Acer TimelineX 3820TG Owners Lounge. Info, benchmarks, tweaks, mods and upgrades

Yah bud, I'm still going Envy, cuz I like the quality over the Acer's. Remember how I was able to fondle a lady('s) at the library? It was pretty nice, but I like the Envy 13's quality better. Inevitably the 14 will be similar to the 13 in build quality/sturdiness/hardiness. If you say that the cooling system is indeed very capable, then I know for sure I want the Envy 14. Only reason I still post in the 3820TG section is to be nosy (And to check if you've gotten yours yet, so you can share stories).

Btw, do you know who's handling your package right now? DHL or USPS?

 

I just tried the demo of Dirt(1) and the cpu was switching through the multiplikators very well. But it can happen, that the cpu put one core ins sleep status and the time to wake it up seems to be your glue drive.

What are your power setting?

 

Just a Nick are you seeing the same jelly type grahpics glitch then?
Also can someone please be kinda enough to do a quick benchmark (Like I did in first thread) of the CPU @ stock vs overclocks in gaming. For example Battlefield Bad Company 4 FPS or Any modern game.

 

How much would It be coming from Germany? Is it the 5650 one?

I am just curious, What is the max overclock everyone got on the cpu so far? I am assuming its the i5?

 

Well my "Minimum Processor state" is set to 100 % if that's what you're asking. Makes no difference if I set it to "0". CPU multiplier fluctates a bit, even when set to 100 % and I understand thats normal. May very well be that there's some naughty processor core being put in sleep state causing this "glue" effect.

Would like to find an explanation and a maybe a fix though. "Something" clearly happens when I clock with SetFSB, and even returning the values to default in SetFSB does not remove the glue effect, I have to reboot. I'm thinking that If I'm having this problem there's bound to be more, or, as people get their units and start to clock and use them they will experience the same. Of course it could be limited only to the i5-450 for all that I know.

Tested this a bit more thoroughly now.

Affected games
Grid
Dirt
Civilization IV
3Dmark '06 (not really a game, but..)


Not affected games
Half-Life 2 and other source based
Red Orchestra: Ostfront
Bioshock 2
Torchlight

Experimented with processor affinity on the affected games with no effect. Can't really think of much else to try.

Mac

 

Anyone?


And another thing, it's concerning the mouse pad. Sometimes the scroll and mutli-touch functions doesnt seem to work. A reboot seems to solve it, but I would prefer a more simple solution because it has happend some times now. I'm using preinstalled Windows and drivers.

 

$875 USD + $75 shipping by raft and donkey.

Yes, I would not have bothered if it wasn't the HD5650 version.

Hey!! U guys had better figure out this OC stuff before mine gets here.

Bronsky

 

Mac, did you try the latest turbo boost technology drivers already?

You can get it from Samsung for example: http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.c.../20100603191142734/Turbo_Boost_1.2.0.1002.zip

 

Anyone get a message that says " plugged in, not charging" when it's plugged in?

 

Yep... if it is near full charge and I plug it in. That's normal and preserves battery life.

In contrast to Mac, I've got no issues with 3dmark06 if oc'd. At 164 MHz FSB the improvement of cpu score is about 400 points and the general score is about 200 points higher.

With the i7 and a good exemplar of 3650, it could be possible to crack the 10k mark... stable

 

No, I have no graphics glitch, but my GPU is not overclocked!

A few 3Dmark 06 values: GPU not OC

Default:


FSB 140:


FSB 150:


FSB 160:


I need just a fast CPU for my work and the ATI is only a nice option for me.

 

Hmm, this is confusing. I installed that driver, and now I lost the choices under Power Options/Advanced/Processor Power Management where one could specify a percentage between 0 and 100. It seems turbo boost ain't working anymore, that is, the CPU is running at max all the time. No change in the "glue" effect in games.

Tried uninstall and reinstall of original drivers, no chance in the power options thingy. Uninstalled and installed the ones you linked to. No change. Drivers messed up I guess.

Mac

 

OK I have 2 small issues with my new 3820tg

1- when I use the VGA out I keep losing the signal randomly for like 1-2s, my tv blinks and I see NO SIGNAL on my tv screen like the cable was unplugged, while my computer screen turn back on at the same time. That cable work fine on my other laptop. Could it be a connection problem? like maybe the pins in the plug arent connecting properly?

2- this one is about touchpad and keyboard. When I play an FPS I want to move (pressing WASD keys) and aim (touchpad) at the same time, can't seem to do that in Bioshock2, if I press a keyboard key the touchpad becomes unresponsive while the key is pressed.

