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

Ponjornoh²³, I set up VLC preferences as you instructed, but the graphics still switches when power switches from mains to battery. As a result the video stops and I can only hear the order. Is there anything else I need to do to avoid this?

 

Try OpenGL instead. Today DirectDraw doesn't for me either... perhaps another application blocked it yesterday.

 

would you happen to know how to stop youtube videos going green during graphics switching?

I have downloaded and installed the latest Reaktek High Definition Audio Codec to try and improve the sound of youtube videos for example. Is there anything else I can do to improve the sound?

Thanks.

 

Dirty workaround : have a background app running that blocks the GPU. E.g. load a video in VLC and set it to pause.

 

My wife has decided that it was time to update her Lenovo S12 Atom/Ion 3G netbook. She asked me what I would get if I was looking for a 13" ultraportable. I smiled, thinking I was going to get the opportunity to Order a Taiwaneese 3820TG that might OC. Before I could even suggest the 3820TG, she said she really had her heart set on the 13" MBP. ...

Bronsky

 

Lol, aren't the 13" MBP's still running on Core 2 Duo?

You should get another 3820TG and slap a Mac sticker on top of the Acer logo...

 

Women.....

They love spending more for less. Case in point: hair salons, where they spend $60+ for a "trim".

 

Be happy, she is a completly feminine.

 

I dunno why but i dont think i could ever go for a mac, i love new win7, specs and price of lets say 3820tg. Whenever i see ppl using them (not for serious stuff like video editing) just FB or Word u know its a showoff product. Besides i find some gayness in apple products, altough i like the iphone or perhaps the ammount of apps, yes i like the apps. xD

 

May I ask what temps you are getting while idle? Specifically on CPU please . Thanks. Btw, when running on Intel GPU would that increase CPU temps since they "are close" so to speak. If so, would this also mean that if idle on ATI card you might get lower temps on CPU compared to running on Intel GPU?

 

Both configuration are around CPU1/CPU2 40°C/43°C.

 

Thanks, Ponjornoh & Just a Nick! At that discharge rate, I'm assuming it shows u have more than 6 hrs battery life?

And did y'all do a clean install to get that discharge rate? I dun get a single digit discharge rate , when even at lowest brightness, BT off and just a corded mouse..

 

Yes, I do a fresh install.

But have first a look at your CPU Load, these is the unit, which consums the most energy.

A runnining virenscanner or a crypt tool .... will destroy the low discharge rates very quickly.

 

Thanks. I use Webroot Spysweeper, could this be the culprit? Other than that, it's rainmeter.. But I read that Rainmeter is light-weight.

 

I have never used one of this tools.

 

Which anti-virus are u using? Thx.

 

I'm using Microsoft Security Essentials. It's okay.

 

k k thx. With MSE, I don't need other anti-spyware programs ya?

 

MSE doesn't get 100% but it is in the same range as all the other commercial versions and this means for me, it is okay and good enough for me.

 

Okie dokie, thx again

 

Hi is there a chance to get a keyboard with QWERTZ (de) layout AND backlit? I hope here some german guys...

 

Check on ebay I think they had 3210T Backlit German keyboards, 3210 keyboards are the same size.

 

Got almost the same power consumption values as Just_a_Nick. Perhaps 0.1-0.2W more, but that's the Momentus XT I guess. My USB mouse consumes 0.3W.

When it comes to wifi, it's important that your access point supports power saving mode... and it's well implemented E.g.: I don't see a difference in idle with wifi and in idle without wifi.

To save power while surfing, it's important to block at least ads... but blocking flash & scripts will increase battery life as well. Browser Face-Off: Battery Life Explored - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

If I do power surfing... opening multiple tabs simultaneously and jumping through pages with rich content, I break the 10W mark as well. <9W is chatting, writing emails and limited browsing... at least for me.

I use Kaspersky Internet Security... in bundles of 5 licenses it's less than 5 euros per pc and year.

 

Thanks for the info! Din know using diff browsers affect battery life, man!

 

I got the Realtek High Definition Audio Codecs from the Realtek site. However, i could not find the Windows sound driver anywhere. Can you please help?


Thanks.

 

Windows sound driver is via the windows update. It does have the stutter which the realtech one can have.

Using 3G / UTMS seems to use about 2-3 watts more. So using that I get about 5 hours max. It may also be because where i use UTMS I have only 2-3 bars of signal so it has to consume more.

This is also why Acer don't put the 8hours battery on sticker of my version. But they did on my non UTMS version.

