Acer Aspire 8950G Owners Lounge

I'm moving the previous discussion here. To answer your question about getting a 16 GB system it's always cheaper to buy memory yourself and install. Memory prices seem to be like double if someone else buys it. As far as the question about the 2nd bay is I'm still not closed on the issue. I know the model sold I Australia supports 2 hard drives and they sell 2 different models one with 1.5 TB and one with 750. If true what I was told by Acer 2nd level support my motherboard won't support. If that is the case then they use a different motherboard then the model sold in Australia. I had contacted a local laptop store that is an authorized Acer dealer and are authorized to do Acer repair warranty repairs. I've asked them what it would cost them to add a second drive IF IT'S possible. I'm betting they will truly find out if i can add a second drive because they are financially motivated with the labor costs. If they tell me the same thing Acer did I will drop it and accept the fact that if I want to buy a 8950 with 2 drives I need to go to Australia and I will live with the one drive. Who knows Acer may release that same model in the USA.

The local laptop store told me it could be done so I did find the parts in europe for 56.00 and they do ship to the USA for 16. So I went ahead and ordered the parts.

Here is the link is anyone is interested. www.notebook-doctor.com I asked for the model name so i figure they will probably tell me if it won't work. Like I said there is some type of connector in that bay and it can't be for show only. I asked Acer tech support but he didn't answer the question.

 

HDD-Connector+Bracket 2.HDD for Acer Aspire 7745: battery, power supply, display, etc - Laptop Repair Shop

here is the connector for the 7745g the model i have. my guess is it should work for the 8943/8950 as well. i would just try ordering that and if it don't work u could just return it.

 

Acer Aspire 8950G Series Notebook Specifications
Part Number: Aspire8950G Acer Aspire 8950G Series Notebook

Following are the specifications for the Acer Aspire 8950G notebook series.
Specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Feature Specification
Operating System1 Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit2
Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate 64-bit2
CPU and chipset1 Intel® Core™ i7-2820QM processor (8 MB L3 cache, 2.30 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.40 GHz, DDR3 1600 MHz, 45 W)

Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM/i7-2720QM processor (6 MB L3 cache, 2/2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.90/3.30 GHz, DDR3 1600 MHz, 45 W), supporting Intel® 64 architecture, Intel® Smart Cache

Mobile Intel® HM65 Express Chipset
System Memory1, 3, 4, Dual-channel DDR3 SDRAM support:
■Up to 4 GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, upgradable to 16 GB using two soDIMM modules5

Display 18.4" Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, high-brightness (220-nit) Acer CineCrystal™ LED-backlit TFT LCD
Mercury-free, environment-friendly
8 ms response time
60% color gamut
Frameless design1
16:9 aspect ratio
Graphics AMD Radeon™ HD 6850M with 2048 MB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM, supporting Unified Video Decoder 2 (UVD 2), OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology, Shader Model 5.0, Microsoft® DirectX® 11, OpenGL® 3.1, OpenCL™ 1.1
AMD Radeon™ HD 6650M with 1024 MB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM, supporting Unified Video Decoder 3 (UVD 3), OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology, Shader Model 5.0, Microsoft® DirectX® 11, OpenGL® 3.1, OpenCL™ 1.1
Dual independent display support
16.7 million colors
External resolution / refresh rates6:
■VGA port up to 2048 x 1536: 85 Hz
■HDMI™ port up to 1920 x 1080: 60 Hz
MPEG-2/DVD decoding
WMV9 (VC-1) and H.264 (AVC) decoding
MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX® and Xvid decoding (for AMD Radeon™ HD 6650M only)
Microsoft® DirectX® Video Acceleration (DXVA) application interface (API)
HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) support
Audio Optimized Dolby® Home Theater® v4 audio enhancement, featuring Audio Optimizer, Audio Regulator, Volume Leveler, Volume Maximizer, Intelligent EQ, Dialogue Enhancer, Surround Virtualizer for Headphones, Surround Virtualizer for Built-in Speakers, and Dolby® Digital Output technologies7
High-definition audio support
Acer CineSurround with five built-in speakers and the Acer Tuba CineBass subwoofer supporting low-frequency effects
S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)8 support for digital speakers
True5.1-channel surround sound output
MS-Sound compatible
Built-in digital microphone
Storage Hard disk drive
■One or two 160/250/320/500 GB or larger hard disk drive(s)1, 9,
Multi-in-1 card reader, supporting:
■Secure Digital™ (SD), MultiMediaCard™ (MMC), Memory Stick™ (MS), Memory Stick PRO™ (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card™ (xD)

