Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T Thread

i just received the fiio e5 amp. it definitely adds a nice boast to the volume (i even find maxing out the volume on the amp to be too loud). so i'm sure you'll find it a welcome addition.

also, i found that turning off some sound settings like "immediate mode" and also checking "disable sound effects" helped in the quality of the sound. i also unchecked the sound spacer option as mentioned in one of the reviews.

as for earphones, in case anyone is interested, after HOURS of researching ( www.head-fi.org) i bought the MEElectronics M9 Hi-Fi Sound-Isolating In-Ear Headphones (comes in black or silver). goes for $20 on amazon.

i know i said this before, but if only the stock speaker sound volume level could be increased...oh well

 

Can anyone who bought an 1830T very recently verify whether the touchpad buttons exhibit any weirdness? I got an i3 and i5 units in June and both had one of the buttons not clicking if pressed too far to the left or right and/or along the bottom edge. I'm looking to get a replacement i3 unit from Amazon now that they have them in stock again, and just wanted to ascertain that the problem doesn't affect newer units. Thanks!

 

Don't know if the next batch of 1830s will be any different.

Both buttons on my wife's 1830t i5 click easily and definitively toward the center.
But are almost quiet and difficult to push at the far left and right.
Thought they would "wear-in" after a while.
But they have not after 3 weeks of use.

Because they work OK near the center, and because
she almost always uses touch-pad clicking, the buttons are a
very small issue in this otherwise near perfect machine.

Oh, you may be interested to know...
The buttons on my 1810tz exhibit the same variations,
but are easier to click. So the issue is less noticeable.

 

If you are interested in touchpad buttons, the buttons on the 8172 are very good in my opinion, very distinct clicks in the middle and right, slightly less so on the right, but not irritatingly worse .

Also, I tried SCII with the i3-330UM and the Intel HD graphics and it runs @ 1360*768 with 30-37fps when no/few units on the screen and 20-25fps when quite a few units on screen. But I guess a true zerg rush will put things at 15fps. All setting are at low and it looks like a game from 2005.
For a CULV CPU and Intel IGP, that's actually quite a fair scoring I think .

 

Thanks. Let me know how it works. I'm seriously considering replacing the Broadcom unit, it has a terrible range.

 

Nothing about the track pad or it's buttons has impressed me very much. But I only use it as an emergency mouse replacement as I prefer a mouse. So I don't care that it's rather mediocre.

 

Ah, I guess it's a long running issue with the series then. I got my wife an 1810T a few months ago which we had to return due to a bad keyboard that didn't seem to have that problem, but I didn't really get to play with it that much.

I should have paid more attention to the 8172 after all the discussion in this thread, it seems much more up my alley. I'll wait to see what the reviews say about the Asus UL20FT that's being released in a few days and then probably get one of the two. Thanks for recommending it!

 

Glad to be of help . But the 8172 still does have some (more or less significant) differences to the 1830: matte display, no HDMI, only digital video output via a ~90-100€ port multiplier, business like look (and just black, no other options), 1.3MP camera.

Also, has anyone here tried undervolting the CULV CPUs? Or even got CPU-Z/GPU-Z to show correct values for the voltage (CPU) and clocks (GPU)? The program support for this platform is still quite lacking I think .

 

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the great advice in this forum. I am new owner of an acer 1830t i3 version and I am having a HUGE problem finding accessories for this laptop. I would like to get a screen protector as well as a keyboard protector for the 1830t but I can't find anything on it. Why is that? Can you guys please lead me the right way.

THANKS!
Leo

 

I would assume that the best place to look would be accessories for 10 inch netbooks, since the ACER 1830T is basically dimensioned as a netbook, but constructed as a laptop component wise. So I would think any accessories for most netbooks would also work or fit the 1830 as well.

 

are you guys using any keyboard or screen protector for your 1830t ? can you link me to the ones you are using or recommend. thanks!

 

Thanks Death. First time I've heard of the 8172. Does look interesting.

From my read the lack of HDMI and some additional cost are the only disadvantages, but on the advantages side
- suggested better build quality
- might have a decent track pad
- non-reflective display
- matte display surround
i wonder if the speakers are better to?
I think I'd appreciate these things long after I'd forgotten the $50.

So I find myself wondering what is it about the 1830T that has so many people interested, and make this thread 15x longer?

Good looks?
Is it smaller?
Is the 1830 LCD better (people have said its bright, xlnt)
Battery life?
RAM/Performance?

Thanks.

N.

