Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T Thread

Thanks that's good assurance.

Device manager does show bluetooth is
also Broadcom while Microsoft emulate, while
Broadcom card has bluetooth enable/auto set option.
That's why I thought 1830T's bluetooth relies
also on the Broadcom wifi card.

It's probably integrated on the motherboard then.
---------------------
Just swapped in Intel 6200 wifi card,
and working ok so far (still testing...)

Very cautious with the 2 delicate antennae as expected but I
got through it....

As everyone here, signal's much stronger 4-5 levels than
the crap Broadcom card only 1-3.

Just don't understand why stupid Acer don't ship in
this card from the beginning, 6200 is cheap anyway
possibly cheaper than the crap Broadcom so shouldn't
add up to the overall mfg cost....

 

I've owned one of these for a week after picking up an 1830T-6651 for $599 at CompUSA in Orlando in one of their weekly deals. I like the machine, but have a couple of upgrades for it to get it how I really want. The first is a Corsair F60 SSD, which I will install this evening with a fresh W7 SP1 install with the newest drivers possible. The second is an Intel 6200 wifi card which is on its way to replace the current Broadcom card.

Was this an easy process red_devil?

 

I didn't swap in SSD, so for that you can just refer back to
the previous pages of this thread.

For 6200 swap, just open the back main cover (5-6 screws total),
plier out CAREFULLY the 2 antennae (1 black 1 white)
from the Broadcom wifi contacts, then unscrew one screw
on the left, pull out the crap Broadcom card and then slot in the 6200,
screw back in single screw on the left,
and plier back in 2 antennae to the new card contacts, and you're done.

Overall's easy and fast.
Do be VERY careful especially when pliering OUT the 2 antennae,
suggest you do with 2 hands on the plier so you can control your
"delicate" strength better and won't turn out pulling with too much
force may accidentally damage the 2 leads by any chance.
Also do it slowly in rotational motion to gradually loosen them
instead of hard-force pull out all at once.

Only pliering out 2 antennae's little tricky procedure,
pliering back in is much more straight forward and risk free.

Install the CD-driver-software that comes with the
6200 package, either before or after you swap in the card
should both work just fine. I installed it before.

Hope that helps =)

 

Nice one, should be OK.

The SSD is in and was painless to do. What do people reckon of these WEI scores?

http://i.imgur.com/DPQ7T.png

 

I've got a similar machine,
but the slightly slower Core i5 430UM
6GB ram
And the slower but still wonderful Kingston 64GB NOW SSD.
Results are similar to your new machine.
5.3
5.3
3.5
4.7
6.6

( Buy.com has this Kingston 64GB for $75 after rebate.
Its the notebook kit with a USB external housing for your leftover HD, BTW)

 

Hey, I had some issues with removing the screw of my Broadcom wireless card. Ended up somewhat wearing out the head of the screw...

Any tips on removing that screw? It's really tight.

 

One other thing I've noticed with the machine is that there is a 10 degree difference between the CPU cores. I'm using RealTemp to check the temperatures. Strange, as the CPU cores are in the same die. Does anyone else see similar temperature differences? Also, is anyone familiar with the cooling solution and possible remounting it?

 

I'm sure a few month back someone on this thread posted
the same tight wireless card screw problem. No answers,
and she ended up with a dead 1830 no longer covered by the warranty.

Just leave your Broadcom card in.
Upgrading is not worth risking a high cost repair.

 

hi, have been a timeline fan with my 1810tz, and have been looking to upgrade since the 4500 gpu is not enough for my needs. tried a 3820tg but the switchable graphics intel driver/win7 sp1 issue drove me crazy so i sold it after a week and swore i will never buy a laptop that has no sp1-friendly switchable graphics driver support

and then i just bought a refurb 1830t canadian model parallel import in hongkong (i3, 4gb, 500gb hard drive) for around 500USD with change. got a dead pixel though after using it for a few days but i can live with it (i was wondering if there's a way for it to get the pixel back to work) since this 1830 is only intended as a transitional machine until i see how the sandy bridge timelineX series end up later this year

that said, overall very happy (even with that one dead pixel) although it came with a bilingual keyboard so i swapped my 1810tz US keyboard into it and worked fine. replaced 500gb with 640gb hard drive that i bought previously for my 1810tz. unfortunately it doesnt come with a BT module. maybe one day i will take it apart and see if it's the exact same type as used in the 1810tz then i can buy one on ebay (i have take taken apart the 1810tz myself before to check how the bt module attaches)

not too thrilled with the broadcom wifi but it should be okay for my needs although i have a intel 5300 card sitting around, i wonder which is better

i see that on the forums someone did a modded bios for the 1810t which allows you define how much memory goes to the integrated graphics card, i was wondering if there is one for the 1830 series? the intel HD graphics is much better than the 4500HD but i was wondering if i can push it a bit more

i also noticed that if you try to plug in some third party ac adapter it runs and does the usual beep but the touchpad freezes and doesnt work until you unplug it. anybody else got that happening?