Also on the subject of overclocking, I see that M17 users running the i5 540m get 40mhz off 4Ghz overclock! Some users just over 4Ghz. Thats pretty impressive. But these users tend to be using the 1333Mhz OCZ 9,9,9,24 ram timing RAM.

Since I will be overlocking, I guess the stock (Cheap) Ram wouldn't be as good for overlocking? Although I'm able to get 169 FSB just fine on my stock RAM. Would I be wise to get OCZ Ram? Or would it be pointless. The M17 users seem to swear by it for overclocking their CPU's.

I can get two 2GB 9 9 9 9 24 OCZ high proformance RAM for under 100 bucks. I'm not sure if it would make a big difference?

I also just picked up some IC Diamond 7 for the thermal paste. Seeing it was recommended in so many reviews. I have a little AS5 left, but its almost out and its conductive whereas the IC D 7 isn't so its safer....

 

Just be careful with the Diamond paste. It tends to scuff markings off of CPUs (comsmetic damage only).

 

I'm still using MX-2 . I like ceramic, non-conductive paste, for obvious reasons.

Bronsky

 

Just wondering, does anyone else have the problem where if you're, say, installing a program then click the next button with a mouse, does your first click not register, but your second or third registers?

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

@Hendrickson ... Found a remanufactured motherboard for $130 (n/incl. shipping) from China. I think I'm going to order it and an I5-540M. Did you order an OEM? Link? I have to remove the Mobo to change the CPU anyway, so, for $130 I have a shot at having an OC'able unit. That is worth the gamble. If not, I have an I5-540M. I'm ahead either way and I haven't had to spend a lot of money on swapping my unit out for another and I don't have to risk getting a display that I am less happy with.

One other advantage to the Mobo swap is that I won't have to redo the backlit KB mod. The USB that I drew power from is on a separate board and won't have to be replaced. Looks like a no brainer from where i am standing. I will have to order the speaker though and might need someone's help getting it to the US from Germany without spending $100 for shipping (thanks for the PM Nick). I'm going to see if the company that has the moboard can get me the speaker as well.

Good news all around. BTW, I'm going to hold-off on the switch for now, so I can do the whole project at once. Intel 6200 at the same time. It's like jacking up your car and putting a whole new one back on the same tires . Let me know where you ordered your I5 from if you will.

Bronsky

 

Awesome!

Aren't these wifi cards already Intels? If not, what are they? Are they any good or should I already plan on upgrading the wifi? Also, will doing so impact the Bluetooth v3.0 in our laptops?

 

At least the German units have broadcomm wireless. I would suspect that the taiwaneese do as well. Check Device Manager > network adapters (your adapter should be ID'd there).

The range of the broadcomm wifi is not that good. I can't get a decent signal from my wifi router if I sit by the pool at my house. You have to remove a warranty sticker to update the wifi so if your warranty is still intact, you might want to think twice about it. For me, it doesn't matter, so I am changing anything that will improve the performance of my computer that I can change without too much trouble. The Wifi card is in the back compartment with the HD and Ram, so it is easy to get to. Only the antenna leads are tricky to change (delicate).

Bronsky

 

You should look at their newest, MX-3 it was slighty better than MX-2 I saw in tests and reviews. I spend a few hours reading and taking notes. To see that the non-conductive IC diamond 7 was the best at keeping load temps down. Maybe not the best at idle temps. Its amazing what a thermal paste can do, from one review that reviewed about 12 thermal pastes the difference from the best to worse was 13 degrees!

Since I will use the line in the method on each core I don't want to risk a conductive paste like AS5 anymore. I'm sure some will push out over the die.

Good stuff I wish you the best of luck, I hope the karma I had to get an overclockable one pays of for you too. I got a i5 540m QS from ebay. At $170 Vs near $300 for OEM's I think its worth the savings. I had a X9000 ES in my old gateway at it was brilliant. Unvolted more stable than some OEM ones and I had no issues with it. I know some here would not go near ES or QS CPU's. But I have never had an issue with them. The ones that are sold are fine, since they are all tested before hand you know they work.

Whats your Idea on the RAM? Do you think we need the higher spec and better timing to have better results when overclocking. I'm still unsure if I need the OCZ ram or not...I'm not really an overclocker, but people always talk about it coming down to the ram..

