Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG Owners Lounge

More or less the steps you quoted. Download everest. Open the file menu, select preferences, scroll down to the logging panel. Check and choose a CSV file name for logging. Then check next to appropriate values to log - time, cpu mhz, gpu mhz, cpu c, gpu diode, etc.

What did you do to get the 5-6 degree drop across the board? Was that on batteries?

 

The N82JV is comparable. Take a look on Amazon.

Bronsky

 

Nope, this was with the power chord plugged in. I was sitting in bed and the laptop was rested on my lap on top of a blanket that was technically blocking the vents. I really need to get that Everest program to work in order to record this correctly. I don't think I could find the logging panel in preferences the last time I tried.

EDIT: Wow, the AS4820TG-3195 is sold out at my local MicroCenter. I picked mine up on Sunday when they had 5 left.

 

The TG model is selling like crazy.

 

6 left at my MC.

so tempting

 

Maybe the 4820TG sales will encourage Acer to bring the 3820TG to the US?

 

i think they can see it two ways:

1) like u said, they will bring the 3820TG to the USA

or

2) it will just reaffirm their marketing strategy that the USA has a huge market for 14" notebooks with ODD and dedicated graphics... and they did the right thing by bringing the 4820TG to the USA over the 3820TG

 

Im planning to order my 4820TG soon with these specs.

Core i5 450M
4GB DDR3
640GB HDD
Radeon 5650

Cant wait Should have it in 2-3 weeks.

I was going for 3820TG but missing the dvd-drive is a no go.

Will probably post some videos to Youtube.

 

Thanks for the info Bronsky, I'll check it out when I get home from work. Are you still having the "issue" with CPUID saying pci-express @ 1x? I'll check what mine says when when I get home too.

I tought I left my 1080p monitor at school, but I realized it's at home. I'll try SC2 in 1080p tonight and prob post a video online.

 

That x1 thing only showed up that one time. Every other time I've checked the CPUID, it is 16x. It's very wierd. I suspect that it reads that when it idles. I have had no issues with my GPU or lag.

Bronsky

 

i just came back from microcenter, online says they have 9 i5 models left in that store... heres my quick impressions...

Screen
i wasnt able to actually log into win7, just stayed at the login screen the whole time, but the screen was pretty good, nothing special nothing bad, compared to some HP screens nearby its pretty similar imo....

Keyboard
i really wanted to try the keyboard, and there are pros and cons, pro is that the keys are pretty big, i like the looks of it, and the spacing is pretty good, and very quite, except the spacebar like KolosoK said... Cons... the keys are very shallow, you only need to press it like 5mm or something to hit the bottom, doesnt require any effort at all, it felt kinda weird, but i'll probably get used to it

Tocuhpad
The touchpad is very very good, the size is just perfect imo, the surrounding aluminum finish is also pretty cool and the texture feels smooth and responsive... the one next to the 4820TG was an HP i think, had a glossy, mirror-like, plasticish touchpad and it feels horrible... night and day...

Build Quality
there was very little flex in the keyboard, slight flex at the top near the speaker area, a bit more on the right side where the DVDrom is located, theres actually small gap there, upper half seems to come up slightly... tho its probably because it is the model and its been messed with excessively... overall it feels very solid


now i have to make a decision... i'll either get $700 ultraportable Asus UL30VT with its 10hr battery life and a [email protected]/G210M, or get the $900 somewhat portable 4820TG with the i5/ATI HD5650/6hrs of battery... anyone wants to persuade me to get the Acer now is the time to convince me please xD

 

holymoly,

what will you be using your laptop for?

 

mostly school stuff, some gaming, a bit of everything i guess, but my previous desktop build is 4yr old and my laptop is 5yrs old... so idk if i should get the faster/more current one like the i5 4820TG and replace both, or get a slower ULV Core2Duo ultra-portable that i can take with me everywhere like a cellphone, and just build another faster PC later... basically im just not sure if a SU7300 is worth buying anymore (considering that the upgrade to 4820TG is only $200), since everything starts with i3i5 these days, i dont want to have to upgrade again a few years down the road... im sure the i5/HD5650 will be enough to run new stuff for much longer

 

mostly school stuff?

no gaming?

does school involve cpu or gpu intensive apps like autocad or solidworks etc?

be more specific or we can't help u...

ps: $200 difference = build another faster pc later? don't get it... $200 difference is minute when it comes to building a whole new pc, no?

