Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T Thread

I feel for you, trust me. I have not managed to get my hands on one laptop in the last few months without some kind of glaring flaw, most of which I've posted about to the forum at one time or another. The 1810T had arrow keys that didn't work, the UL20A had a keyboard panel the came loose and clicked at the top, the T115D had some weird tab made out of synthetic material stuck between the screen and the frame, and I'm through two 1830Ts with problematic buttons. For some reason quality control for products in this group (11-12 inch laptops) seems to be really bad.

What do you use to measure temperatures?

CPU-Z right? I get the exact same thing in the memory tab.

I don't know about the warranty, but if you manage to fix the button problem I will build you a small altar.

Oh I see your message now, I'll try tightening the screws Thanks!

Cheers, Nir

 

I got my i3 model yesterday from amazon... I didnt post because I was having major problems with the touchpad and wanted to make sure it wasnt just me... well, today Ive made some small tweaks to the settings and they seem to have ironed themselves out... touchpad is working fine...

Im pretty happy with my unit...no build quality issues to speak of...touchpad seems to be working fine... buttons are fine.. although they are a bit stiffer than I am used to... no clicks in the right part of my chassis and overall a big improvement over my 1001P Asus netbook... and yet still perfect for the puddle jumpers I frequently have to travel on....

Seems to handle HD video from youtube just fine... Happy camper so far!

 

You have had worse luck than me... I'm sorry to hear!
Anyway, I use HW Monitor to check temperatures. The pad button problem is not fixed but it is better than before.

 

I get about the same temperatures just watching web videos:

Same here, better but not fixed.

 

How are your units doing with vibration by the way? Mine vibrates quite a bit.

 

Acer 1551 (AMD version of 1830T) in stock @ Amazon.com :

Amazon.com: Acer AS1551-4650 11.6-Inch Notebook: Electronics

Anyone wants to review it???

edit : here are some more retailers offering the 1551 with Turion II K625 :
http://www.circuitcity.com/applicat...dpNo=6416086&sku=A180-11655&srkey=AS1551-5448
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6416086&csid=_23

 

Can't say I've noticed any vibration. I imagine there will be even less after I install the SSD when it arrives on Monday

I haven't installed anything to monitor the temps yet. I'll do that this weekend. I used it last night directly on my lap in bed and it got slightly warm, but not uncomfortable or to the point where I had to move it.

 

You ARE talking about your 1830T, right? Right?

 

What can I say? I love my gadgets.

 

I thought I had the exclusivity in such matters.I can tell you horror stories that happened to me.You are not alone...

 

And here is a question:
Which is better:The Acer AS1551 with AMD Turion II Neo Dual-Core K625 or the:
The Acer as1830T with i5430UM.

 

The Passmark CPU score on the K625 is around 982. The Passmark CPU score on the i5 430um's that have been posted so far have been around 1550-1600. The i3 330um seems to be around 1480. So my guess is that both Intel variants would be faster than the AMD version.

 

To really compare them you have to consider the advantages offered by the far better GPU on the 1551. 3DMark06 scores? 2k vs 500?

 

Very true. It depends on what you're going to be using the machine for. The integrated GPU on the Intel is good enough to run HW accelerated HD flash and H.264 video, but not good for gaming.

 

Here is a review a Dutch guy wrote about his 1830T with i3-330UM processor. It's been translated from Dutch to English for you guys:
Google Vertaling

 

The K625 is almost on par with the su7300 used in the 1810T. So if this was already enough for you, you'll just benefit from the added power given by the GPU. However, you won't get the 8h of battery life (it's rated around 5 to 6.5h). Also, AMD is much cheaper than Intel. It really boils down to what you intend to use it for.

 

What kind of trackpad tweaks did you make? Did you download new drivers? The scroll bar on the right doesn't seem to be at the right sensitivity for smooth scrolling. Two finger is hit or miss too.

 

I'd be curious what score people got if they did the Passmark test themselve on a 1551. In my case, for the k125 processor in my Acer 721, the Passmark CPU score I got (588) is much higher than what Passmark reports on their site for the same CPU (471). Not sure why that is.

the 1551 also has a 4400mah battery vs. 5800mah for the Intel models, so batter life will be less. Cheaper tho! And better graphics!