 

Most likely Intel 5300 is better as it's one of the best cards around.

 

If you google for massaging dead lcd pixels you might find details on one technique. I remember I used it on an old Sony LCD screen several years ago, when multiple dead pixels were considered "acceptable," and a couple pixels I was able to revive by massaging them. IIRC, it involves a gentle circular rubbing of the pixel?

 

Hi All,

Apologies if this solution is a repeat, but i came accross this thread trying to find answers to my bluetooth problem, and i found a few other users here with the same problem that the bluetooth would turn off on restart.

I found a solution which worked for me:

disabled LaunchManager from starting at startup using msconfig.
set a scheduled task to run launchmanager when i login.

It now doesnt disable bluetooth every time you start up, it remembers the setting

 

Got my Intel 6200 wifi card today, so will carefully attempt to replace my Broadcom card this evening!

Does anyone know how to disassemble the cooling system? I'm hopeful that if I can even out the differences in core temperatures in my machine (10 degree delta), the fan will be less reluctant to kick in.
-----------------
OK, the Intel 6200 wifi card is in! It appears to be a much better card than the Broadcom that was previously in residence. The signal from my router is stronger and I am able to connect at full 300Mbps mode. A worthy upgrade for the $28 or so I spent, I reckon.

 

Hi All, I would like your quick opinion.

Wanting an ultraportable, I'm about to buy an 1830T but I noticed that its prices went down by $100 in March. Do you think the prices will go down again just as much when the 3830T/4830T/5830T arrive in Canada? I hear this will happen in May.

I will get the -6661 (i3) or the -7618 (i5), but if you think so, I will wait and aim for the -68U118 (i7).

Thank you!

 

i dunno, the 13-14-15 inch models are of another category than the 11-inch ones like 1830t. here in hong kong the price for 1830s havent changed

it will go down once a 11-inch sandy bridge version is out, but there is zero news regarding that at this time so i think the price wont drop any time soon.

that said, i used to have a 1810t. when 1830t came out last year the price for 1810t wasnt too affected for a while, since oddly enough not alot of retailers are selling the 1830t

 

The first ULV notebook I'v seen, the Thinkpad E220, was just released. It's time for Acer to get on the ball. The 1830T will really benefit form HD 3000 graphics.

Bronsky

 

I'm curious: Is it correct to call the AS1830T-68U118 the "world's most powerful laptop with screen size below 12 inches"?

Chroma_cg, thanks. I've ordered the 6661 (i3). At the last minute, the 7618 disappointed me: though the 7618 has the i5 turbo boost and a 640GB drive, it only comes in TAUPE/UMBER BROWN (an ugly, grayish brown), and it has no built-in bluetooth. ...

 

I bought an Acer 1830T-6651 and observed two serious issues so far:

1) Installation of clean Windows 7 SP1 (from USB stick) fails at "Starting Services..." stage with the message " Windows Setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer's hardware". Seconds before this message, the screen turns black twice for a fraction of a second. Updating Windows distro (using DISM) with latest Intel drivers of graphics and chipset did not help.

2) WLAN (Broadcom) fails to wake up when system comes from Sleep. Actually once it fails, second time switches on properly, and so on. Driver version 5.60.350.11. In Power Options, "Hybrid Sleep" is Off.

Any suggestions are highly appreciated. Thank you.

PS: I got some hint about p.1 by searching internet. It might be related with AHCI option in BIOS. I'll give it a try tomorrow.
PPS: Disabling AHCI option did not help. Too bad, it seems 1830T owners are stuck with recovery partition of Windows 7 without Service Pack 1, but full of bloatware.

 

#!
I have loaded Win 7 Ultimate on a clean install from a USB memory stick. I had some dificulty getting the stick prepared to act as an install disk but the system install went flawless after that. Look at your prep of the USB drive as that may be your problem.

