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

Congratulations Hendrickson! Hope the colors hadn't become washed out?

 

No its not bad at all, if you look at it real close you can see the pixels more but thats about it. I think its worth it Vs less reflections. More portable now the screen than before.

 

Yes, that's because of RAID. The misleading thing, though, is I think the numbers they are advertising are the sequential read/write speeds, which are mostly pointless for general usage (sequential speed only matters if you intend to copy large amounts of data back and forth or do heavy video editing on very large raw files). The main advantages of SSDs stem from their RANDOM read/write speeds, which are responsible for app responsiveness/fast booting/etc. I'm not sure why so many manufacturers persist in using sequential speeds in their advertising, because for consumer use it is either negligent or blatantly misrepresentative.

 

because big shiny figures sells SSDs

 

hey not sure if you posted this before but which screen protector did you get?

 

Yeah, I see now that good ssd's in RAID0 go up to 530+ mb/s in read speed so the Samsungs in the Vaio Z are pretty average.

 

No words left. You took it all...

Rep added.

Edit: dosen't allow me to do so when it does, You'll be the first on my list.

Really nice work, really nice thread! BTW could You please refresh the first post with this screen protector / "matte mod" saga?

Other: no Kingston SNV425 128GB SSD for me, it seems to run at 5W idle therefore not suggested for notebooks, so I've signed in to another waiting game, that's for the SSD's prices to get a bit more reasonable.

 

Ebay one: Anti-Glare Screen Protector 13.3" Acer TimelineX 3820TG - eBay (item 260591384046 end time Aug-21-10 20:58:35 PDT)

Sure will add it to the first post.

 

this is the only one thats specifically for the 3820tg and ships to the uk.

 

Hey guys,

I'm relatively new here, but I've been posting mainly on the 3820 owner's thread.

Like many of you, I've also been playing sc2 lately, but it's gotten to a point where the game randomly lags, excessively at that. I know that the 3820 is a competent machine which should handle sc2 even on high or mid settings, but I get these massive lags even on low settings with low resolution.

I don't have viruses or malware, as the laptop is brand new, and I don't have any other third party apps or windows update running in the background. I DO have the latest graphics drivers installed, and have made sure to force the laptop to not use the integrated GPU even when the power cord is not plugged in, although when I play sc2, I always have it plugged in. The lag is there no matter what, even if I don't use an external LCD.

Does anyone know why this is happening? I read somewhere that sc2 has a GPU bug where the GPU overheats, could that be the reason, or would it be another reason, such as the HDD? I know latptop hard drives have a slower RPM than desktop ones, but the lagging is just really bad.

Thanks in advance,
Jung

 

My i7-620m arrived today and I went ahead and opened up my 3820TG. I installed the i7, my Intel 6300 wifi, and an extra 2GB of RAM. I also updated all of the drivers that I could find. Here are some 3DMark06 and CPUID Hardware Monitor results for stock and overclocked (700 core / 1000 memory).

Stock



Overclocked



I was able to get an accurate FSB result in setfsb using the shareware version, but I haven't gotten around to "donating" for a license yet. I'm not sure I plan on overclocking much so I haven't decided if I am going to purchase one yet.

 

Have u updated your Catalyst drivers? ie. 10.7a beta?

 

I hope you took lots of pictures and intend writing up the I7 conversion. What thermal paste did you use?

You should be able to OC with the freeware version. I would be interested to see what levels you can reach and remain stable.

Your base 3Dmark score is decent. Your OC'd score is uninpressive. I've hit 9500 with a 450M that can't OC. I think you can tweak your GPU settings to get some more power out of it.

Your temps look good so far. It would be nice to see burn test results to compare your installation to the factory I7. I suspect that the better thermal connection really benefits the I7.

Nice job.

Bronsky

 

Gah ... 10 min to transfer 1.6 GB from the SD card to the external HD through the USB. The machine needs at least one ESata/USB port.

Bronsky

 

Aside from going to 10.7a, possibly and using MSI Afterburner for OC, have you capped the fps in the variables.txt?