Any Ideas? I would really like to solve these since they are the only problems that keep this machine from being pretty perfect for me

thanks

 

Haha, i bet you mean 'come on i7 3820tg OWNER'ü as i'm the only one who seem to have one here. Though it's quite unfortunate that i don't have much resources like you guys do. My resources are scarce and i could have done all these if i have the luxury. Pretty much Bronsky is the best person you can have to do all these stuff. I'll just stay on the background. (That's why people love Bronsky, we should put up a fan page for him!ü)

 

The problem to is that you have "PalmCheck" sensitivity too high in Synaptics software (just lower it). This is too prevent any accidental contact with the palm while using the keyboard. Shouldn't you be playing on a wireless mouse or something? lol

 

Should I expect similar numbers in the E14 (450M+5650)? It's been confirmed by user erathostenes, that it has a dual fan cooling system, with 2 vent exhaust hole thingies like the 3820TG has.

 

Hey,

do anybody know the name for the executable file to change the active graphic card?

Best regards
Just a Nick

 

No, at least the design of the motherboard is more important than the fan design.

 

I would think the E14 will perform very similar to the 3820TG. The components are nearly identical. The only thing that might affect 3D performance is the increased resolution. I agree with Just a nick about the mother board and would like to see a couple of burn tests but the design looks good so far.

Bronsky

 

Woohoo. When I get mine, I'm consulting you folks (aka buggin') for tips and advice, and will be open to "burn test" request (which hopefully don't literally mean burning) the thing.

Hooray, we got Steve Blake!

 

I've realize that computeruniverse actually carries a 3g version of the laptop. I was wondering, does anyone know what frequency the modem uses? Also, how exactly does it work? For example, do we have to put in a sim card or etc?

 

In the german model is the Huawei Mobile WCDMA EM770W.

Yes, you have to add a sim card.

 

though i think if your in the USA and u buy one of these 3g devices u have to make sure it's quadband HSDPA so it can work on att 850 if ur with att

i don't think they have the tmobile 3g frequency

 

a lil update for you guys,, i was on battery all day today.. using it on and off to see how it is

opening up certain windows like the action center and or the customization for task bar, its like the screen flickers , and the whites can't bee shown correctly whileon battery i dunno it's weird ,

 

Not sure if someone has the Staples version like i go

but if they could try something out on battery ,, and battery saver plan. or minimum brightness....



go to Boy Genius Report

and scroll up and down, stop and read an article or something

it's like the display automatically brightness a bit, then starts dimming again by itself

it's weird

 

Just spent 10 minutes on BGR reading,scrolling,etc. without any display brightness issues.This was on my tired old 3810TZ.However when I get my 3820TG from Staples I`ll try BGR again and report.

 

@M4crOs and all the other overclockers

when i raise the FSB and reload the original settings (133Mhz), the whole system seems to get very slow. I haven't tested any games but after 60 minutes prime95 i had to do a restart.
After that everything seems to work fine.

I haven't any explanations for that....

 

Hmm so far is the overclocking really worth it or more issues than its worth. What is your opinion on this?

 

it's a good question. If it's possible to fix this "bug" we will be able to reach very high clocks with the 3820(two Fan version) without any issues.

 

At the momnent seems only a FSB if 160MHz really stable. All the other works under heavy load by me but not if the laptop idle. I don't know why....

I would not sell your model to buy a new one.

Just to replace the CPU in a few months will be the better solution.

In the german press a few rumors, that Intel will release a 580M at the winter.

 

First we need to know the bug and than we can fix it.

 

Think someone can confirm which 3G frequency is being used on the 3G 3820TG model that computeruniverse carries?

 

I think we're stuck with the same CPUs that are offered in the 3820TG. I have no idea if the new Arrandles will be supported by the Acer bios. For now, it looks like the I7-620M is the upgrade sweetspot.

Bronsky

 

Nevermind, I found the frequency. I've been observing the image of the Huawei Mobile WCDMA EM770W, but I can't seem to find a sim card slot on that thing. So, where exactly do I plug in the sim card? Since it's a mini-pci-e, does that mean I can just get one of these later and install it on the regular 3820TG? Also, where can I find a 3G modem that would support T-Mobile's 3G band?

 

It's just a matter of "wait and see". As long as they've matched TDPs and same socket, I don't really see why there shouldn't there be a BIOS update supporting them eventually.
The i7-620m is a great option for those needing the extra juice though.

PS: Thanks a lot for the manual. I've now ordered mine, waiting for the CD to arrive

 

Once Acer upgrades the CPUs we will be able to as well. I can assure you that once the I7-620M is in its socket, I will be done with surgery. There's a lot of great stuff in these manuals.

Bronsky

 

Thought you were going to find a stable and safe source for the keyboard back-light as well

 

The keyboard will be done with the CPU. But NVM what I said before, I just saw these - Pixel Qi display kit in the wild – Video - as soon as they come out with a 13.3" version, one of these is going in the Acer. I can't help myself.

I also want to see this page-white option in a tablet. That would force me to replace this little 1410T. Maybe a 1410p .

Bronsky

@omghi2u did you get your 3820TG yet? Would you let me know when you do? My order was shipped 2 days behind yours.