#2
Make sure you have the latest updates for your WLAN found on the Acer site. I managed to replace mine for no other reason than I could and had the cash. My Broadcom card worked just fine.

GRISTY:

Thank you for your post. I have made the changes you suggest and it works just as you report. This resolves a pain the butt issue I thought would not go away. I have given you an Rep Power recommendation

 

Was it Win 7 patched with SP1? I have a feeling SP1 is the issue here. I'll find an Win 7 ISO without SP1 and will check how it works.
No issues with USB stick acting like an install disk, everything works smoothly.

 

You don't need pliers for any of this. They will lift out with a tooth pick and you can push them back with a finger.

 

I installed Home Premium 64 bit from USB with no issues at all. I couldn't be bothered to slipstream SP1 onto the disk, so downloaded the full file and installed that as soon as Windows had installed. No issues for me with anything.

Launch manager under the Applications tab in this link might help. You can at least see easily when the wifi or bluetooth are active when it's installed. It's quite helpful.

 

Hey everyone. I am about to pull the trigger on the 1830t, as apparently Acer doesn't have any immediate plans to update it with Sandy Bridge, but I have read in a few locations that you cannot update Windows 7 to SP1 because the proprietary video driver that Acer is using is incompatible with the update, and Acer has locked out the use of the official Intel driver that is compatible with SP1. Is there any truth to this? Why can't you just uninstall the Acer driver than install the Intel one?

Thanks in advance!

 

Service Pack 1 installed in both of our 1830T i5 machines without any problems. No driver issues.

 

That's a relief. I've been debating between the x120e and the Acer 1830t for almost a week now. I like the good CPU (looking at the i5) and design on the Acer, but am concerned about gpu performance and the price ($649 for i5, compared to $489 for the Thinkpad). I plan on using the machine for general productivity, some light Adobe CS3, some low poly 3D modeling, and playing Counter-Strike Source. Will the 1830t be fine for this stuff, or should I go with the Thinkpad and it's 6310 gpu, which is almost 2x faster?

 

Normal folks usage...side by side, I don't think anybody would notice much of a difference.
But be careful..
Pay attention and understand what CPU you are buying in your Lenovo or Acer.
These machines come installed with very slow, medium and fast processors.

 

So I realized today that the reason the lid hinge on my Acer 1830T has been loose, is because not one, but two screws have fallen out of the chassis/case. And now the chasis is warped and bent.

Terrible trackpad, a misaligned key ever since I unboxed it, three of the rubber feet have come off, and now a broken hinge because the screws fell out. (No, I never removed them.)

It's just terribly cheaply and shoddily built.

 

I just wanted to confirm that I too have Win 7 SP1 installed on my 1830T (i5) with no problems.

 

Has anyone here tried using an Acer 1830 battery (5800 mAh) on an Acer 721? (which uses a 4400 mAh battery)? I own a 721, and it sure would be nice to know if a higher capacity battery can be used successfully.

 

Recently installed Intel 320 Series 120GB SSD. Now my i5 1830t is flying!

 

Previously in this loooong thread there were mentions of "upgrading" the WiFi adapter card to an "Intel 6200" dual-band card, so I assume that it's an Intel 622AN they were referring to, and that it is compatible with the 1830T.

However, I also see that Intel has 6230 and 6300 WiFi cards. Would these be newer, and perhaps better, adapter cards than the 6200? I *did* see that the 6300 uses three antennae, so would that make it non-compatible with the 1830T which only has two antenna leads?

Thanks for any clarification!

 

I have 6300 in my 1830T, I have connected only two connectors - left and right, and middle is not connected, it works as usual...
I had in plans to buy a third antenna and fit in somewhere, but I don't know if it's worth, if it adds something...

 

Thanks, zviangi! That's good to know. I'm just seeing if I have more than one choice.

I live in Thailand, and not even in Bangkok, so finding someone who's even willing to try to order one has been quite a challenge. If all three of those: 6200, 6230 and 6300 are viable options, it may help.

 

Sawadee khap
Just get 6300 for yourself

 

Hi all -

I am considering an 1830T-6478 for use mainly as a Linux box. Have seen some back and forth re: the wireless chipset and Ethernet in the 1830T series, but haven't been able to nail down what the included hardware is for this particular model. If anyone has this information I would appreciate knowing it.

I don't mind some configuration and tinkering but as much working out of the box would be nice, of course.