Optical media drive1 4X Blu-ray Disc™ writer / DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive:
■Read: 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 6X DVD-ROM DL, 6X DVD-R DL, 6X DVD+R DL, 8X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM, 4X BD-ROM, 4X BD-R, 4X BD-RE, 4X BD-ROM DL, 4X BD-R DL
■Write: 24X CD-R, 10X CD-RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM, 4X DVD+R DL, 4X DVD-R DL, 4X BD-R, 2X BD-RE, 4X BD-R DL
4X Blu-ray Disc™/DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive:
■Read: 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 16X CD-RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD-ROM DL, 4X DVD-R DL, 4X DVD+R DL, 4X DVD-RW, 4X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM, 4X BD-ROM, 4X BD-R, 4X BD-RE, 4X BD-ROM DL, 4X BD-R DL, 4X BD-RE DL
■Write: 16X CD-R, 10X CD-RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD-RW, 4X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM, 4X DVD+R DL, 4X DVD-R DL
8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive:
■Read: 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 6X DVD-ROM DL, 4X DVD-R DL, 4X DVD+R DL, 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM
■Write: 24X CD-R, 16X CD-RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD-R DL, 4X DVD+R DL, 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM

Webcam Acer Video Conference1, featuring:
■Acer Crystal Eye high-definition webcam, 1280 x 1024 resolution
■Acer Video Conference Manager software, featuring Video Quality Enhancement (VQE) technology, supporting 640 x 480 resolution online video calls10

Wireless and networking WLAN1, 11, 12,
■Acer InviLink™ Nplify™ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™
■Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™
■Supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology
WPAN1:
■Bluetooth® 3.0+HS
LAN:
■Gigabit Ethernet, Wake-on-LAN ready

Privacy control1 Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint solution,1 featuring Pre-Boot Authentication (PBA), computer protection, Acer FingerLaunch
BIOS user, supervisor, HDD passwords
Kensington lock slot
Dimensions and weight 17.34 (W) x 11.62 (D) x 1.16/1.55 (H) inches (440 x 295 x 29.5/39.4 mm)
8.36 lbs. (3.8 kg) with 6-cell battery pack13

Power adapter and battery ACPI 3.0 CPU power management standard: supports Standby and Hibernation power-saving modes
3-pin 120 W AC adapter:
■6.1 (W) x 2.63 (D) x 1.43 (H) inches (155 x 67 x 36.5 mm)
■1.25 lbs. (570 g)13 with 180 cm DC cable
83 Wh 6000 mAh 8-cell Li-ion standard battery pack
Estimated battery life: Up to 3 hours14 ENERGY STAR®
Input and control 103-/104-/107-key Acer FineTip keyboard with independent standard numeric keypad, international language support
Multi-gesture touchpad, supporting two-finger scroll, pinch, rotate, flip
Touch-sensitive Media Console, featuring:
■Movie, music shortcuts
■Media controls: play/pause, stop, previous, next
Horizontal volume wheel
Control keys
■Instant-on Acer Arcade™ Deluxe support
■Acer PowerSmart or programmable key1
■Acer Backup key
■Communication key
■Acer Bio-Protection fingerprint reader1

Input and output Multi-in-1 card reader (SD™, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD)
USB 3.0 port
Three USB 2.0 ports15
eSATA / USB 2.0 port
IEEE 1394 port
HDMI™ port with HDCP support
External display (VGA) port
Headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support
Line-in jack
Microphone-in jack
Ethernet (RJ-45) port
DC-in jack for AC adapter
Software16 Productivity
■Acer Backup Manager1
■Acer ePower Management1
■Acer eRecovery Management
■Acer PowerSmart Manager1
■Adobe® Flash® Player 10
■Adobe® Reader® 9.1
■Bing™ Bar
■eSobi™
■Microsoft® Office 2010 preloaded (purchase a product key to activate)17
■Microsoft® Office Starter 201018
■New York Times Reader (US only)
■Norton™ Online Backup
Security
■Acer Bio-Protection1
■McAfee® Internet Security Suite Trial19
■MyWinLocker®1
Multimedia
■Acer Arcade™ Deluxe
■Acer InstantOn Arcade
■NTI Media Maker™
Gaming
■WildTangent®1
Communication and ISP
■Acer Crystal Eye
■Acer Video Conference Manager1
■Microsoft® Silverlight™
■Skype™
■Windows Live™ Essentials
Web links and utilities
■Acer Identity Card
■Acer Registration
■Acer Updater
■eBay® shortcut 20091
■Netflix shortcut1

Options and accessories Acer Xpress VOIP phone and Acer Video Conference Manager pack
Acer Media Center remote control
1 GB DDR3 1066 MHz soDIMM module
2 GB DDR3 1066 MHz soDIMM module
4 GB DDR3 1066 MHz soDIMM module
8-cell Li-ion battery pack
3-pin 120 W adapter
External USB floppy disk drive
External USB modem
Warranty One-year International Travelers Warranty (ITW)

Windows®. Life without Walls™. Acer recommends Windows 7.