 

My take on this is as follows.
The first problem with the 8172 is that it is a wholly new laptop, which doesn't build on an already existing name. The 1830 is the successor of the 1810, which was probably the first affordable subnotebook for consumers out there with netbook like battery-life. It had a lot of coverage. All those other SUXXXX sporting laptops in the sub 13" space came afterwards and often didn't come with a full 6-cell battery life.
But the 8172 didn't have an 8171 to go with and build upon its reputation. The Travelmates 8371, 8471 and 8571 didn't get as much coverage as their 3810/4810/5810 counterparts. They were marketed and reviewed as business notebooks, not consumer ones. They also sported better CPUs like the SU9400 which made them more costly.
So those things have contributed to there not being as much hype (I think about 60pages of this thread are from before the 1830 was even sold ).

As for the 8172 vs 1830 right now I think there are some advantages for the 1830 to be had:
- sleeker/more stylish look, with 3 different color schemes to choose from, the 8172 does look like a workhorse and is very understated
- I don't think all shops with the 1830 offer the 8172 as well and there might be differences with CPU/RAM configurations, i.e. in Germany there is no i5 8172 anywhere and a lot of people seem to like the i5 in their subnotebooks
- missing HDMI output and only digital output via the port multiplier; for those who want to use this small laptop as a media player, that's a stake through the heart of the 8172 right there; and VGA output can be problematic once you reach 1920 resolution you might get blurrier images (that reminds me, I should try it with my 24" and see how it looks....)

Apart from that, battery life is the same, as is the performance if you compare to matching CPU/RAM/HDD. The LCD should be the same, too (I have some AUO panel). I like the trackpad of this unit, it has clear edges and well defined button clicks. The fingerprint thing is a nice gimmick and works well, but nothing huge for me. The speakers are okay, when they are at their loudest they hurt my ears a bit when I am sitting in front of the machine. They are good enough to power my living room. But not great quality sound, obviously .
I got my unit for 650€, a comparable 1830 would have cost just as much and the i5 version (i5-430UM) costs 50€ more. I was very much into the matte display, so there would have been the need to spend money on a AR-screen (and the hassle to install it), plus I was not very certain I would ever need the i5 power. Going with the hope of also getting better build quality and maybe better support down the line with a Travelmate, I went ahead and bought this thing.

My best advice is to either try and test both in a shop or from a friend or if possible order both, try them and send back whichever you dislike more , that is if the disadvantages of the 8172 aren't too severe for you.

 

The business look I actually really like. Not that I'm objected to stylish, but I'll take build quality over looks any day. I'm also not particularly wowed by glossy displays and matte just means less reflections and easier to use outside which I do. No HDMI is a bit of a letdown, would have been fun to try and do some coding on the big TV but bluetooth is more important to me which is something it has and only the i5 1830T has as well. I would have liked the i5 as an option certainly; That turbo-boost sounds like it would be useful during compile sessions. I would have also preferred the fingerprint sensor somewhere less conspicuous than between the two touchpad buttons as I don't intend to use it much or at all, but comparing it to say, a rocker switch, I'm guessing it probably isn't too much of an inconvenience.

I probably would want to upgrade to 4GB as soon as possible. Crucial has the right type of memory listed for the 8172, but it comes with the 32 bit version of Windows 7 which I understand will only recognize the first 3.5 gigs or so. Not a problem if the rest is used as video memory, but I'm not entirely clear on that.

 

Well, the 32bit product key is also recognized for any 64bit Windows version of the same line (read: Home Premium here, probably). So if you want to do a reinstall, that wouldn't be a problem.
I never knew that only the i5 1830 came with bluetooth?! Acer's model policy is very confusing. ^^
The matte finish is a real treat and I hope that in a year or two, it will have caught on to none-business notebook as well... again. This glossy thing is fine for stationary multimedia things, but portable laptops like this need to be matte. I have a Samsung R560 Maloz which has a glossy finish. Apart from it being constantly dirty, it is impossible to work in a bright area without straining the eyes. And the R560 is supposed to have a good and bright display. With the 8172 I was able to use it in bright daylight at the station without seeing any reflections. Granted, I still had to use full brightness, which reduces battery life. But still, for anyone who wants to be independent, it's a real blessing I cannot stress enough .
The finger print sensor doesn't bother me much, it's easy to forget he's there. I read that it can be used for scrolling websites and such, but haven't figured out how to configure the software, if it is indeed possible with this version. But two-finger scrolling works fine and I mostly use my bluetooth mouse anyway .
Edit: Btw. if you haven't looked at the 8172 thread, do it now for pictures and other opinions on what people didn't like about this unit .

 

That is just awesome to know. I don't mind reinstalling, I just don't want to deal with a pirated version of windows 7 on a new laptop.

