Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG Owners Lounge

A few things:

1. Can anyone recommend a keyboard protector? I might just get one of those cheap ones from meritline.com.

2. My Kensington lock doesn't function. The interior seems to far recessed for me to push the locking mechanism into the lock and rotate it. Anyone else have this problem? The lock works fine with other notebooks.

 

Anyone know what the problem might be here?

Whenever I play tf2 i get studdering issues. I've checked my CPU temps and they are under 80 so i dont think im getting any throttling. every couple of minutes or so my game is just freezing for 2-3 seconds and then resuming.

But just recently my external mouse keeps disconnecting and reconnecting every 5mins. (using the left usb slot)

I've also noticed that my fps in tf2 would be steady at 60fps and then would drop to 20 for about 5 seconds and then go back up to 60. It just does it at random times even when there's not much going on in the game to cause a fps drop.

Anyone know what the problem is and how to fix it?

 

Check the first post in the thread for tips on installing QuietHDD. You might have a Western Digital HD, which is known to cause these stuttering issues, but QuietHDD fixes it.

 

Anti virus? Just a guess

 

I use a TPU keyboard protector that I got from ebay and it is great.

 

Hi all, I am thinking of getting Acer 4820TG very soon or something similar. I know it doesn't have internal bluetooth. Is it possible to add it yourself? Anyone done it yet? This thread is very long, I briefly saw someone having the same questions, but I didn't see the outcome.

Thanks.

 

Im pretty sure that its not a virus problem. Ill try the QuietHDD, thanks

 

I think what he meant by "anti virus" was that your installed antivirus suddenly acted up, whether it was scanning or something else. When your antivirus starts running it could cause a spike in CPU usage which could affect your game.

 

Ur info is wrong, every 4820tg i have seen or tried has bluetooth by default )

 

Thera a few different versions on the market. Just ha a look to get one with BT and pay afew dollar( or something) more and don't get any problem with adding a BT modul.

In a few countries the case is sealed for warranty.

 

Hello guys,

I'm in the club now. Yesterday I bought 4820tg-5463G50Mnks from New Delhi from the Acer shop. Just for information it was around 900$. It is written that it is i5-460m but in reality it's 480m(maybe they finished the first processor). It has bluetooth, 500GB HD, 5650 video and 3GB ddr3. I followed this tread from a long time and learned a lot...Tx everybody for your time and for the precious info. Have a few questions:
1. How and where I check if the Hard disk is Western Digital?
2. If I remove the Acer sticker to add more RAM is the guarantee still be OK? They want too much in Acer and want me to leave the laptop also for 2 hours.
3. And the most important - everywhere is written that the 4820tg is supplied with DDR3 (1066mhz). 3GB is not enough for me. Can I put DDR3 which is 1333mhz? Can I mix the different RAM? The 4820tg can support how fast ddr3? It depends from the main board or the processor?
4. I found in Delhi 4GB DDR3 1333mhz for 75$ is it expensive?

Tx a lot

 

Hi guys,

I'm a new user of this wonderfull laptop !
Acer 4280TG-334G50Mnks (i3 330M,4GB Ram 1066MHz, Win 7 Pro X64 home install with acer drivers only and then windows updates)

I recently purchased a 160GB SSD (Kingston packaged Intel X25-M Postville).

I set up a new windows environement and then install drivers (PCI, AMD, Ethernet, ...).

Then I ran some performance test with CristalDiskMark and my SSD look bad during tests. (5 pass / 1000MB)
Here the performance tests :
Read Write
270.1 MB/S 108.0 MB/S => Seq
Read Write
176.0 MB/S 106.9 MB/S => 512K
Read Write
16.7 MB/S 20.5 MB/S => 4K
Read Write
146.8 MB/S 88.9 MB/S => 4KQD32

With a desktop computer, Asus mini-ITX motherboard, AMD processor, perfs with 4K were better(around 40MB/S in write) than the previous, but not as good as test reviews on the internet.

