Acer Aspire AS5672WLMi

I used Acronis Disc Director, and removed the recovery partition with no problems, just merged the extra 5GB of space into my primary partition - NTFS, of course.
I have had problems with PartitionMagic 8.0 though, BSOD when trying to resize clusters, so it is not my favourite program.

 

Hi there ladies and gents, this is a great forum,
I have an question about the Acer 5672 that I got from CompUSA.
I got the laptop in early February when they had that deal for the laptop at 1499 with a $150 rebate and $50 instant cash back. I took it home and it worked great, I played music and video with no problems. True to form, I blew away the XP home install and installed XP Pro. I also downloaded the latest drivers from the US acer website and installed Office 2003 and Winamp. Then the problems begun. Everytime I played a sound, I could hear distinct pops and clicks from the speakers and from the headphones when connected. If I was using the mouse at the same time or if something like a data copy was in progress, the sound would stutter (the sound would repeat at a certain point). The mouse would also pause or grind along roughly. I actually got it to pause at the word "and" on a streaming talk radio show for 10 minutes while a data copy proceeded. I also noticed that while the sound stuttered, the computer was unusable as the mouse would not move and the keyboard would not respond. I even tried to upgrade the initial XP home install (that I had imaged) to XP pro to see if the problem recurred. It did. However, the problem was not evident on the initial XP home build. I was frustrated. Acer recommended I return the laptop for replacement. I returned it to CompUSA for good figuring I would wait to read a few more reviews before buying it again.

Has anyone encountered the same problem I describe on XP Pro or an XP build that is not the original XP Home that came with the laptop or even the original XP home for that matter?

Thanks

 

kovvu,

Have you tried doing a virus and spyware scan?

 

Huh, I'm not able to go above 1024x768 on mine with mepis? You didn't have to do anything wierd?

There is the ipw3945 project at sourceforge that may work with our wifi bits. For now, I'm just using a netgear PC Card adapter that mepis picked up just fine.

 

Yes, I did, this problem also occured on a fresh XP Pro build, straight from CD, disconnected from the network.

 

FINALLY! I bought the 5672 after 6 weeks of thinking, getting confused, and so much of financial juggling!

Well, I ran PCMark 2005 out of the box, and I got a score of 3219... how does it compare with you guys? Comments? I'll be installin winXP Pro on it tonight... will post more details soon! :-D

bye...

 

I noticed something peculiar today with my new laptop screen...

I saw a red lit pixel on the right frame on the vertical center, and I thought it was a lit pixel problem! :s

I touched the screen... no change, then I just pressed it a bit, and poof! it was gone! and teh screen was flawless! what exactly happened here?!

 

Take it in, I have a fresh install of XP Pro, been using it for about a month with no problems.

 

I got mine from Newegg, but there are a few other vendors that are about that same price. One vendor was almost 100.00 cheaper, but had a dismal reseller rating.
I hope I don't have audio problems like some other people are having because I use my laptop for media presentations all the time. Who has had no problems after removing the partitions and installing xp pro?

 

Ha! Stuck pixel. Stuck pixels can stick on green, blue or red, and if you are lucky can be massaged back to life with care. You were lucky

 

Thanks risslerp, I knew my intuition was correct.

 

Hi All,

After 2 weeks of ownership, I like the 5672 over all. Just have a sound issue that I can't figure out. The mic's volume controls are grayed out even though the mic still works. The volume sliders for "line vol", "mic vol", & "Stereo Mix" on the Record section doesn't even appear under Realtek/Mixer, although I can rotate the recording knob fine though. Same thing under Window's Volume control. Everything showing working fine under device manager.
I have the mic boost turned on like the post at notebookforum suggested. But it seems like I have to plant my face next to the mic for the other side to hear me well in skype.

Please help!!!

 

We've been very happy with the system as well.

One problem - the left button on the touchpad has stopped "clicking" when it is pressed. It still works, but you don't get the recognizable "click" when it is pressed. Anyone else have this happen?

 

Which of the acer programs do I really need to keep? Just the power management one?

 

IMHO - none are really essential. I removed them all, except Launch Manager and Gridvista. The ePower software sometimes freaked out and used 50% CPU power and had to be restarted. I use RMClock, and undervolt anyway.
You will find that the Acer software mainly gives a useful user-friendly overlay to functions that are readily handled by Windows - such as power management.
Maybe keep the eRecovery, then you can remove, test, and re-install until you are happy with what suits you.