 

I won't have time to write something more formal with pictures until the weekend, but the basic process is this:

• Remove all screws visible from the bottom. No stickers need to be removed for the Taiwan 3820TG.
• Remove the keyboard using a plastic tool to prevent damaging the keyboard or tabs holding it down.
• Remove the screws from beneath the keyboard.
• Begin gently prying apart the casing with a plastic tool. I used a prepaid debit card that was out of money. Do not force the tabs apart! If they don't easily pop apart something is wrong and you will break them. They are small and easy to break.
• Disconnect any cables holding the top plate of the casing to the rest of the chassis. All of the cables should pop out or have a visible locking mechanism to allow the ribbon to come out.
• Acer routes the wireless antennas through plastic folded over that is sticky on one side and attached to the headsinks. Feed the black wireless antenna through the loop or you won't be able to flip the mainboard over.
• Flip the mainboard over and you'll see the two clamps holding down the separate heatsinks. Remove the three screws slowly on the right heatsink by turning each one a little bit until the heatsink can be removed. The left heatsink is for the 5650.
• Use a flat object to turn the dial on the socket until the "nub" touches the other side. The processor will simply come out at this point. Acer conveniently places a large sticker over it which made it easier to pull out.
• Place the new processor in the socket. Turn the dial back the other way until it locks in. Apply thermal compound to the cpu cores and the heatsink back over the processor after it has been cleaned. Turn the three screws one by one a little bit until you can't tighten them anymore. You don't need to turn very hard here.
• Start doing the steps in reverse starting with flipping the mainboard back over to

I was looking around and saw someone mention the ICS9LPRS365BGLF PLL with the free version. That PLL doesn't correctly detect the clock speed and if I change it will cause it to freeze. I didn't dig too far into the other PLLs in the free version. Is there another PLL you recommend?

The thermal paste I used for the i7 is Shin-Etsu MicroSI X23-7783D. Anyone else considering using this should note that it is very sticky and likes to stick to whatever you're using to apply it rather than spreading smoothly over the processor cores. The rice method of applying the compound was easier in the end than the spread method.

I'm pretty sure I could get more power out of the GPU I just haven't fiddled with it too much while I allow the thermal compound to set. Also, at the 700/1000 clocks the 3820TG actually becomes noticeably warm and I want to make sure the fans are behaving properly after reassembly before I push it too much farther.

Are there factory i7 results somewhere that I missed? I would be interested in comparing mine to them.

 

The factory 3DMark scores of different owners are spread throughout the thread. My best 3DMark06 score was 7,560 native settings and just under 9,600 OC'd.

The only other PLL I know of is the Asus G73.

Congratulations on your 3820TG. Numbers are growing again in North America.

Bronsky

 

Hi,

My 3820tg will arrive later today and I'm planning on changing the hdd into an momentus xt. I have no problem doing so. However, after the "transplant", can I just connect the stock hdd and format it to be used as an external drive?

Kudos to Hendry for the review on the matte screen protector, thanks!

 

Yep.

Bronsky

 

Mine has finally arrived today, just finished swapping my SSD and installed Windows. Going to do the drivers right now. Looks like I wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

Anyway, here's some pics

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b19/SeiroKun/IMG_3247.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b19/SeiroKun/IMG_3252.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b19/SeiroKun/IMG_3253.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b19/SeiroKun/IMG_3259.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b19/SeiroKun/IMG_3260.jpg

More to come if you guys don't mind

 

Thanks Bronsky!

Also where can I find the ISO file for windows 7 in swedish??

 

How'd you get it from Germany? You in the US? If so, I thought they stopped shipping to the US/Canada borders.

 

I've ordered mine way before they put a stop on it. It's just that my laptop took a bit longer than the rest to get here for some odd reason.

 

Here are links to legal Win7 ISOs and the language add-on, as well as a link to a MS tool to make a bootable USB:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html

Maybe Hendrickson can add it to the first page?

 

guys your 3dmark scores.. what resos you running?

 

Thanks, you made my day!

 

Just finished installing all the drivers.

Here's a quick run through of what I thought of the laptop.

The flex on the original German Keyboard isn't as bad as most people say. You won't even notice it if you're typing fast, unless you literally look at the keyboard while typing, which is something I don't do. I do notice that the area on top of both heatsink is a bit warm, even though I'm in front of the air conditioner. Also, with my Vertex II 120GB installed, booting into windows takes no more than 10 seconds, if you count starting from power on, no more than 12 seconds. As for the display, so far from what I can tell, the color representation seems fine and it doesn't seem to have most problems people say it has. But of course, all of this is only a quick observation while I was installing Windows and the drivers.

I guess it's time for me to hit the sack.

 

Now let's get those 3820TG units in some stores and online retailers!

 

gratz bro

 

Those versions of W7 are retail versions. If you plan on using the CDkey from the laptop it will not work because the provided key is a OEM cdkey

 

Ok.. So then what do I do?

 

you'll have to find an OEM version of W7 home premium to be able to use the laptop cdkey

or if you have a commercial W7 w/ cdkey use it

 

You can use the retail versions and use the ABR method in the same link (may not work), phone activation, or try this link that Bronsky used:
How to Backup and Restore Windows 7 OEM Activation License(Activate Offline On Reinstall) | Most i Want-News of useful computer tips and tricks

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...rks-tweaks-mods-upgrades-162.html#post6465732

 

Would love to see you overclock that I7 and what the max speed and temps you get are. I know my i5 can overclock very nicely.