I think the 4k value may be 2-3 times great than 20MB/S

Firmware version : 2CV102HA
=> I heard 102HD is better than this version and the available firmware on intel site is not as good as expected ...

So there is my question : is there any drivers (SATA AHCI are installed) to install with the SSD to improve his performance ?

PS : sorry for my bad english, I'm french !

 

If there's a sticker then it's probably a warranty voider to remove it. At least in some markets this seems to be true. OTOH, you can claim it just fell off and you didn't touch it.

Fastest RAM supported is DDR3-1066. You can put in DDR3-1333 but it won't take advantage of it.

$75 is expensive for 4G. In the states I can mail order 2x4G DDR3 1066 or 1333 for $80 w free shipping. a 4G stick should be no more than $50 really.

You can mix and match speeds but it's not recommended. Run memtest86+ after installing your new ram to make sure it's working ok.

Somewhere in control panel -> device manager you should be able to see your hd. Or on boot go in the BIOS and it will usually tell you what's installed.

 

Thank you Sxooter..Very complete answer. How can I run a memtest86+?

 

Easiest way to run memtest86+ is to download a live ubuntu CD and select memtest86+ from the boot menu when it comes up. You don't need to install linux or anything like that, just use the live CD as transport.

 

I forgot to ask but just to know for the future the speed of ram supported depends on what - the main board or the processor? And where I can check the supported speed of RAM? Tx

 

I think i might plan on buying this comp. The battery life seems excellent for my needs as well as the gpu for gaming. would the i5-460 and 5650 be able to play bfbc2 on high with hbao off and shadows on low? and has anyone tried playing sc2 on high? anyone know if its hard to take apart the laptop to add different thermal paste? or should i spend the extra $80 from microcenter for another year so they do it for me?

 

The chipset on the motherboard. for instance newer SB chipsets will support 1333 and 1666 MHz operation. Current i3/i5 mobo chpsets are all pretty much limited to 1066. (there might be some that can run 1333 but I've not seen them)

 

OK Good to know. Thanks

 

I have similar results as you. But this really doesn't bother me since even this results for 4K random r/w is much-much more than HDDs can provide.

But you can try next steps:
1. Unlock the bios http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...nix-bios-bios-mod-request-73.html#post6763651 (read from UPDATE section)
2. In BIOS Intel menu find SATA settings.
3. Set "SATA ALPM mode" from Slumber to Partial or even set "SATA ALPM" to Disable.

Not sure, but this could help.

Here is link about ALPM: LessWatts.org - Saving Power on Intel systems with Linux

 

i just bought Corsair Value 4GB 1333mhz for my lil bro..
he wanted to mix with the pre-installed ram which is Samsung 2GB 1066mhz..
is it Advisable to do that?
thanks..

 

Tech frix,

You will get the best performance when you have 2 similar sized memory modules. So 2x2 or 4x4. The 4820TG supports only 1066mhz ram so your 1333ram will downclock automatically (correct me if wrong).

 

Anyone got info on the i7 edition of 4820tg ?

Link to norwegian site:
Komplett.no - Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG 14"HD LED

Thinking about grabbing it, but have feeling that i might get HOT

 

Just to let you guys know. Micro Center has lowered a 4820TG model to $699.99

(Model: AS4820TG-7566) Core i5-460M / 500GB HDD / HD 5650

There are still some in stock at several locations. Don't miss this chance.

 

I was planning on buying that one but the store local to me sold out. And this is pick up only. Is this the model that is being discontinued? I'd rather save the extra $100 and get this over the curren i5-480 one.

 

is it wrong to get the discontinued one. The microcenter near me still has those in stock and I think the $100 doesn't justify the 5-10% boost for gaming imo. I think im planning on buying it once my gx720 is sold!

 

Given the choice I'd get the older one and spend the extra $100 on something else like a nice wireless router or something

 

My recollection is that it runs very hot. Somebody posted about it earlier in this thread somewhere.