Seeing as these i5 540m's seem to clock a crazy high 3.9+ Ghz and even over 4Ghz for some. I defiantly notice the extra Mhz when encoding videos. Its much, much quicker than the stock clocks. Since I plan to hang onto this notebook for a while, I think it will be a few years before any 13.3" notebooks could have a CPU faster than a highly overclocked i5 540m..

 

Since the RAM can be swapped out in 5 minutes, I would wait to see the results of the CPU swap first. I'm probably ordering everything very soon. At that price difference, I'll get a QS as well. I'm sure it will be fine. And to think, I thought I was done working on my computer for awhile . The bich if it is that I am really busy ATM. Hopefully, things will calm down in a couple of weeks when everything gets here.

Yea ... I'm planning to hold onto this notebook for a long while as well. I could not be happer with it (even though I seem to be taking it apart every couple of weeks ). I don't see anything on the horizon rendering it obsolete for quite some time. It does everything I have asked of it so far and done it well.

Now I have to decide on a few switches to order. You settle on one yet? The MP3 player switch sounded interesting. I've been looking at local thrift shops for old electronics equipment that I can canabalize. No luck yet.

Bronsky

 

I think I have a switch, just need to solder it out of a ringer. I found it at electronics shop. Its a phone ringer than adds a light or buzzer to any phone line. I will try and do everything at once when the CPU/thermal paste arrive.

I think I'll wait on the ram for now then. And see how the stock ram takes the overclock. I hope to be able to do 169 Mhz FSB with the i5 540m like my i5 430m can. I could be dreaming

P.S I'm not looking forward to having to mess with the Wifi and UTMS antennas around the main board

 

Does anyone knows another shop, that sells DE QUERTZ keyboards with backlit? Ebay just offers US and Arabic backlit keyboards.

3810t tastatur Angebote - attraktive Preise für Computer Artikel bei eBay.de

3810t backlit Angebote - attraktive Preise für Artikel bei eBay.de

 

Why was I not aware of this before So the warranty disappears when removing the Wifi-card?


For you guys who use an external screen. Isn't the laptop in the way if it's located in front of the screen?

 

If you are talking about waranty, you should at your country. Every country has other laws to deal with the warranty and you have to look at your country for the warranty terms.

In the germany you just lost the warranty for the wlan card but not for all the other things, if you had not damage them by changing the wlan card.

 

Nah, its placed to the right of my monitor so its not an issue (I have a large desk)

@Bronksy and others interested in the i5 540m's for overclocking.
This guy is selling the same QS i5 540m's that I got one of. My seller sold out and I was lucky to get mine on a best offer of 170.

Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-Core-i5-540M-mobile-cpu-3M-2-53GHz-1066MHz-Q3G9-/320570486373?pt=CPUs

 

Yes, it would be in the way

 

are you actually going to re solder the cpu and change it into it 540M?

 

Where are you guys finding these to buy (with the i5 and ati 5650) I cannot find them anywhere online. I ask because I am about to return my Alienware M11x, the thing is built like garbage, it arrived falling apart at the seams but I would like a little gaming lappy and this seems to fit the bill (also, i am stuck with a $40 alienware portfolio case so I need something smallish that will fit, i figure this acer might)

 

I'm trying to figure out how I can determine if I have the PCI-E x1 issue or not. Can anyone please point me in the right direction?

 

The CPU is not soldered in. It is housed in a PGA988 socket. Once you get the motherboard out of the computer and turn it over, a few screws and you have the CPU out. Still, not a task for the inexperienced.

Bronsky

@Hendrickson ... thanks for the link. I'm going to put a list together tonight and probably order everything tomorrow.

 

hey every1. I went over to my mates and lunched bad company on his samsung r580 with i5-450m (same as my 3820tg) and found out that his turbo boosts to 2.93mhz while mine stays either at 2.4 or 2.6, ive got intel turbo installed but maybe smtng wrong here. Can you tell me this is the way it should be ? Im posting a print screen below if it helps. Cheers

 

But isn't it strange to type and look to the left all the time? Or do you use an external keyboard & mouse?

 

The cpu goes only to 2,66GHz. The faster clock at the samsung is wrong.

 

I use an external mice and keyboard on my external disp.

 

maybe its the i5-520m that hes got oh well. I just saw an i7-620m for 160pounds (same as i5-540m) im wondering whats the maximum OC that is possible with i7 i remember some1 saying that it doesnt O/C as good as 540m but just need a number with stock ram and lets say OCZ ram. not sure which one to buy, any suggestions ?

 

The limit is not the ram by the i7. It's the large L3 Cache on the i7.