 

personally i find that high pitched clicking very annoying and cheap sounding i wish mine was gone

 

Hey ppl,
I'm goin to order mine right now.. but a couple of questions that I have. Does Windows Xp home support Core duo, or only Xp professional? WIll it be useless to get the Xp home edition 5672? Does anyone know which side it vents through? (i'm worried abt it getting too hot). i dont have the money to buy the 2GB RAM version rite now... but isnt it cheaper to upgrade it in the future? its abt $200 for 2GB (2 x 1GB) at newegg rite?

 

I just checked the tracking on mine. It should be here Monday. I ordered the 1gig of ram xp pro version (seems most people who have had problems have the home version) got it for $1995 shipped. I figure if I really need 2gigs (which I doubt) I could upgrade and 100gigs of harddrive space is enough for me. It just didn't justify $300 for those two things.

Bang for the buck it can't be beat. I think the duo core is going to be more useful in the near future than the 64bit processors. The 1.6mhz is fast enough. Some people on another forum have stated that a 2.0ghz pent m is a lot faster than the dual core 1.6. After researching benchmarks that is just not true, in fact, its no contest the 1.6 wins.

I have a few questions is the video card upgradeable? It says pci so that leads me to believe it is upgradeable. After ordering I did some research (kind of backwards) and it appears the x1400 isn't even as good as the x700. They said the x1400 had lots of trouble playing Doom. I am not that big of a gamer but would like the ability if I choose to.

Can the laptop run the 64bit windows vista? Will it be obsolete in a year?

What is the range on the bluetooth? I currently use a linksys bt100 and I get great range and goes through all sorts of walls. It would be nice if I could just use the laptops bluetooth feature then I don't have to worry about plugging in the usb cord all of the time. Mainly because I hate where they have the usb ports and the ez docking station doesn't work on the 5672.

I have heard some complaints of the laptop getting hot. Is it really that unbearable? My old laptop now gets warm on the right palm rest and underneath but it doesn't bother me that much.

 

Duke.. Never used XP Pro.. whats the major difference? Is it necessary to have XP Pro to make full use of the Duo COre? Whats wrong with using Xp Home?

 

I am sure both xp home and pro can use dual core. Or they wouldn't release xp home with the dual core. The main reason I use pro is because I am used to it my old laptop has it. I have never even used home edition. Also, from what I have read about the sound problems the majority of them seem to have the home version.

And to answer your question dahunk, it vents on the right side if you are looking down at it. So if you are using a right handed mouse some people have stated the heat is a problem.

 

What do you guys suggest? That i buy the Acer 5672 with the XP pro? or just buy it with Xp home and then install the XP pro? I can get it free from skool. Does the laptop come with recovery CD and CD containing Acer software?

 

I read some previous posts sayin that he had probs installing Xp pro.. ?? Was that just bad luck or general case among the 5672?

 

CHUCKEY.. from what you've said.. seems like quite a bit of work to install XP pro from scratch. Think its better to get it preinstalled? How well does XP Home work on this thing? ANy good.. pls let me noe.. i'm waitin for a reply to place the order.thanks

 

xp pro is only necessary if you need things like networking for more that 5 computers, and some other security stuff. Home can't be used on a domain, but unless you connect to a domain at work that won't matter. The file encryption is another pro feature that most people don't need or ever use. Using them side by side, you can't tell home from pro unless you need one of those features.

I use a mouse, and the heat blowing out the right side is annoying. Also, the usb ports on the sides instead of the back is poor design. The audio ports on the front are good if you use headphones, and a pain if you are plugged into a multimedia system. All in all, the laptop has a lot of features, lots of power, and bad ergonomics. Some stuff you get used to, and some stuff you don't.

 

DrStrangeLove:

I havent been able to get Mepis to use 1280x800 resolution.. have you tried it?

Regards.

 

Can someone tell me how the hard drive is partitioned? I was planning to have 3 OSs on the systems, and this is how I'd do it...25GB for LINUX, 25 for Windows XP Pro/Home and 50 GB for Windows Vista[when I get it]. Will it do me any good if I fully format the system as soon as I get it and install everything from scratch?