Bronsky

 

Hey can anyone please tell me where you can purchase the 4820TG.. ?? I've looked EVERYWHERE and its nowhere to be found for purchasing it. I live in USA. The only place I could find it was at one online store in Canada..

Please help! I'd love to purchase one.

----EDIT----
is this the exact same one? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ils?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1296700821&sr=1-2&seller=
It says it has a 14 inch display, not a 13.3 inch display... please let me know!

 

thats the new refreshed one with the i5-480m and 6550.

 

There are 5 links in the first post of this thread on where to buy the 4820TG.

3820TG - 13.3" screen is sold in Canada
4820TG - 14" screen is sold in the USA

I think you are getting both laptops mixed up.

 

thanks for clearing that up! .. I cannot make my mind up between the 4820TG and the Lenovo Y460... I like the design of the 4820TG better, but I hear Lenovo's quality is better and that Acer's quality is poor.

Please help, I gotta decide! (price is not a obstacle or factor)

 

They're both pretty much the same package, but some people had overheating problems with the Y460.

I've had my 4820TG for a month and it's what I expected. Solid horsepower under the hood, good build quality, tolerable screen, and great battery life.

 

4820TG has better build quality than Y460. PERIOD.

Thing is, Y460 is a Lenovo Ideapad, Ideapads =/= Thinkpads, they are entirely different leagues. Now Thinkpads are better in quality than Acer's TimelineX's (like this 4820TG), but Ideapads are worse, much worse.

I know this because I had a Y450 (basically older brother of Y460 with near-identical design etc), and now I'm using a 5820TG (15.6'' version of 4820TG), and I can say the Acer feels so much less plasticky and more solid than the Lenovo, also it is so much more cool than what I can remember of the Lenovo when I bought that 1.5 years ago.

 

i tried mixing 4GB n 2GB rams..
so far running smoothly..

 

4gb+2gb is possible. It shouldn't give any problems.

Also, how many external displays can you hook up to the 4820tg?

OP, here's another website that is selling the Acer 4820TG:
Its being sold for $760 and with coupon code "CM" you can save an addition $5

Acer Aspire AS4820TG6847 14" LED Notebook - Core i5 i5-480M 2.66 GHz - LXRE102034 - Laptops & Notebooks - GATEWAY Laptops & Notebooks - TheNerds.net


This company has almost 7000 reviews and has an average of 4.5 stars.

Also, I've been seeing that some of the 4820tg-6847 models have the 6550 and others list them with the 5650, whereas everything else is exactly the same. Does anyone know whats up?

 

Does anyone have any tips for battery conservation. I replaced my boot drive with a seagate momentus xt, installed win7 x64 and have the acer vga drivers, the epower management and optical drive pm drivers.

I am wondering if i have missed some power saving software or drivers.

I am not getting anywhere near 5 hours while on an airplane. I understand i should turn off wireless and drop the brightness.

Is the i5 capable of lowering speed significantly like the culv processors? I am able to get approximately 8 hours out of 11 hour rated asus ul30vt (granted this is not anywhere nearly as powerful.

 

with the exception of speakers and dvd drive, i'm quite impressed with the build of my 4820TG. It is a lightweight built (ie, thin screen), but i personally see that as a benefit. I would recommend it.

 

ok guys, i FINALLY decided on the Acer 4820tg! It beat out the HP envy 14, alienware m11x and the acer 3820tg. I have a few questions before i place the order:

1) It has bluetooth right? i haven't seen it listed and many times that's an "option" like on hp and lenovo. But i thought i read somewhere that all 4820tg's had it built in. I want to get a bluetooth mouse so this is important

2) What has me excited for the 4820tg over the 3820tg is having dual hdd's. Honestly i would go with the 3820tg if it could be bought in america. i just decided i didn't want to deal with buying from canada and swapping a bilingual keyboard. My question is: if i buy a 120gb SDD, is it easy to do the swap?