Yeah, bluetooth is so handy in a portable laptop, and I can't imagine it's that expensive to put in. I think whoever said it was likely just an extra selling point to justify the $100 difference between the two models is probably right.

It's good to hear from someone who has the thing that it isn't a serious hassle. I wonder how well it would work for scrolling if it's capable of that.

I have read the entire thread, that's where I got all my information from

Cheers, Nir

 

Well, keep us posted on what you decide to buy . If you have some more questions, we should probably relocate the conversation to the 8172 thread.
As for bluetooth: it is hugely helpful. However, I have had some trouble with my bluetooth mouse ( Trust ComfortLine Mini optische Maus bluetooth schwarz: Amazon.de: Elektronik, where it didn't work after being connected for ~5 seconds. I changed some USB energy savings options and that got rid of the problem. But still, strange.

Personally, I hope that Acer will release an update (BIOS or software) which will further reduce the energy consumption as 7-11W in idle is still a bit more than I like from a CULV..... But that's complaining at a high level.

 

hi guys,

since all of you own the 1830t , do you know where I can find keyboard protectors and screen protectors for them? thanks

 

I broke my 1830T so badly, I am getting a replacement due to arrive this week. Wonder if they will keep the Intel 6200 card I sent with the original, and hope the replacement has Synaptics touchpad. Typing this from my 3810T (am now back home!).

 

Does anyone here think there would be problems with installing 2 4GB modules? I think I'll get some after I updated to a 3rd generation Intel SSD this winter. Want to make sure there are no BIOS or chipset problems I don't know about .
Good luck with your replacement unit, Jay!

 

From info at the older AS1810t thread...
8GB no problem, but no perceivable benefit in actual use.

About keyboard protectors and screen protectors....
The 1830 screen and US keyboard appear to have the
identical dimensions as the previous 1810 series.
I have both an 1810tz and an 1830t and measured using a ruler.
So search out the older Acer 1810 thread with
more than 4000 postings to find some answers.

Computers, just like mobile phones are now commensurable items, technologically outdated in 2 years.
Maybe you don't need to think so much about protecting your keyboard and screen.

 

What did you do to the 1830T?

 

The Broadcom wifi card would not come out, the screw holding it down was screwed in tight. So I was mad and got some scissors and cut the Broadcom card out. By doing so I scratched the blue part under where the card lay, and I think because of that the computer would not turn on, only the start light and start status light on the palm rest would blink continuously.

 

Ouch.

Bronsky

 

I have received my Intel 6200 card. This is the first laptop I have ever owned and I have never opened one up. I was surprised at how difficult it was for me to remove the back cover. After removing the screws I gently pried at the edges but I still broke a couple of the tabs. The broadcom card came out easily. It wasn't screwed in that tight as Jayayess1190's was. The antenna connectors seemed quite fragile so I tried to be as gentle as possible with them.

In any case, the card seems to be working. I can now see both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network from my router. With the broadcom card, my throughput from a wired computer (100mbps lan connected to my router) to the laptop was approximately 24mbps. With the 6200 card I am now getting approximately 40mbps, so an improvement of 66%. I am happy I made the upgrade but I thought wireless N throughput was still supposed to be much better than this. I was hoping for > 60mbps. I'm not sure if there is a router setting I need to change.

I haven't done much testing at 5GHz yet but will soon. I would also like to install linux on this laptop and it seems that the drivers for the 6200 are much more linux friendly than the broadcom's.

 

Hi.

The 1830t looks pretty interesting, a 11,6' machine that is capable to do everything i need.
But I would like to know know if the under clocked intel HD(166Mhz) can handle the game I use to play.
Someone have already tested Muonline on it or can test it?

PS. I know that the unrestricted intel HD(500Mhz) in core i3 330m can handle it perfectly.

Thanks.

 

40mbps hardly seem like N speeds.It's quite possible that you are getting improved G speeds.In case you haven't done it yet,set your security to WPA-AES not WPA-TKIP...In your router and your Intel card properties.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I am using WPA2-AES. The connection speed shows 300Mbps however when I measure the throughput it is so much slower (40Mbps). I'm not sure what else to try.

Newlaptopguy

 

All Intel HD IGP have at least 500MHz. They clock down to 166MHz when nothing happens, but every Intel HD IGP (even Pentium ones) have turbo boost for the graphics part to go to 500MHz. I don't know what Muonline is, but SC2 played okay in low settings.

 

Are you sure that it displays Mb and not MB?

I think people also should look further for U5400 version.

 

mine function fine; the tactile response by clicking the inside, middle, or outside of either button is very consistent. However, right out of the box, they looked broken...