 

I just got mine from UPS about an hour ago. I am tempted to open it, but I think I am going to sell it. I can't get by the poor ergonomics and AMD announced that they are releasing a 64bit dual core in May. Atleast with the 64bit it won't become obsolete when Vista comes out.

 

I just got mine today. Initial impressions are that this is a great Notebook. Few minor gripes so far is the USB ports on the side. I personally would rather have 2 in the back which is where i plug my mouse in at. The heat blowing out on the same side as the mouse, who thought of that? I also don't like the headphone/audio ports in front, although i don't really anticipate using that anyways. I'm also not impressed with wi-fi so far. My E-Machines Notebook sitting along side the Acer gets better reception. It's not bad, but everyone had been raving on how great the wi-fi was and i just don't see it.

The FAT partitions with no restore disc, WTF is that about? I booted it up, and once i saw all the **** it was automatically installing i immediatly broke out my XP Pro disc and reinstalled. At that point i found out there was no CD with drivers, oops! Lucky for me, i was able to use a USB thumb drive and my other lappy to get the lan drivers to download the remaining drivers needed. XP install went just fine, got all the drivers i needed, not a single problem at all. I'm pretty anal when it comes to my Windows install, and when i saw there were something like 60 processes running on startup from the factory, i didn't even hesitate to reinstall Windows.

So far so good. Screen is great, build feels solid, and so on. Short of the few minor gripes i mentioned i think this will be a great laptop.

 

well about the wireless, hmm... My 6-month old compaq sits right next to the acer, and the compaq keeps losing reception with my home network after a few hours, but teh acer has had a consistent Excellent signal and faster transfer rates than the compaq!

I dunno, but even my previous Acer had better reception and connection stability than the dells & HP that my roomies had! So I'm really happy with this too!

 

I also get excellent wireless reception with my new 5672. Excellent when my previous Dell Inspiron 5150 got Poor. I consistently get great reception from my dorm network when my roommate and his new Dell (don't know the model) only get intermittent connections.

It's a great laptop. The glare from the screen takes some getting used to, and causes more eyestrain than I'd like, but it's gorgeous for movies. The "meat" of the machine is excellent, only grips are about some minor ergonomic stuff (USB ports and power plug on the sides, headphone/speaker jack in the front, touchpad gets real warm), but for the 1200$ I paid, it's a great deal.

 

comparing wifi quality of two devices via reported signal strength is frivolous, even when used with the same device. Antennas, tx power, drivers, etc. vary so much, even between devices with the same chipset, that signal strength is only useful for comparing signal strength on the same device. Two Prism54-based devices, a USB wifi stick and a PC Card device, manage to get signal strengths varying as much as 30dB while on the same network at the same location. They have similar performance in low coverage situations.

Different devices report signal strength differently. Some handle poor signal strengh situations differently.

 

Odd everyone reports such great wi-fi signal while i am not seeing any of this. And i am not baseing it on reported signal strength, i'm actually dropping my net occasionaly and getting slower rates than i do on a notebook sitting next to me. It isn't horrible, but i expected to get as good if not better based on what i've read. I'm only a few rooms over from the router, wonder what's going on...

 

I'm personally for installing xp pro from scratch. First off, I prefer the stability of the NTFS file system and when I do my own install, I don't install any "extras" onto the system.

The XP Home is decent enough, but I prefer my own install

 

I installed xp pro as an upgrade and it is fine. I did it as a test with the back up plan being a clean install. It was quick and painless, so I'm going to leave it as is. I did uninstall most of the Acer junk before upgrading, though.

 

Yes, it works for me. Although thats the highest resolution I can get to.

 

Well, I couldn't go above 1024x768 either. Sorry if you got the wrong impression. Also sorry for replying so late, wasn't checking the forum.

I could not get wireless to work yet (with ndiswrapper). The ipw3945 doesnt yet have a stable version out - so will wait for that, I guess. Thanks for the info btw.

 

So now that there are more of these guys floating around, is there a consensus on the heat issue?

I'm thinking about buying this for my wife (school teacher). She won't be gaming; mostly office apps and internet browsing.

The specs might be overkill now, but I'm hoping to future proof for Vista (and honestly, specs are amazing at this pricepoint that it doesn't make sense to go for something with lower specs).