Thanks,

Glenn

 

Does anybody knows the interface in this machine, SATA I or SATA II ?
thanks.

 

Sata 2 .

 

What Alps touchpad driver is the best nowadays? Dell? Acer?
And anyone know of a way to force circular scroll to treat clockwise motion to be downward, while counter-clockwise to be upward?
Thanks.

 

Just got one of these to replace my aging Atom netbook and it seems awesome so far!

Did a clean install and put in one of my old SSDs.

Got a couple of questions -- on the original drive there seemed to be a turbo boost driver of some sort. No, not the little monitor app, an actual driver. I can't seem to find this anywhere, so maybe I'm wrong, but the original install didn't have the sidebar app in the upper right of the desktop.

Also, my original WEI scores were 5.7/5.7/3.4/4.6/HDD. The first time I refreshed it after updating to the latest video drivers the scores dropped to 5.6/5.6/3.3/4.5/HDD. This happened both on the original HDD and my SSD/fresh install. In fact the cpu/ram/graphics scores seem to vary wildly depending on how the power scheme is setup. Still, I'm not sure why I can't get the original scores back. There doesn't seem to be a way to force the cpu to run at 2.53GHz constantly or the IGP to scale up to 500MHz constantly.

Regardless, this is one sexy looking, solidly-built ultraportable that will run circles around my old Atom machine!

 

my touchpad is , anybody having or have had problems with the touchpad glitching up and/or being non responsive?

 

Hey guys, is there any way to force the gpu to run at its full speed of 500MHz? I was trying to play some point and click adventure games like Secret of Monkey Island SE and Sam & Max, but the gpu seems to stay put at 166MHz and the games run around 20-30fps.

 

Great little 2010 machine with graphics only
as defined by the integrated Intel CPU.

 

Has anyone replaced the original RAM with faster or lower latency sticks? Just wondering whether it might make any difference in general, day to day performance...

 

Wish we would see a refresh soon. I have yet to find any info that gives any hints or ETA's.

 

I can pick up one of these for $330 on Craigslist with the i3, is it a worthwhile upgrade from my 1410 with SU2300? Any stuttering with 1080p? Enough power for blu rays? I figure I can sell the 1410 for $250, so is a 3 month old 1830t worth $80?

 

Newegg has stopped selling the AS1830T-6651, with the Core i5-470UM processor. It no longer appears on Acer's site either.

Is it going to be replaced with a Sandy Bridge processor, such as the Core i5-2557M?

Appreciate any news when available.

 

It looks like the 1830T is the end of the line, at least for 11.6" Timelines. AMD and its E350/E450 has taken over this market. The new Sandybridge ULV processors are going into more expensive units like the Samsung 9, MBA and new Asus X21. If Acer had any brains, they would repackage this unit and get it to market. With HD 3000 graphics, it would be an awesome device. Acer, HP and Dell are claiming that they will have ultrathin notebooks with the Intel ULV processors soon but there appear to be delays in securing displays and the manufacturers are having a hard time keeping the prices under $1K.

Bronsky

@jlbrightbill - get the 1830T, it is a steal at that price.

 

^That's correct with current technology laptop makers are focusing on ultraportable notebooks in the 13" space... namely Thinkpad X1, Sony Z, Samsung Series 9.

People want to do photoshop and HD video editing on their laptop nowadays and the ULV cpus just won't cut it in terms of raw power.

 

The new Mac Mini uses core i5 and core i7 Sandy Bridge chips that run at about twice the frequency of the 1830T's previous-generation Core i5-470UM chip, giving the Mac Mini a big performance boost as demonstrated by benchmark tests.

Of course, the Mac Mini processors are rated at 35 watts, as opposed to the 18 watts consumed by the 470UM processor.

It's a shame that Acer won't offer a new-generation 1850T, incorporating the 17-watt Core i5-2557M and Core i7-2667M processors at 1.7 and 1.8 GHz respectively. There is no technological or heat generation barrier to such an upgrade.

Those would be killer machines, for their form factor, power consumption, and price/value. Is anyone listening?

 

Okay, I have to know: what's the build quality and long-term reliability of these machines like? I've been skeptical of Acer's laptop quality, especially since they ranked almost as badly as HP in the SquareTrade reliability study. However, I've also noticed that the 1430 and 1830 have much higher user ratings on Amazon than other Acer models. How dependable are they?