 

I tried to search through the thread, but I couldn't find any info on this...

Does anyone know how long this machine takes to get past the BIOS screen (basically from power button is pressed, until it releases control to Windows)? I'm considering this machine, but I don't want a laptop that sits at the POST screen for 20 seconds (my desktop does that and it drives me nuts).

Has anyone tried sticking an SSD in it? How long does it take to boot Windows 7?

 

The most important tweak for me was reducing PalmCheck sensitivity. There's way too much of a wait period between hitting a keyboard key and using the touchpad again, which means often the touchpad doesn't respond after you type something. I tried sliding it all the way to the left (no wait), but apparently I hit the touchpad a lot more than I think. Two notches from the left seems to be working well for now.

 

Hoping someone can help me? I have been drooling over the possibility of the 1830t for a while now. It seems I can finally get one on Amazon. But I was about ready to pull the trigger on the 1810t which seems to be exactly the same minus the i3 or i5. The reviews for the 1810 are fantastic!

On this forum it seems like there are quality issues with the 1830t. Am I better off to get the 1810t? Is there much difference? If anyone can help, I would be very grateful.

I currently have an HP mini210 from Costo (just got it 30 days ago) and it is my second netbook. I love the build quality and keyboard. I dislike the small screen (thinking 11.6 is perfect), the resolution of the screen, and the trackpad. Is the 1810 or 1830 worth the extra $200-250? If so, please help me choose!

 

If you're struggling to decide between the 1810T and the 1830T I would say definitely go for the 1830T. I've had both and the only thing the 1810T seems to have as an advantage is better touchpad buttons. Otherwise the build quality is the same, which means it's the luck of the draw somewhat. If you're getting it from Amazon, which is a good idea, be ready to have to replace it. As for the 1830T's advantages: It looks much better, feels much better, and even the i3 version is a nice boost in performance.

 

I love the screen. I never had a perfect screen before.

I tested Max Payne 2 on this. It can play it on highest settings, No Anti-Alias, and max resolution very well. It is not completely smooth though. It hiccups some times. Lowering the resolution fixed that. On A/C, of course. Not bad! Plays Diablo II flawlessly, too. Even when poison amazons spam plague javelin with slow missile. Powerful little thing!

 

IKilledYourHamster, would you mind doing a rought time test on the BIOS POST? I'm curios on how long it is from when you hit the power button, until it releases control to Windows.

Thanks.

 

My stopwatch showed 58.16 seconds.

 

Well, I hope you get a well-built unit. I had problems with a loose edge but I fixed it by tightening the screws a little. No big deal. What do you do with your laptop? The resolution is too small for me but I do programming. Also, the CPU is way over any Atom CPU. The IGP as well.

 

Actually, I meant from you hit the power button until Windows starts booting (not until you hit the Windows desktop, which I assume is what you measured).

I do appriciate your effort though. Thanks!

 

I got about 12 seconds from powered off to the "Loading Windows" screen. 36 seconds or so total to the login screen.

My ssd is on the way, hopefully will be here tomorrow or Monday so I'll be able to do some tests on how it performs after that.

 

Thanks Bobat. 12 isn't too shabby although I was hoping for sub 10. I read somewhere that the 1810 is about 8, so I guess it went up a little from the last model.

How's the screen? Can it be used outside? Obviously not in direct sunlight, but what about in the shade or if it's cloudy?

 

Under "gestures" I disable vertical scrolling - like you I couldnt get it to work very well and with the multitouch gestures enabled my mouse was all over the place.... literally all over.... I then increased the scroll speed under "pointer options" and unchecked "enhanced pointer precision" and increased scroll speed under the tab "buttons" in the scroll speed section (hit settings to access it)...

Before doing those things I was sure it was a defective touchpad. Im still not completely enamored with the touchpad but its okay and the rest of the puter is perfect for my needs so Ill live with it.

Edit: Also two finger scrolling works much better when you disable the vertical scrolling. No longer hit and miss.