1.Specifications vary depending on model.
2.64-bit software is required to enjoy the advantages of 64-bit processing.
3.Shared system memory may be allocated to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors. Actual system memory available to the operating system will be reduced by any memory used by the graphics solution and resources required by the operating environment.
4.This system is bundled with DDR3 1066 MHz memory; however, memory speed may vary depending on CPU/chipset support.
5.A 64-bit operating system is required to enjoy the ultimate performance of 4 GB or higher memory.
6.Resolution/refresh rates depend on display capability and color/depth settings.
7.Dolby® is a registered trademark of Dolby® Laboratories. Dolby® Home Theater® is a trademark of Dolby® Laboratories.
8.Supports 7.1-channel surround sound and 2-channel stereo output (multiple streaming).
9.1 GB is 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less and may vary depending on preloaded materials and the operating environment. Acer eRecovery Management utilizes up to 10 GB of the stated hard disk capacity as dedicated backup space.
10.Two VQE-enabled Acer notebooks with dual-core processors are required to enjoy the exclusive benefits and added performance of VQE.
11.Actual throughput may vary depending on network conditions and environmental factors such as network traffic or overhead, building construction and access point settings.
12.Acer Nplify™, a high-throughput wireless solution, delivers superior performance and reliable connections while enabling emerging voice, video and data applications. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, it supports Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology and is compliant with 802.11b/g/n and 802.11b/g standards.
13.Weight may vary depending on product configuration, vendor components, manufacturing variability, and selected options.
14.The listed battery life is based on MobileMark 2007® productivity mode testing with wireless on. Details of MobileMark2007® testing are available at BAPCo. Battery life rating is for comparison purposes only. Actual battery life varies by model, configuration, applications, power management settings, operating conditions, and utilized features. A battery's maximum capacity decreases with time and use.
15.While an eSATA device is plugged in, the USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports remain functional.
16.Bundled software may vary depending on hardware configuration, OS and regional availability.
17.Purchase an Office 2010 product key to activate one of the following Office 2010 suites preloaded on this PC: Office Home and Student 2010, Office Home and Business 2010, Office Professional 2010.
18.Includes Microsoft® Office 2010 preloaded. Purchase a product key to activate a full Microsoft® Office 2010 suite. This PC is preloaded with reduced-functionality versions of Word and Excel that include advertising. PowerPoint, Outlook and Publisher are not included.
19.Trial periods vary depending on the geographic region and specifications: 365-day trial for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore (Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese OS models); 60-day trial for other regions.

 

Orlbuckeye how much VRAM has this model? cause i was reading details tab on newegg and it says 2gb (and still), but a few days ago they put that message "Equipped with 1GB ATI Mobility HD 6850M"
Thanks

 

Makes no difference either way.

Also I would be interested in comparisons to my scores in:

3dmark 11:
http://3dmark.com/3dm11/951982

3dmark vantage:
http://3dmark.com/3dmv/3045408

3dmark 06:
http://3dmark.com/3dmv/3045408

 

Back to the issue about the 2nd hard drive. Well the laptop is listed as the AS 8950G-9839 on Newegg. When I registered the system it pops up the model number of AS8950G-2638G75Bnss. The model number is listed as one of the 2 sold in Australia. The difference in the 2 is one has 2 750 GB drive hence the model number AS 8950G-2638G15 and the one listed as my model number. So I think eventually I will be able to purchase a kit to add a second drive. I was told by support that my motherboard doesn't support 2 drives. Anyone have any information on this subject?

 

i dont have any official info about but i can say all series are the same, i mind it's massive production, they only change parts like cpu, gpu, hdd, ram; the mobo and chipset are the same for all models, so its possible to connect a second hdd if you buy that adapter, also you can buy the bluetooth module and connect it, can replace blueray reader for a writer, can change cpu, gpu, etc etc

 

Review Acer Aspire Ethos 8950G Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

2048

 

Well I can't get a straight answer from anyone. They don't even have this laptop listed on the Acer website yet so I guess I'll just keep looking and eventually something will come out.

 

If there is any kind of connector there and not just bare pads I guarantee you it will work if you get the correct adaptor.