 

Well, if you ever need the manual for the 1810t\1410t or 1820p\1420p just PM or something . Is your job outdoors? Can't find a reason to swap the panel for a black\white one unless you really needed the sunlight visibility.

I've already ordered a back-lit keyboard, pretty much like yours, a Intel WiFi 6200. I could upgrade the CPU to a SU9400, but I don't think it's worth the money, 75€ for 100Mhz bump ... meh .
I wonder if I should have ordered the WiFi 5300 instead, but I'm trusting the new gen device to be faster and using less power.

 

a question about cpu overclocking i donated the creator now so does he e-mail me with keycode? and what is a good program to measure if the overclocking is stable or not?

 

Yea. I do a lot of site investigation work. I really need a field notebook. I guess i will eventually replace my 1410T with one once I get the Acer 3820TG straightened out. The only ones worth a dam outside are the Lenovo X200t or X201T with the 400nit outdoor readable display. They are frightfully expensive. A small tablet with one of these would be really nice. I could see figures easily outdoors. If I could get one of these in a tablet, it would be a great option. I'm not really considering putting one of those displays in the 3820TG.

Bronsky

 

Do you think it'll ever fit? I didn't get it.. when you put the backlight, is it REALLY like a normal LCD or not?

 

hey can i join the bandwagon here?

i recently want to sell my M11X and look for an Acer laptop

and there's too many models in the Products

so i hope it's okay if i just ask it here

is this TimelineX 3820TG currently the best 13incher from Acer? ( best as in technical spec )

and as i looked into all Acers product, they all seemed to stray away from 7200rpm HDD, why is that?

is it possible to order this notebook with 500gb@7200 straight from factory?

thanks!

that's all for now

Twe

 

Judging on your signature you don't need the 3820. You are only missing a 17" and a netbook, lol

 

Just gotta report on the "Turbo Boost" driver issue I'm havin'. It's proving to be a major hassle. I even did a format c: and the issue persist on the new clean system.

- Can't adjust minimum/max processor power state.
- Processor runs permanently at max (turbo) speed.
- For instance in wPrime running 4 threads, it should clock down to it's default speed and distribute the load over all the cores. It don't and I'm seeing almost twice the time taken to finish the "32M" compared to what I had with working turbo boost.
- 3Dmark 06 is taking a hit too, a thousand points down from what I was used to, unclocked.

No matter of reinstall, removal and install, installing newer version over old and so forth does work. Now I've wrestled with remains of old drivers many times before and sometimes managed to solve it, sometimes not. Drivercleaner.net have been a great help every now and then, but it don't have a filter for the turbo boost driver. I do however know where all the driver files are and can get them deleted from the system, no problem. Registry settings are worse though and I'm guessing that's whats holding me back.

To the guy that gave me that driver link, the thought was good and it was my choice to install this, but I've spent the last 24 hours trying to get this working and I'm getting mighty pissed now Luckily I swapped hds a couple of days ago (the stock 320gb to a monentus xt 320), and I got a complete system on the old drive, so a clone "should" get me back up with a working system again.

Just one advice, if you got turbo boost working properly, be very very careful with installing other versions over it or anything that might be related to it (chipset drivers maybe).

Going to do the hd clone thingy now, hopefully back with a working system soon. Then I'll do a proper system restore point and experiment more with this to see if I can find a solution.

Yours, frustrated
/Mac

 

Word of advice: Before fiddling with drivers and sensitive software, make a system restore point.

It also makes no sense that the problem persists after formatting the drive and reinstalling Windows. I'm not quite sure if I understood the problem there, but if restoring the system to factory settings doesn't solve the problem you might have something fishy going on there.

 

well, my MBP and DellXPS have been long gone , as for now i only own the M11X, it's doing great, just that i am lazy enough to always switch the OC back and forth after games ( since i dont want it to always stay on OC ) and the lack of Dell approach to the driver update for it's major switching graphic and fan issue

well, yeah, looks like coming from an Alienware to Acer seems a bit of a downgrade

i still needed a small light laptop that can play decent games and a bit of 3d work

so my question stands

 

The 3820 is the finest 13 incher from Acer, yes. It has a solid design and engineering, even though the materials used aren't top notch (they're not bad either), and the specs are great for its size, weight and price.

I'm not sure about the 5400rpm drive frenzy you mention, but a 500GB HDD @ 7200rpm isn't faster than a 640GB HDD @ 5400rpm, thanks to the platter data density differences. Also, the 5400rpm drive will be quieter.

You can't really customize the laptop from factory, only order a different model or buy a replacement part after-market.

 

Answers:

1. Yes. The I7-620M/HD 5650 are the best specs in a 13.3" Acer. Probably the best CPU/GPU combo in any 13".

2. They always use 5400 rpm drives. No idea why. To save $3.50 in production costs?

3. No. Not that I know of. You'll have to swap on out your self. The 3820TG really deserves an SSD.

Bronsky

Damn Bolt beat me to it.

 

How is the webcam quality on this laptop?