 

well the major pro with the CULV C2D is the battery life, i can probably leave the charger at home with the UL30VT as it runs for 10hrs, its also a 13" and 1lb lighter. but i dont want to end up stuck with a slower core when the need arises... weird thinking no? lol

 

Screen - some say the viewing angles are pretty bad. Well, the truth is that yes, if you want to keep the laptop 2 feet away from your face and you have three friends by your side trying to watch a video, then it won't work out so well. However, from 3-4 feet away, I can enjoy watching movies with my girlfriend and we can see perfectly fine.

Keyboard - mine has no flex whatsoever. Not near the speakers, not over the DVD drive. I'm not sure if I got lucky or what. The only way I can get the keyboard to bend is if I push really hard, which keyboards aren't meant to handle anyway.

Touchpad - I own an HP with the glossy touchpad that you hate. I can say that it's actually ok, except gunk likes building on top of it. However, I love the touchpad on the Acer. The multitouch actually works quite well. Not as good as Apple's, but closer than most.

Build quality - just don't hold the laptop by the screen and you'll be ok.

Performance - SC2 runs on High, TF2 runs well on Medium. Those are the only games I've tested.

Battery Life - 6 hours easy with the HD5650 disabled and moderate web surfing on 65%-80% brightness. Love it.

TL;DR: Get the Acer now!

 

So, do you guys agree that the poor build quality mentioned in online reviews is exaggerated?

I'll be posting HWMonitor temperatures and Everest .csv files from playing SC2 when I have a chance. I've been busy studying taxation and applying to graduate school.

 

sounds like you NEED the asus but you WANT the acer

 

I was in your situation deciding between the 4820TG or an asus. I ultimately decided to go with the U35JC for $794. My logic was that what I wanted as a student living off campus was portability and battery life foremost. If i really wanted a computer to game, I would do it on a desktop since heat is ultimately what shortens the life of many laptops and I want my laptop to last me a long time. Also technology moves too fast and soon game standards will reach a point where the HD5650 becomes widely obsolete as its predecessors before it, but the portability of the ASUS UL series wont change . Desktops are easier to upgrade anyways. This is just my 2 cents though.

 

whas the weight of the 14 in model again vs the 3820tg

 

4.6lbs vs 3.9lbs

 

What do people think of the asus k42jv as an alternative? Unfortunately there have been very few user reports. Same price, weight. Biggest difference is the nvidia gt335m.
I just wish i could compare them to know which is more solid.

 

4.6? with battery?

and people are saying it's heavy?
wow

 

The 5650 does perform better in most games. Assuming the drivers work well, the GT335M is more user-friendly, since the graphics switching can be configured to be performed automatically when you launch an application that requires it.

 

N82JV instead of the K42JV. Amazon.com: ASUS N82JV-X1 14-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop Dark Brown: Electronics

 

Hi all!

I am new to this community but I have been following this thread for a while. I am looking to buy a new laptop and I have all but pretty much decided on the acer 4820tg (i5 processor). Since I am a college student, I really want to get a computer that was portable, not too heavy, and good with battery life. However, I am also a video gamer, and I have a bunch of games that I have bought but not yet played since my current computer would not be able to handle it (some games that I have are Left 4 Dead 2, Bioshock 2, Mass Effect 2 and GTA IV). I was just wondering if this laptop is good for gaming (now, I'm realistic, I don't expect this laptop to run Crysis on ultra high settings at 60 fps but is crysis still playable at medium settings?). Also, I have watched a video of a guy playing assassin's creed II on high details on this acer and the fps dropped to 22 at some moments. So if anybody could give me some input on this matter, that would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

This post was a couple of days ago, but wow. 10 degrees is really nice.

Are most coolers that efficient?

 

What do you guys think about the Toshiba M645 in comparison to the 4820tg. Im concerned with how long the acer will last since im going to be a college student and I won't have money to put forward if this computer breaks. Long as I take care of it do you think it will last? also can throw the asus every1 has been talking about in that comparison too

 

Edit" Oh I see, there is a model with a 330M.

I still think the best competition for the 4820TG at this time is the N82JV now that it's for sale and probably the Envy 14. USB 3.0 is nice. I use an external HD and would love to have ESata or USB 3.0 to speed up the transfers.

 

Are you talking about the Toshiba Satellite M645 14" laptop? The Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG wins; there is no comparison between the two. Here are the reasons why...

M645 = 6.12 Pounds
4820TG = 4.65 Pounds (wins)

M645 = 1.12-1.45 inches thick
4820TG = 0.94–1.13 inches thick (wins)

M645 = NVIDIA GeForce 330M
4820TG = ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 (wins)

M645 = 6-cell Li-ion battery (48Wh)
4820TG = 6-cell Li-ion battery (66Wh) (wins)

The M645 wins in build quality and has a LED-backlighting keyboard, but that's about it. Even the M645 has poor lid protection like the 4820TG.