 

i saw that review a few weeks ago, but that one isn't the US model, anyway for the US model on newegg says 2gb, but since a few days ago is that message on newegg "Equipped with 1GB ATI Mobility HD 6850M", so i'm not sure if they change VGA for the new production or if it was a mistake from newegg when they wrote the specs, that's why i asked you (you already have it right?)

and yes, i know that, the all world have it listed, but it isn't listed on US. And for what i wrote before... it was always the same with Acer notebook, i wrote that because a know Acer notebooks, anyway my 8950g arrives this week and then i'll write again about all that

that's what i say, all the models of 8950g series are the same notebook, they only change cpu, vga, hdd, and all that stuff.
And for what i saw, we only need that adaptor (i'm not 100% sure but i think i'm already saw that adapter on a HP)

and excuse me for my english

 

Well when i registered mine on Acer's website it's listed as AS8950G-2638G75Bnss and the model listed on Newegg is AS8950G-9839.

Are you planning on addind an SSD drive or adding a 2nd drive?

 

yeap, i don't buy it yet but i will add a second drive, i want an ssd but if i buy one it has to be at least 128gb or 256gb an they are too expensive, so for now i will buy an standar 320gb for main disc (some linux and windows 7 x64), and use the other disk for music, video and all that...

Can you please post an screenshot of Everest? or GPU-Z and CPU-Z? or HWiNFO?
Thanks!

 

Here is HwinF032 resullts.

 

can someone please put a video review up in youtube for this laptop because I can't find much user info on this laptop for some reason I don't know why is that

 

Thanks Orlbuckeye! My 8950G arrived yesterday, i already open the main and the 2nd hdd case, and we ONLY need a 1 inch sata cable, but it's not any sata cable, this one has both things, power and data in the same cable...
Another thing, i tested just a little bit yesterday and i saw that video streaming was so laggy, so i'm reinstalling windows (i upgrade the bios from 1.05 to 1.06) and i will install up to date drivers (specially ati drivers), and then i will post again here

 

is the graphics card upgradeable i remember on the acer 7738g you were able to upgrade the gpu

 

Well are you planning on adding a second drive? Is streaming lag caused by internet connection? I noticed i'm only getting 144 MBPS and on my HP I had to tweak the setting on the Intel wireless card. I googled to see if there was anything I could do to get closer to the 300 MBPS.

What did updating Bios do for you? I will probably do that. Did you use the restore disks to reinstall windows for did you use an OEM or retail version? I just did a windows anytime upgrade to Ultmate.

I would imagine it is upgradeable since it's a discrete card. Plus you have to remember this uses the sandy bridge processor which has a integrated Intel graphics processor on the system processor. So unless your doing alot of gaming it won't matter alot.

 

I'm afraid the 7738G was the second last upgradable machine. The last was the 8940G (the only core i series machine from acer to feature an MXM slot).

Hence why the 7738G with a 5850M 1GB GDDR5 becomes the fastest acer gaming machine.

Technically a 8940G with a Core i7 920XM and similar mods would be faster but I don't think anyway has done those mods.

 

Well as i say before, it's on my plans, maybe at the end of the month, or in the half of the next...
And the lag it's not for the connection, i think maybe the FLV codec, cause i load the video and then i click play, for the other side, blueray works perfect not laggy at all...

I can't test changes for the bios update, don't have much time, but tonight and this weekend i will test all i can... i burn the recovery dvds (just in case, for when i sell it), full recovery (4 dvd) and apps/drivers (1 dvd), re partition, and install windows ultimate x64, and latest drivers (specially ati drivers)

It's a Mini Pci-Ex, so yes, he/we can

 

No it's soldered in. There are mini pci-e slots but graphics cards dont fit in those.

You need an MXM slot.

And people dont make 6850 MXM modules with GDDR3 because they know its a stupid thing to do.

 

Are you sure?

AMD Radeon? HD 6800M Series Graphics

 

I'm sure, just like the 5850M and 6850M chips used in the 7750G, 8943G etc.

The non MXM chips still have a 16x pci express interface its just all internally laid out.

 

ohh.. ok, thanks for the info

 

It is a shame otherwise they would be obvious choices to buy and slap in GDDR5 versions of the GFX cards.

 

damn I wanted to buy this laptop but I wanted to use it for gaming mostly I don't think it is suitable for it tho what you guys think is this a good laptop for gaming?

 

Like anything that depends on your requirements and budget.

If you are looking for a large machine and have no limits how about an alienware M18X?

If not there are the clevo machines at various sizes.

 

ya but they are so big and clunky tho i kinda liked this becuase its wasn't like that is there any laptop which is high in performance and not as big?