I'm really not impressed at all w/ the touchpad...the brushed aluminum looks nice, but isn't suited at all for a touch pad.

 

question on the SPDIF port: is it optical, or coaxial?
According to this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/144370-5920g-what-spdif-cable-get.html
...The 5920 uses the mini optical toslink...I was surprised by this, especially since you can usually see light coming out of the port in optical connections.

Is it the same on the 1830?

 

Oh yeah, one last question:
Does the 802.11n capabilities in the broadcom wireless adapter function at 5ghz, or only 2.4ghz?

Just changed my WPA key to AES, and it upped the speed from 54Mbps to 130Mbps; thanks for the tip!

...so I'm assuming the broadcom is operating at 2.4ghz and my router is working, but I don't have a 5ghz connection to test it.

 

Only at 2.4ghz.No 5ghz capabilities.

 

That's a great picture, thanks for responding! I understand you got an i3 unit from TigerDirect. I'm currently eyeing the Acer TravelMate 8172, but it's good to know you got a proper unit from them for future reference.

 

you should upgrade to the Intel 6200. It's a much better card.

The broadcom card is garbage.

 

As far as I know the IGP will only be clocked to 500mhz when the cpu is at low usage, limited to the maximum chip TDP of 18W.
So when you're gaming and cpu is considerably stressed, lets say 80%, the IGP can only be slightly overclocked(until it reaches 18W) guessing something like 200MHz.

 

That is only the case if you experience temperature related throttling. The 18W TDP is for both CPU and GPU (and the rest on the chip) and can be assumed to be the max heat dissipation under serious load. The only thing related to the turbo boosting of the GPU is the cooling solution. If that cannot get rid of the heat fast enough, the GPU will not go to 500MHz and the CPU will likely throttle as well. But that will not be an issue with a normal unit.
When using LinX stress test I achieved a max of 76°C, which is a very good number. So there will be no throttling for the GPU. In all cases, unless the equipment is damaged, it will go with 500MHz.
Unless you have some back up for your claim, I would say that I am correct, otherwise the SC2 and 3D06 results would be impossible.

 

In fact I do have a back up:

"The Turbo Boost function of the new Arrandale CPUs also allows the automatic overclocking of the GPU core. The graphics card is only overclocked if the CPU is not fully loaded and the TDP is not fully used."

"It is questionable if the Turbo is really often used in current games, as most games also use a lot of CPU time. Therefore, the UM and LM versions of the GMA HD should be a lot slower because of the slow base speed of 166 / 266 MHz."

source:
Notebookcheck: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD

 

That's not back up . That's just someone else claiming the same thing without backup. It is disappointing to see such claims without back up made by a review site with vast resources at their hands.
Assuming that turbo boost for the desktop Core i7 works much the same way as the dynamic frequency for the graphics core in the mobile core i3/i5/i7, it is unlikely that the graphics core will remain at its base clock. When I overclock my i7 860 it draws much more power than its 95W TDP (@166MHz BCLK) but it still goes to the highest multiplier (26) when I use strictly single-threaded programs.

I have done a test and it suggests that notebookcheck is wrong.
I have done my normal 3D mark 2006 test on AC power and everything at highest performance and reached my usual 1285 ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/480471-acer-travelmate-8172-11-6-thread-5.html#post6467299)
I then proceeded to set all graphics settings (in the Intel driver and in the Windows mobile management) to highest battery life as the driver explanations suggest that limits the graphics core on the die to its base clock. And voilá, I get only 477 in the same test and a measly 146 SM2.0 Score and 185 SM 3.0 Score, but still a 1335 CPU Score. I can upload pictures as well, if need be. But I think I have made my point .

Edit: for lazy people who will not go look at the link, I have an Acer Travelmate 8172 with a Core i3-330UM CULV CPU.
Edit: I sent notebookcheck a comment about this and they replied with this (paraphrased since it's German):
- 3D Mark doesn't stress the CPU that much which leaves room for the turbo mode to kick in
- he mentions Notebooks with deactivated turbo modes or notebooks which hit the TDP threshold a lot, hence why they warn against turbo mode functionality
- he explicitly mentions that a good cooling design can make the turbo kick in more often
- LM and UM CPUs function less often as gaming rigs
- once they get more data, they will rework the site
- people can send them (gaming) benchmarks and they will add it to their database.

So, does anyone have tips on what benchmark to use, if 3D Mark is not up to the task? GTA 4 is one of the most CPU intensive games I know of, does it have a dedicated test? What about Supreme Commander stuff?

 

I can't complain about it, honestly.
130Mbs is about as much as you can hope to get out of 2.4ghz, and it works from the opposite corner of the house from my router.
...then again, the netgear could just be putting out a good signal; I'll need to try it in public.