 

I wonder how much the DVD optical drive weighs? If it was removed and replaced with a drive caddy and a 2.5" HDD, would it weigh less than 4.6lbs?

 

I don't think the weight will change that much. Hey, I'm finding a few switches that will work without too much filing.

Bronsky

 

hey is there any way of checking the make of the laptop screen? Im looking to buy either the 4820tg or 3820tg in hong kong and the screen is one thing taht has been holding me back.

edit: also how does the n82jv stack up to this laptop in terms of battery life and screen?

 

If the reviewers version of a good build is the aluminium MBP, then yes the Acer is a Poorer build... but its a good *quality* in my books.

 

If you can turn it on in the store, go to devices > display. It will say generic PNP. Click on that and go to the "details" tab. From teh pulldown menu, select Hardware IDs. The model and make will appear in the lower box.

Haven't seen the N82JV display yet. They are just shipping from Amazon now. Stay tuned to the Asus thread.

Bronsky

 

I think I'm going to go for the i3 350m TimelineX. The problem is Amazon has been "Temporarily out of stock" for the past two weeks. I don't want to get it from Microcenter because of sales tax...any ideas where else they sell these things in the US?

Come on Acer...what's with the supply issues?

 

amazon doesnt have tax?

 

Amazon only taxes a handful of states.

 

I'm not sure it's just in my head or not, but I feel like the display model of the 4820TG at microcenter had worse build quality than the one I purchased. The screen lid had a lot of flex when I opened and closed the display model, but the 4820TG I bought seems like it has barly any flex at all.

Oh and I was able to run SC2 flawlessly @ 1080p on High (ultra textures), and fine on Ultra with overcloked GPU I'm super happy with this laptop.

 

What ODD to SSD caddy can be used on this sucka?

 

just got my unit today, and noticed the fan is "clicking". its not audible unless i put my ear right next to the ventilation on the left side of the laptop

does anybody else have this clicking sound?

edit: actually its more of a constant buzz, basically i can hear the fan spin, and not just the wind thats blowing out of it

update: now its gone, weird

 

What is the best gpu oc software... AMD overclock tool or MSI afterburner or is it possible to unlock and do it through ati ccc?

 

since this has been the [un]official 4820TG thread. can anyone post the necessary steps to update the display drivers? from first step to finish. that would be of great help to many especially first time users

thanks in advance

 

Install both Intel and ATI drivers. Restart.
Go into BIOS and select "Discrete". Boot into Windows 7 & let it install the new drivers. Restart.
Go into BIOS and select "Switchable". Boot into Windows 7.

Simple.

 

I Think its about time we should start the official owners thread, I just ordered mine too.

 

I can tell an admin to name this as the official owners thread if you want. There are already so many posts in this thread. It would be a waste of time to start a new thread with the same information.

 

Nice, you guys are so fast.

 

Hey guys,

I am an owner of 4820tg for the past 20 odd days. Firstly, if someone could guide me on how to run the benchmark tests (prime95, 3dmark06), it would be great. I can post the results here.

Some points which prospective owners may find helpful,

Keyboard- Pretty silent, I liked it a lot. One problem is with the backspace or delete key. It is not very smooth if you keep it pressed. It works perfectly if I want to delete a single letter, but not otherwise.

Screen - I liked it a lot. The bending angle is awesome, very helpful for me in lectures. No pixelation issues for me.

Battery - Easily gives around 5 hours on a casual work, like web surfing, reading e-books, installation etc. And as expectedly, it takes ages for the battery to charge to 100%.

Display - While you plug in/out your AC supply, the screen blinks twice for changing to the other graphics. This is pretty annoying.

DVD writer - I have not been able to write by recovery disks yet. In fact, most of the dvds I wrote till now became corrupt. I am not sure whether this is a generic problem, or only with my DVD writer.

Sound - Pretty average, not great, not bad.

Touchpad - I really loved the touchpad, very very easy to use. Best among the laptops I have used till now (Acer 4720Z, Compaq Presario, Dell Latitude)

Awesome thread guys, keep it running. I have been following it with a lot of interest.

Most of the new 4820tg's come with 1.13v BIOS. Install the recent 1.15v from the Acer site, and update it. My screen went pitch black on the very first day. Very low visibility. After updating to 1.15v, this problem got solved.

 

My new toy just got ordered from Amazon...

Finally, I can consider myself an owner of the TimelineX 4820TG.

Is there a BIOS setting that locks the system into IGP only mode? I think there was a hack but I cannot find it anymore.

 

Finally amazon!! Now get the i5 and ill definitely get it. I still dont know about the i3