advanced and power menu options including selecting the GPU permanently (for the TG versions)
so far no version with SLIC 2.1 but its great! Only thing missing is that Acer releases a version for improved fan control and then having it modded.

3) Overclocking the CPU using the tool OC_RTM875T (also bei SEAM2) by 25%

MY RESULTS: Having the SU4100 at 1.3GHz, when I use the appropriate tool (for processors with 800Mhz FSB), it rund at 1.628 GHz (25% faster) and feels much smoother, without warming significantly more than before, though battery seem to run shorter (but thats normal as usually it would run at <1.2GHz in BAttery Saving mode).
Although haven't run yet some serious benchmarks. But its great to speed up your notebook if you really need it.
Once overclocked, just reboot the book and its back to normal.




REMARK ON BIOS UPDATES:
Apparently, the recovery method as described here
http://macles.blogspot.com/2008/08/acer-aspire-one-bios-recovery.html
works also on the 3810.

If you want to downgrade, e.g. to 1.17 for less noise, from 1.20, you might need to edit the file platform.ini as follows:
Look for
[Bios_version_check]
flag=1

and change it to
[Bios_version_check]
flag=0


Sorry for the double or triple posting, but the threads in this great forum become really long and it gets hard to find all the info necessary for one particular model so decided to post it in the appropriate 3810 thread.

Cheers
joemmi

 

New Bios 1.24 released!
Hi, just saw a new BIOS version released on the ACER website, anyone already tried it? It says it deals with some issue of the 3G and Power LED. But personally, there are other issues such as the fan which would be interesting to see integrated in a new BIOS; but then, Acer probably would have mentioned if they did sth about it.

Second, for those who don't like Acers Backup Manager too much, there is a way to change the program assigned to the hard key, its somewhere out there but I cannot find it again right now, if someone's interested I will search it again.

 

Hi joemmi, are the modded bioses for 3810TG version of the notebook only as i have 3810T version with GMA 4500HD gpu only.

can't seem to get to acer.com or acer.com.au site right now get connection reset messages heh

 

The bios should be for all versions of the 3810, just (obviously) will there be no option for the GPU.
But so far, as long as the fan problem is not addressed, there is (at least for me) not much point in using a different biso, I just REALLY hope there will be a solution in the future.

 

I just flashed to the new Bios 1.24 in the hope that it would address the fan issue and guess what?

Now the fan is on all the time in battery mode as well as mains.

Can't revert to the earlier version either, tried it.

Boy am I pissed.

 

I received my Timeline 3810TZ yesterday and the first thing I did was to update the BIOS (big mistake - as with David53 the fan is on ALL the time). Then I installed a fresh Windows 7 image as the Acer one was full of bloat and it was quick formatting than uninstalling everything! One thing I have noticed though is that the laptop will go into standby when you close the lid but when you open the lid it does not resume automatically - you have to hit a key - is this normal?

Apart from these slight issues - I'm loving it. The battery is great - my old laptop would last 90 mins tops so this one is a whole step above and the keyboard is great too.

 

@David53

If you want to downgrade, e.g. to 1.17 for less noise, from 1.20, you might need to edit the file platform.ini as follows:
Look for
[Bios_version_check]
flag=1

and change it to
[Bios_version_check]
flag=0

 

Ok I'll try it.

YESSS! Thank you very much back to BIOS V1.17 and no fan on battery.

 

just flashed my bios from 1.24 to 1.17 usin

[Bios_version_check]
flag=1

and change it to
[Bios_version_check]
flag=0

and its worked!
alot quieter on battery

 

Guys, just wanna know who's running Win7 on their 3810T?? And on what version BIOS you are on. Last time I installed Win7 on mine, the battery went dead after a week or so. Forcing me to go back to Vista after my replacement battery arrived.

 

i have been running windows 7 now for about 5months, its been fine, better than vista but the battery only lasts 6hours instead of the 8 on vista

couple of weeks ago my battery wouldnt charge past 88% so sent it back and got a new one from them, i doubt that was to do with windows 7 though

ive had all the different bios versions on mine on windows 7 i think, ive found that 1.17 is the best because the fan noise isnt there on battery mode

 

Ok keep us noted if after a few months the battery wont charge again.... that's exactly the symptom everyone has been experiencing with Win7. Not all laptops, but some specific models. And I highly suspect the Timeline is also affected... at least on certeain BIOS versions. I'd stick with the latest if I were you.

 

Running Windows 7 Prof with the latest bios and no problems. Don't use the battery every day, mostly plugged in. But recently used it on battery and it is super quiet (but of course I do have an ssd ). Plugged in the fan has always been loud, but it not too bad thanks to the ssd.

 

i bought my acer 3810t since January, but now i got some problem about the battery..

it won't to fully charging anymore, not pass 90%.. could anyone help me? or tell me what cause the problem..?

thanks.

 

I have the same porblem with the battery when I charge the battery during I use it. If the notebook is turned off and I charge it, I have 100% battery after charging

 

New BIOS v1.27 is out on Acer's website:

Changelog:
Supports 2 new Bluetooth devices: Atheros AR3011 and Broadcom BCM 92070 for Bluetooth 3.0


So far nothing said about the chargine problem and/or the fan noise issue ;-(

 

I'm having the same issue with the battery not reaching past 88% since December last year.
To be frank I think one battery element took a crap and it is not related to the bios version or the OS installed.
However I now see other users with the same issue, did Acer replaced your battery?