 

Sorry. Yes, that time is from start up to full control on Windows.

I measured 9.52 seconds from start up to Windows boot up.

 

Can't tell you how many similar postings I've seen over the last couple years.

Some folks like me don't want to deal with Synaptic's finger gymnastics.
Would not be a problem if machines were shipped with
"Gestures" turned OFF, not ON.

 

I was just looking at the specs page on the US acer website and comparing it to the specs and pictures at newegg and I noticed some discrepancies. Could those of you who own one answer a few questions?

1. Is the webcam 0.3 MP or 1.3 MP? On Acer website it says 640x480, but other websites say 1.3 MP.

2. What is the model of the WiFi card installed? On Acer website it says Intel Wireless-N 1000, but I can see on the picture of the bottom of the case at newegg that it's a Broadcom?

Last but not least, could we have more comments on the battery life, as well as heat/fan noise? There was one claim earlier in this thread that the i5-430 model is significantly worse in this respect than the i3 one. Do other owners agree?

 

One more thing: is the bezel around the screen matte or glossy? It's hard to tell from the pictures.

 

ewglossybezel

yes, it is glossy!

 

Not sure if this refers to some of the stuff I was saying earlier, the battery was indeed draining very fast, but sort of stabilized at 70% and today seemed to deplete at a normal rate after a full charge. I'm using PassMark BatteryMon and it should hit around six hours at the rate it was draining, although I was just doing some web browsing and light development (visual studio).

The i5 unit did seem to get a little warmer though it might have just been my imagination. Both the i3 and i5 units vibrate quite a bit, although my wife says that she cannot feel the vibration, which seems crazy to me as I can very clearly feel it when I lay my hands to the left and right of the touchpad. I haven't noticed the noise since I haven't had the chance to use the laptop in a quiet environment. I'm gonna put an SSD in the i5 unit later tonight and see how it affects the vibration and noise, if any. I'll also run the i3 and i5 units side by side and compare the heat.

 

I'm trying to decide between the 1830t with the i3 and the AS1551. It's mainly the battery life. I want the GPU boost in the As1551 but the battery is only 4400mah. Is the 5800mah batteries with the 1830t's interchangable with the AS1551? If so, what kind of battery life increase should I expect to see?

 

This would be so helpful to help decide between the 2 models. Thanks in advance for your work, nirslsk!

 

I saw the higher end 1551 (1551-K62B4G32n, the one with the Turion II K625) listed with a 5800mah battery, for a supposed 6.5h of use (as opposed to 5H only for the 4400mah). It was on a german site (notebook.de) but this particular model has since been pulled... Since the one on amazon.com is listed as 5h, I guess that makes it a 4400mah. I don't see why you couldn't swap the batteries.

EDIT : saw that the K625 1551 is now in stock on amazon.com!!
Amazon.com: Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 11.6-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black): Electronics

 

Anybody know where I can find a 5800mah battery that will work with the AS1551?

 

all i ned to know before i buy it is, how long can i watch family guy streams on the machine before battery dryies out, and how good is the brightness of the screen, for when im outside... still waiting now for a good comparable review on notebookcheck.net

 

According to Notebookcheck benchmark list Intel GMA HD>ATi 4225 hmm

 

Is the 1810T battery interchangable with the 1830T battery???With the 1551???

 

Happy to be of service of course the problem is that I don't know how much of what I'm observing is really a difference between the two models and how much of it is the result of problems with those particular units or even a difference in settings. Allow me to explain.

Point by point, I've observed the following between the i3 and i5 units as they were side by side:

* The i3 unit produces a distinct hum. It's not very loud, and it's sort of a low-key, not really bothersome tone, and you'll probably only hear it in a very quiet room. In comparison the i5 unit is almost silent. You can tell it's humming if you put your ear right next to it, but it's very hard to hear otherwise, even in a very quiet room.

* Both units vibrate, but the i3 unit has a more consistent vibration whereas the i5 unit has a kind of irregular vibration with a sort of a rattle to it.