 

They do a 15" which you can slap a 6970 in with a FHD screen:

Lotus P150HM - MALIBAL

 

Sager/Clevo doesn't currently have any 18. " models. Thats unusual since they are usually the leaders in coming out with new screen sizes and maybe it's a trend back to 17.3 being th biggest screens available in the future. Newegg has the Fujitsu, Toshiba and Acer models with 18.4" screens.

 

I find a 17.3" screen big enough for 1080p myself lol.

 

its a shame that you can't change the graphics card in this laptop, because the one they choose is horrible it should of been gdd r5 memory i just wish you could at least change the card would of been nice

 

MXM slots add height to the system and they want to make them as thin as possible it seems.

 

just to help me choose i wanna ask did anybody else buy this laptop for the main purpose of gaming?

 

if you want something like 8950G but for gamming you have to see the Toshiba QOSMIO, it's almost the same notebook but with 1.5gb ddr5 video memory.

 

but i like the way the way the 8950g looks but is it somewhat suited for gaming?

 

It's just not going to last.

If you dont mind turning down the res then the lack of bandwidth wont hurt as much and will keep it more current than the 5650 due to a massive shading power lead.

However if you like gaming at native resolutions there are better options.

 

i don't understand call me a noob but if its not meant for gaming I heard the screen quality isn't that great so what is this lap top meant for then

 

It's an entertainment machine with HI-DEF and Blu-Ray. I mean you can play games with it but your better off say with the Asus 17.3" gaming laptop. The screen displays movies very good and the Dolby Home theather 5.1 Cinematic Surround sound.

 

is it 3d capable with the glasses and all

 

Internal display no, not sure which version of HDMI it supports.

 

I don't believe it supports 3D at all.

One thing i did this weekend with my 8950 was after reading an article in the UK magazine PCPlus on tip to extend the life of my SSD. I read that SSD writes are a little slower then reads. One suggestion the magazine said was tom either move the virtual swap file to another drive or eliminate it completely. SInce the machine has 8 gig of ram I removed it and my Windows performance score went fro 6.7 to 6.9. The score with the 750 GB 5400 RPM drive was 5.9.

 

i heard that you can't add a second drive to the 8950g model that is sold on newegg is this true or are you able to buy some wiring kit of some sort which will let you do this?

 

I just got an 8950G from NewEgg today and to install a 2nd HD you need two things. The first is a different cover for the second bay as the one that is installed does not have enough clearance with a HD in the bay. The second part that is needed is the same cable that is used to connect the 1st HD to the motherboard. They do not included it in the 2nd HD bay.

In my opinion this is a bad oversight by Acer, how much would including the cable and the cover that is compatible with a HD installed in the second bay add to the cost of manufacturing the notebook.

I am trying to locate the parts, tried thru Acer but they are staunch against sending parts out that were not a part of the notebook originally.

It is not the same parts as is needed to install a 2nd HD in the 7745G, it is a totally different setup in the 8950G.

 

Hey acer have made LCD cables with 8 wires missing to save cost (so you cant fit a 1080 panel).

 

Snufus

Please keep me informed if you find the cable. I have the SSD installed already. It's a 128 GB Kingston and the windows performance went from 5.9 to 6.7 after installing. I read an article about giving SSD's a long life is to decrease the number of writes. 2 ways they suggested was to remove the folders where temp file are written and removing of moving virtual memory from the SSD drive. Since the 8950 has 8 gig of ram removing the virtual memory is no problem and the windows performance went fro 6.7 to 6.9.

The other thing about the 8950 is in Australia the sale one with 2 750 gb drives and one like the one at Newegg with 1 750 gb drive. For that reason cost of production isn't the reason and I bet you can get the parts in Australia. I tried England and it's not available there. The product is still new.

 

I found the cable need to connect second drive. Doesn't look like a new a cover will be needed.



Acer Aspire 8950G Series HD connector Cable Part: 50RCN07002 - Acer Store by Jtec
------------------------
My bad it does need a cover and there are 2 available one is 7mm and other is 9.5. Is the 9.5 needed?
Product Comparison: Acer Aspire 8950G Series 2nd HD Cover 9.5mm Part: 42.RCN07.003 VS Acer Aspire 8950G Series 2nd HD Cover 7mm Part: 42.RCN07.004
------------------------
I contacted Jtec to ask which door i need and he couldn't tell me he did say the 9.5 has a slight bend. He said it varies deeping on the model.

Can someone explain why the laptop on Newegg is listed as the AS8950G-9839 but when i registered it with my serial# the model number shown is AS8950G-2638G75Bnss?

 

what does the actual sticker say on the laptop where it shows the model #

 

It says 9839 like its advertised by Newegg.

 

so is the new egg model 2g of video ram or 1g