Mine was just over 6 months old and Acer told me the battery warranty was over.

 

Yes, Acer replaced my battery. Mine came with a 12mo warranty on everything. Cheers.

 

Hi people i am new here
well i have old hp dv9690, and decided to buy some smaller notebook because i almostly never stay at home.
i know that there new models of 3810 i mean 3820, but my budget not so big only about 770usd:/ so i decided to buy 3810tzg.
the specs are:
Intel® Pentium® SU4100 1.3ghz, 4gb ddr3, 500gb 5400rpm, hd4330, 6cell battery.
i would like to ask what i should check before buying this product?
i readed that there are some problems with this model so i am asking you all for help how to avoid problems?

 

not relevant any more

 

Update: Change the Keyboard of the 3810

So after some delay due to customs finally got the replacement keyboard meant for he TM 8371.
And if perfectly fits the 3810, and is instaled in 5 minutes, really easy!!! Just follow the instructions of the Service Manual.

It definitively feels better (to me) than the original one as it is not as shiny and gets sweatty fast. Moreover, the spaces between the keys are way smaller so they shouldnt get that fast dirty.
And finally, you get two additional keys near the Arrows, one labeled € (that actually produces this sign) and a $ sign (which, at least in Firefx, seems to switch between normal and fullscreen mode...).

Still the keys are flat but there is a small convex form which makes it more convenient when typing a lot. On the downside, it seems a bit louder (the clicks etc., but maybe thats just because its new.

PLUS, for less than 15 Euros including shipping it's really a steal!
ACER Travelmate 8371 8471 8371G Keyboard UK Black bei eBay.de: Keyboards for Laptops (endet 07.06.10 05:28:45 MESZ)

Just for those interested!

 

I was thinking of doing a clean windows 7 install and not even bothering with the Acer back up as i prefer norton Ghost. Will this cause me any problems?
Thanks

 

Hi, I wonder if anyone has problem with T3810 LED backlighting....my monitor dead the second times last week. My wife's laptop LCD (Aspire 3935) dead the third time this week!

I tried to do quick search with google and I can only find 2 complaint about it. I wonder if this is special case or you have the same experience with me.

 

Hi,

just found on the ACER website that a new BIOS for the 3810 is available, ver. 1.28
here:
Acer Europe - Service & Support, Drivers & Utilities, Downloads

"Improves battery charging performance."

Anyone already found whether is changes anything? Might be good for people with battery charching problems! But I am also looking forward to see if it does any good to the FAN noise problem.

Best

 

VERY slow writing restore DVDs - is there some USB problem 3810TZ-4410, Win 7 Home 64

It took 2 hours to write each DVD and 1 hour to verify each one (at least the first two).

I'm using a Sony 18X DRX-830 (?) DVD writer w 16X media. It wasn't recognized on the USB port nearest the power inlet, the other 2 USBs did recognize.

Is there some BIOS or driver update I need?

 

Is there an official Acer part number for the 9 cell battery for the 3810?

 

Hi,

you should set the "max. performance" power plan if you need high performance on USB.

That is much too slow. I wouldn't trust these discs.

Perhaps something wrong with the drive itself? What happens if you try other USB devices (USB stick, USB HDD, whatever)?
Also please try the drive with another computer if there are similar issues.

Normally not.

Usually, the eRecovery software attempts to write at maximum speed. This is a problem since the USB transfer rate is often not enough to feed a DVD writer at 16x or higher. So there might be buffer underruns and similar evil things.

Being aware of this, I made my recovery disc set this way: I installed the 30 day trial of "Phantom Drive" which installs a virtual DVD writer and allows to create ISO disc images (instead of writing directly to a physical disc). Then I used "ImgBurn" (free) to write the discs at a controlled speed of 8x. In case of trouble, ImgBurn creates a log file which often helps troubleshooting.

Michael

P.S.: You drive is in fact a TSST SH-S182D in external enclosure

 

WOW! MAX performance sure made a difference, the write time was 21:XX (mm:ss). THANK YOU!

DVD writer is a Sony DRX-830U - yes, I'm sure it's some OEM drive in an enclosure.

So... your other comment begs the question - if I shouldn't trust the first set of disks which took for-ever to write even though they passed verification... How should I gain confidence in this set ;-)? Of course, it's a fairly new computer - which is why I'm writing the restore disks. I guess I could do a trial recovery (ouch!).

 

Hi,

You're Welcome

Copy all files from the disc to a folder on your HDD. If there are no errors, you can assume, the disc was readable at that time. Admitted, this is a rather coarse check. Nero Disc Speed offers a couple of diagnostics - not sure if that tool works with Win7/64.
And no, I would not try a test recovery unless I had a spare HDD to try.

Please note that DVDs will degrade over time, so I suggest creating a new set of recovery discs at least once a year. (Or make .ISO images from the new discs and burn them when they are needed.)


Michael