Previous laptop was a (very tiny) Asus S1A (lasted 6 years without major glitch).

The one thing that I'm most concerned about with this laptop has to be the heat.

1. How is the heat dissipation when using office apps (without undervolting/underclocking)? Is it usable on your lap when doing web browsing and general office apps (wife doesn't like desks for some reason)?

2. Has the source of the heat been determined? Is it mostly the CPU? GPU? RAM? or HD?

3. Has anyone had success finding workarounds to decrease the heat output (better thermal compounds, slower HD, undervolting, etc.)?

4. Is this heat issue just overblown?

It's between this, Acer 4204, Asus W5F, and possiby W3J. But clearly, the Acers are a much more affordable and pack more value. But this heat issue is bugging me.

Thanks.

 

How are you undervolting this laptop? Is that an option within the Acer power managment? I reinstalled before i ever saw any of the included software.

 

This:
http://cpu.rightmark.org/products/rmclock.shtml
Strongly suggest you read as many threads on it as possible before setting it up, there are some on this forum.

 

Hey
I read that the HDD of the 5672 does not have a shock absorber. Will that be a major problem where light travelling is concerned? I dont usually take my laptop to school, But Mondays suck (have 5 hrs between 2 classes!!!), and thats the only time i take the laptop. You ppl think it should be able to withstand that??

 

I've had my 5672 since mid-Feb. and drag it around every day. I do IT work (residential and small biz mainly), so I'm driving all over and have had no problems. I did purchase a sweet notebook case by designer Karim Rashid. Look for it on eBay for a great price. Very good case, and I get as many compliments on the case as I do for the laptop.

JD

 

I am looking into getting one of these for my younger brother, is there anymore pictures posted of this laptop other than the ones in the review?

Can't find that many "real life" picture of this laptop on the web.

Also is it worth getting the warranty from say compusa if I purchase this, or will the acer last?

 

Re. the pictures, Google search 5670 Acer and 5672 Acer, lot's of pics.

Re. the CompUSA warranty, their warranty kicks in AFTER the manufacturers warranty expires, so the first year Acer has you covered. If you want to pay the $300 extra for one or two more years (after the first), that's a personal call. Personally I passed on it.

JD

 

Yep, I ended up passing on it. I swear CompUSA had every store employee lecture me while I was at the register on how I should get it. Oh sales people piss me off.

I don't want to hi-jack anyones thread, but this thread does seem to be a very hot topic.

Is there a way to make a xp cd? The recovery stuff it comes with still installs all those programs that I REALLY don't want on there.


Also for those who were like me and can't find pics, here are a bunch I took.

http://www.vastyles.com/pictures/acer/Acer.html

 

If you pruchase using a credit card or debit card with certain warranty features, you'll get a doubled warranty up to one year, along with 60-90 day insurance and some other benefits (including online auction purchase assurance and travel benefits) . I have one Visa without it, but my other Visa and two MasterCards have it.

So, effectively, my laptop (purchased on a debit MasterCard) has the 12-month Acer warranty, and then after that, 12 months of "coverage" through MasterCard/the bank.

 

Hi,
Anyone here know why my 5672's touchpad suddenly stopped working or anyway to resolve the problem, the buttons work, the touchpad doesn't. I have tried the latest driver from the Acer Europe site. Secondly, where can I find the winflash utility to flash the bios on this laptop?

Thanks

 

Nevermind folks, found the winflash utility and flashed the bios to 3219. That fixed the problem

 

I did a fresh install of XP Pro on my 5672 but am having problems installing Launch Manager, GridVista and ePresentation. When I run the setup files for each of these programs, nothing happens. I was able to install ePower Management and the Orbicam software but I just can't get these other three to install. Anyone else have any problem with these?

The other thing I thought was weird was after I finished freshly installing XP Pro, on the first bootup, the OS selection screen came up. It showed the new XP Pro installation but it also had the old XP Home installation. How is this possible if I just deleted the three partitons, created a single partition and then fully formatted it?

EDIT: I also noticed that Alcohol 120% does not work for some reason. I am trying to use version 1.9.5. Anyone else?

 

hey guys i was thinking about purchasing the home version, then installing my own copy of xp.. will that work out alright? or should i just buy an xp pro strait out.... as soon as i get it i will reformat anyways. and switch out the fat.