If I do get a replacement wifi card, I'll want one w/ bluetooth, too, so I think that rules out the 6200.

does the 1830 support only half height cards?

 

3D Mark results while also using LinX with 4 threads, 1024MB setting:
a) highest performance setting for the Intel IGP
686 3DMarks | 226 SM 2.0 Score | 269 SM 3.0 Score | 688 CPU Score
b) maximum battery life setting for Intel IGP
458 3DMarks | 148 SM 2.0 Score | 187 SM 3.0 Score | 515 CPU Score
So there is still a significant difference. So there is some higher clocking involved, but I don't know how much. Are there just 2 states of the IGP? Or can there be intermediate ones, like 333MHz?

 

Yes it does.The broadcom is a half height card.

 

Death666Angel could you clarify if the 3DMarks simultaneously stress test CPU and graphics or does it test one and then the other?

I thought the claim made is that the full graphics potential can't be realized if the CPU is fully loaded and generated near maximum thermal load. However, I think your tests indicate only how the system behaves under different power configuration settings. In which case it doesn't surprise me that you get different performance when you configure the system to save battery power over graphics performance.

However, if we can do tests that simultaneously load graphics and CPU then they would give a better feel for how well the system "overclocks" the graphics while the CPU is under full load. Thanks in advance for the clarification. An interesting test would be to tell what the kind of graphics performance does the system obtain under different constant loads of the CPU (e.g. 30%, 50%, 70%, 100%, etc.).

 

I am not a 3D Mark programmer, so I can only make guesses. My guess is that 3D Mark stresses the CPU and GPU simultaneously in some cases and in others it is just one or the other.

You do not understand the implications of the different power settings I have chosen (I probably didn't explain them very well either).
When chosing maximum performance for the Intel GMA HD, the system applies dynamic frequency to get the best results for graphics power. Then the only determination if the GPU reaches 500MHz is whatever Intels internal programming uses (thermal thresholds and probably some energy ones as well).
When chosing maximum battery life, the driver locks the core frequency to 166MHz, no matter the demanded graphics power or energy consumption of the unit. As explained by Intel here: http://www.intel.com/Assets/PDF/whitepaper/323324.pdf , page 13 "The final option, maximum battery, will essentially disable Intel® Turbo Boost Technology in that the OS never allows the processor to enter the highest performance state."

So essentially, I have made a comparison to show when dynamic frequency kicks in, with the "maximum battery life" option being the 166MHz of the Intel IGP and the base result.
Building upon that, we have the results of 3D Mark when the dynamic frequency is giving free reign, showing that it does kick in, probably to the fullest 500MHz in 3D Mark 06 (the ~300% increase of the GPU scores are correlating to a ~300% increase in core clock).

To see how well it faired when the CPU is more stressed than by normal 3D Mark benching, I also launched 2 3D Mark 06 rounds with LinX stressing the CPU with 4 threads and 1024MB.
That result is more difficult to analyse, but it does show that there is still a significant advantage for the run when dynamic frequency was enabled, showing that it does clock the core higher. Though by how much, I cannot say.

I am writing an exam tomorrow (mechanical process engineering) so there won't be tests today. And honestly, without a program being able to show the clocks of the Intel IGP, it's a bit difficult as well.
If you have suggestions on how to further test this unit and determine when dynamic frequency kicks in, please share it with me .

Hope that explained it better.

 

I do agree with mr.foo, using different cpu loads while testing would result in a more accurate conclusion.
I don't know is exist a benchmark that allows setting the cpu usage however there are softwares that limit the cpu usage of a process(in this case benchmnark tool ):

CPU limit
ThreadMaster Home
Process Lasso, the Windows process optimizer!

So if you could run the benchmarks again on performance mode but this time limiting the cpu usage (25%, 50%...) that might give us a beter idea of what is really going on.

While testing you can use rivatuner or gpuz(i'm not completely sure if the last one can do it) to check the IGP clock in real time while cpu is limited.

 

I'll take a look at them, thanks schmitt. If MSI Kombustor/Furmark work with the Intel IGP, I can maybe show dedicated FPS based on the CPU load. We'll see tomorrow.

 

WHAT? lol

Seriously, tell the rest of us what this all means when you guys figure it out.

 

2 Questions:

U5400: This processor any good?

Second: Will this thing run SC2 on low?

 

haha

Well, we are just trying to figure out how the "turbo mode" of the IGP in the 1830t (and any other Arrandale based machines) works.
Some disagreements here and there but hopefully Death666Angel will be able to put an end to it by tomorrow