* The i5 unit definitely gets warmer. I tried cycling CollegeHumor videos at first on both units, then switched to SuperPi as an example of a heavier task. HWMonitor showed only slight differences in temperature while playing videos and very big differences in temperature while running SuperPi, but in both cases the i5 definitely felt warmer. Especially to the left of the touchpad, and the stream of air coming from the air vent was so warm it was making the spot under it on the table quite warm as well.

Now it seems all this can be pinned down to just one factor: the fan. If the fan in the i5 is spinning more slowly, it might be producing the rattle in the vibration, and might be cooling the laptop less effectively. If it's spinning faster in the i5 it would explain why the vibration is more consistent and why the hum is louder. I tried changing the fan settings through the BIOS and with SpeedFan, but neither seems to have any access to the fan. I even tried something called SmartFan which was made specifically for Acer Aspire laptops and is said to work with the 1810T, but it could not find the fan interface in the 1830T. Maybe this is something Acer will fix with a BIOS update, or maybe someone else will figure out a way.

My conclusions regarding the fan seem to be corroborated somewhat by my experience with the 1830T after I replaced its hard drive with an SSD. But first a little bit about opening the upgrade panel at the bottom for the benefit of anyone else that might do the same. The screws at the bottom seem to be made of metal that isn't very strong, so they aren't too hard to strip. I found that a small pozidrive screwdriver worked particularly well, even though I don't think these are pozidrive screws. Once the screws were undone they would not pop out, and the panel seemed half stuck, I ran a fingernail along the edges and that loosened it up. This is what it looks like opened. And this is the hard drive.

Once open the hard drive is housed in an extremely flimsy "cage" held to the body of the laptop by one screw. After unscrewing the cage the hard drive is a bit stubborn to come out since it's held rather firmly at the sides by what might be some kind of sound dampening solution. I found it was best to raise the hard drive slightly first by sticking something under it and then pulling it back to unplug it from the SATA connector.

This is the cage, little more than a flimsy band with some kind of weird black tape.

The next thing I observed was that the hard drive that comes with the 1830T is somewhat wider than my SSD, a first generation Intel. You can sort of see the width discrepancy here.

This meant that the SSD would not sit flush against the bottom of the cavity, and in fact fell past the SATA connector the first time I tried putting it in. It's best to just install the "cage" on the SSD, plug the SSD into the SATA connector and then push the SSD down into the sound proofing. Then screw in the cage.

Once the installation was complete I used Acronis to restore the contents of the original drive to the SSD (since the 1830T doesn't come with a restore CD). If you also use Acronis know that you can do a straight backup and restore of all the partitions on the original drive including the PQ recovery partition that lets you reinstall Windows if the need arises.

As for heat and vibration, well the short of it is that the heat situation did in fact get better and now seems to be on par with that of the i3 unit. Vibration however was more of a mixed bag, for reasons both factors seem to share. My understanding of it is this: The original hard drive was causing some heat (30 degrees celsius in HWMonitor) that the SSD eliminated. With less heat, the fan doesn't need to work as hard or as often. Unfortunately, much of the vibration and rattle I was sensing earlier was still coming back whenever the fan would sporadically fire up. The rest of the time the unit is virtually or practically vibration free, and at all times the heat situation seems to be better. To reiterate and summarize, I would love to have some way to manually control the fan, as it seems to be the source of most possible frustrations with the 1830T. But either way, an SSD seems to make for a significant improvement.

 

How many hours are you getting for the 1830t? I just got an alienware but I only get 4 hours max battery life. I was hoping for more "full day" life.

 

from what I can tell, this seems to be true. I don't really see the point in getting the 1551 now...

 

If that's true, what's the point ATI? Link?

 

The point of the ATI model is that it is still cheaper than the Intel.


Also, look what's coming:

Who knows if they will be put in future 1830T's, or the larger 13.3"+ Gateway ultrathins...

 

Thanks for the images! I can see the wifi card in the bottom-right corner, and it is indeed a Broadcom, not Intel.

Now, any word about the webcam? Is it 0.3 or 1.3 MP?

 

Went to TigerDirect website today through Bing and didn't find the 1830T. Did you have to call them?

Thanks.