I have an IT friend at work who said if i just bring him the laptop and the SSD drive he can do an image of the win 7 home install and put it all on the SSD drive. Can someone walk me through that process ahead of time? Do i have to take out the ODD AND the 640gb 5400rpm drive, put the 640gb drive where the ODD was and the new SSD where the old 640 was? Or can i just swap the ODD with the SSD?

is this $8 ODD caddy from amazon sufficient to put the odd in? Amazon.com: USB2.0 Slim DVD / CD RW Burner External Enclosure Caddy Case with SATA Connetor For all Laptop Notebook dvd cd burner[ Case only!! Drive is not included !!]: Electronics

That is the only thing i'm worried about. i don't understand the process and didn't find an explanation so if someone can point me to a thread or a post number i will look it up myself

I will have to read up on overclocking the GPU and CPU later thanks!

 

ok now that i see the updated first post that the amazon model does not have bluetooth, is it a possibility to upgrade to an intel 6230 wifi card with bluetooth and swap it in? how hard is that?

 

I haven't been seeing the ones in the USA come with bluetooth. My 4820tg-7805 does not. If you find the proper optical drive tray confirmed to fit and work in the 4820 please post and or PM. In the meantime i bought the momentus xt and have been very happy with the boot time improvements.
If you have a Western Digital drive in your machine, or another machine you can clone the drive with acronis true image free wd edition:
WD Support
you will of course have to find a way to hook up the 2nd drive. I am thinking it would work fine in the optical bay hd caddy then erase and swap drives.

My 4820tg by default wouldn't overclock on cpu, but would on the gpu. I have read in the forums that you can contact the person who wrote the overclocking software and still have a possibility of overclocking the 4820tg cpu.
I really do like this computer with the sacrifices for me being no bluetooth and no usb3 or esata. If i had usb3 i would install hundreds of steam games on an external drive. As to bluetooth i will just have to lose a usb slot.

 

thanks for those answers. so it looks like bluetooth is a no-go. i am getting the ocz vertex 2 120gb ssd so i won't be able to use the free WD drive image thing. But hopefully my IT friend can still do it.

My question still remains: do i need to put the new SSD in where the old 640gb hdd was? or can i place it just in the ODD that i remove and leave the old HDD alone? And make the SSD my new primary drive.

thanks!

 

Don't know on the remaining question but if it doesn't work it should be about 3-5 minutes of your time and a small screwdriver to swap.
I do believe you can get bluetooth on foreign bought 4820tg's.

plug any usb wd hard drive in and i think you can use the wd utility. Also it may be an internal wd drive. You may also want to consider not copying the image and putting a fresh install of windows on. It won't be as easy but you may have a faster running OS.

 

thanks! I'm actually scared to do that "fresh install" just because i don't understand drivers very well and i don't want to be missing something and then later have no idea where to get it. I know how to uninstall bloatware but i'm not even sure if the 4820tg i will buy from amazon will even come with the windows 7 dvd's. i'm assuming it won't.

 

It won't. It's up to you to make them. It's easy enough tho. 4 blank DVDs are needed, 3 for recovery, one for drivers.

 

Thanks. I added the link to the first post.

 

To current owners, how are the hinges holding up so far?

Also, it looks like the screen and the lid is pretty thin, how does it hold so far? Do you have to be extra careful so that it won't break when you put it in a backpack filled with books or other stuff? Thanks.

 

I've had my 4820TG since late June of 2010 and I haven't had any problems with the hinges so far. I have a neoprene laptop sleeve for my 4820TG and I put that in a backpack full of books. However, I treat my 4820TG with respect and don't toss it around like it's a toy; so maybe that's why the laptop is still in good condition.

 

Buying a mini-pcie that was wifi and bluetooth is a very intriguing idea. I forgot about those cards. I actually miss not having bluetooth, and it would save me a precious usb slot. If anyone has one, can they share their experience?

Too bad there is no express-card slot though or usb3.0

*From my experience, the hinges are very smooth. No creaking or anything of that matter. I have used this laptop for 2 months.

 

The lack of one or both of these features is what prevented me from putting my MSI GX740 up for sale here right now and buying this system.