Where did you get your i7? Is it an ES or QS one from Ebay?

 

Ok guys help I'm in mcdonald's 3820tg 2g 5650 500 g hdd 7050 hong kong dollars 7350 with 2 more gig ram, he chalenges me to find a better deal in hong kong , only place that has them in stock, others can order for 6995 but I haven't bartered yet

 

Simple wrong !!

 

Congratulations. It seems like you waited forever. Your box still looked better than mine when it arraved, except for that mold looking stuff. I guess it's safe to say that this is the last of the German units.

You are going to love your computer.

Bronsky

 

More proof that the real problem was an overzealous canadian customs. There seems to be no problem getting Taiwaneese units on a plane and into the US.

Bronsky

 

Hey guys ,Im now proud owner of a 3820tg.I went back upstairs with my gameface on ready to barter him down some more and walked over to the display model,picked it up again and said screw it Ill take it.

In total came to $946 USD or 1034 AUD(With case, vibrator(massager?) ,fan,2gig of ram extra and mouse). Very happy with it I must admit, the screen is..well.....Great,I'm quite suprised really .Im now jsut deciding whether to reinstall windows7 or not.

So yeah Im happy, I can now finally say that Im a proud owner of a Acer TimelineX.....vibrator.O yeah and laptop

 

I think i got some problems with the battery (but i don't know).
I get around 4,5h battery time if i'm like watching youtube videos, just browsing the internet with the intel card, Wifi and almost highest brightness.
Is that normal?

I got the 6-cell battery and i've had the laptop for 3 days now, and when i got it i charged it 100% then left it running until it died, charged again and so on like 3 times.

Thanks

 

Hey guys have you try the TouchPad setting yet? I found it very useful to change the setting that suitable for you.

 

congrats, i did mine e day i bought it as well

 

I'm pretty sure this is not a restriction in 7 (or Vista)...it was only a problem for XP, where some discs would only take OEM, or retail, or VLK, or what-have-you. OEM keys and retail keys should both be accepted by those ISOs (I've done a fair number of reinstalls for other people using a generic W7 disc and the key on the bottom of the laptop).

On the other hand, using the key from the bottom of the laptop nowadays usually means you'll have to call Microsoft to activate; it typically won't activate automatically over the internet.

 

Congrats on joining the club! Just like most of use we are more than happy with our screens. I was (Falsely) lead to believe the screen was an absolute disaster, by the reviews that claimed the screen was as colorless as a colorblind bat and as dull as a winters day.

I'm enjoying my screen even more now with its anti-glare cover Infact I;m typing this outside and there are lots of reflections from the black outer gloss trim but my screen is awesome now. Hardly a reflection on it

Yep, but as I did with both of my 3820TG's phone activation was the only way but its a toll free number and relatively painless.

 

Thanks Hendrickson
Ok so I decided im going to make a small checklist of things I need(want) to do for my laptop.
1. Order Antiglare matte protector
2. Order zeroshock case sleeve
3. Consider buying a 7200rpm hdd?(not sure about this one)
4.Clean Install windows
5.Benchmark and check temps
6.Try O/c the 5650 and benchmark
7. Attempt the I5 o/c and ofcourse benchmark
8.?
9. Profit

Anyone have any good ideas to add?(that arent expensive ).
Anyone use Mcafee that comes with the acer?

 

Get a SSD instead

 

I would definitely stop running your battery until it dies. That's not good at all for a lithium ion battery, and is going to reduce your battery's lifespan. You want to be careful to try to keep your battery meter above 20% or so when you can.

And as for your battery life, though I don't own a 3820tg and don't know what others are experiencing, your post makes me say "WOW!" I wish my Z could get 4.5 hours of battery on maximum brightness watching videos. Just for comparison, if I had my settings at yours on my Vaio, I'd get about 2 hours at the absolute max.

 

You're better off with a SSD. I can personally vouch for the experience, since I just finish installing all my stuff on my new 3820TG with a Vertex II 120GB. Also, I think you can get the Zeroshock III case in HK too. As for antivirus, I highly suggest AVG.

 

Hi Guys!

I just made a clean install and I can't get my WLAN to work, when I try to install the different drivers the Atheros ones says that I need to connect the component and the Broadcom doesn't even react when I try to install it. What should I do???

 

I just did that the first times, because on a forum people said that it was good to do that the first times you was using the battery to get the maximum battery time out of it.

Try the other two, might work. The Broadcom one worked for me.