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

yes always. to reduce wear

 

thanks no prob btw im looking to upgrade the wifi card on this machine to real N instead of draft N. any recommendations?

 

I'd recommend provantage.com. Card wise, since the 3820tg only has two antennas installed (at least in the pchome models) you should probably go with the Intel 6200 or -if you want WiMAX- the Intel 6250.

I'm not sure what the difference between draft-n and 'real'-n is. I'm pretty there is none. I bought a 6200 because I wanted to get better range and needed an extra wifi card anyways. The Atheros bgn card I pulled from my 3820tg will be going in my atom server.

Oh, WiMAX is a technology along the lines of 3g -mobile internet- except using a different band (assumption here). There are services you can get that would work with the wimax enabled 6250. In South Korea they call it WiBro, but it runs on a slightly different band than WiMax even (as usual here in SK).

 

Yes. It's what I'm doing now while I'm benchmarking my laptop.

 

Intel 6300 (has 3 antenna connectors for futureproofing). Otherwise, get the Intel 6200 (which has 2 antennas). The price difference is relatively small.

The 3820TG has 2 antennas, but you can still use the Intel 6300 with it (like I currently am). If you buy another laptop in the future with 3 antennas, you can install it in that one.

 

Can you link me to the exact page where you bought yours? Thanks

 

I bought my Intel 6300 from Provantage.com earlier in the year when it was on sale. Used it first in my MSI GX640, which had 3 antennas. Now I'm using it in my 3820TG.

Intel 6300 from Provantage.com


And in case you decide to get the Intel 6200

 

How do they exactly check if the card is overclocked? I haven't heard of any people who has reset their cards to default clock rates and hasn't gotten a replacement unit because they detected it. I hope it's not only me, and that it's usual procedure to just send a replacement straight away after checking it a bit. Do resellers really go through the hassle of checking if the card has been oc'ed on a 3820TG; I mean, it's a fairly cheap laptop imo.

 

is the performance gain significant from these cards compared to the stock ones on the 3820tg? speed/range?

 

If your wifi card stops working and you send the laptop in for warranty work, no tech will go out of his or her way to check your CPU or GPU for signs of OC'ed operation. If you send the unit in with a damaged CPU and the GPU shows signs wear from high temp operation, a tech could very easily claim that the warranty won't cover the repair because it is due to OC'ing. It does happen.

Bronsky

 

But I still can't seem to figure out how a reseller can check if the GPU has been oc'ed, unless acer provides them with some kind of software; which I somewhat doubt. But I don't know for sure of course, maybe they do. I'm just a little paranoid I guess : p

 

I don't have the exact db levels difference, as I just uninstalled inSSIDer.

From a qualitative perspective, the Intel 6300 and 6200 are so much better than my stock Atheros WiFi card. I get 5 bars now, whereas I used to get 3 bars (not a precise measurement, I know). Before, I only saw 3 other WiFi networks in the area; now, I see 8.

Big improvement for me.

Keep in mind though, that the Atheros WiFi card is combined with the Bluetooth module to get a synthetic Bluetooth 3.0. Without the Atheros, the bluetooth is 2.1.

I also understand (but don't have firsthand experience) that the Atheros WiFi card is supposed to be better in Linux.

 

Aren't there internal "failsafe" systems that are supposed to shut down or reboot your laptop before the CPU or GPU can be damaged due to overclocking?

As I've been inching along carefully and tentatively with my overclocking activities, my laptop has rebooted itself a couple of times.

 

Part 12: Final Overclocking Results

Ever the perfectionist, I inched my way with my overclocks on the CPU and GPU front until I finally hit the proverbial wall.

I finally reached the limits of stable performance as follows:

CPU - 164 MHz BLCK; 3286 MHz speed; x20 multiplier
wPrime 32M = 18.6 secs; wPrime 1024M = 582.5 secs
Prime95 ran stable for 3 hours, at which point I stopped it.

GPU - 714/1111 clocks

Combining the CPU and GPU overclocks, I got a 3DMark06 score of 9812.

Max temps for the CPU and GPU were 80*C and 76*C respectively. Ambient temps were 28*C.

 

Actually, there is at least one multicore mod that I know of and there is a multicore version of the program. I think it's called multipi.

The original still has its place as a tool for OC'ing. 32,000,000 calculations w/o error is a quick indication of a moderately stable setting for the Ram and CPU.

Bronsky

 

I wonder why your CPU temp is so low? The GPU looks right. The CPU is the lowest I've seen under stress.

Bronsky

 

Part 13: Zeroshock III for the 3820TG

Thanks to the posters in the 3820TG Owners forum, I was introduced to the Zeroshock III laptop sleeve. It's lightweight, stylish, and most important of all, offers great protection for your expensive investment. It was originally designed for the Acer Timeline 3810T laptop, but fits the 3820TG perfectly (they have nearly identical dimensions).





After removing the protective plastic covering and packaging, I let my eyes feast on this stylish laptop sleeve. A light gray trim outlines the sleeve on both the front and back and contrasts quite nicely with the black of the sleve. The logo itself is a slightly darker gray and its graphics are both classy and subtle. Its positioned unobtrusively in the bottom left corner of the front of the sleeve.





The high quality of workmanship is clearly evident. The stitching looked sturdy enough to handle practically anything. The sleeve's material appears to be the same ballistic nylon that you would find on suit garment bags and suitcases. It's smooth to the touch, with a slight hint of tackiness to it. It is a pleasure to hold and carry.

There are 2 zippers that traverse the left, top, and right edges of the sleeve. The zippers move fluidly and glide quite nicely when traveling across the corners. They appear quite rugged and large enough to grasp easily, but not so large as to remain conspicuous.

There is also a pocket strategically positioned on the front of the sleeve. This pocket spans the entire length of the front of the sleeve. A zipper secures the contents of the pocket, and like its brethren, glides quite smoothly. When not in use, the zipper is cleverly concealed and held quite securely in a hidden placket. There isn't much depth to the pocket since a laptop prevents anything substantial from being put in there. Putting a power adapter in the pocket would be an extremely tight fit, assuming that it would fit at all. A slim travel power adapter might be an easier fit. A better fit would be an external DVD drive and its USB cable.

The Zeroshock measures approximately 13.2"x10.2"x1.1". It is a little bit larger than my 3820TG laptop, yet fits easily with room to spare inside my soft leather flap-style briefcase.





A memory foam, black in color and quite soft to the touch, lines the insides of the sleeve. The foam conforms to the shape of whatever is inside the sleeve, and provides a tight, secure fit. I am confident that this material will protect my laptop from scratches and abrasive marks.





In closing, I am extremely pleased with the style, substance, and cost-effectiveness of the Zeroshock III. Seeing how this sleeve provides cost-effective protection for my expensive laptop, it offers a great value proposition. I highy recommend it.


Zeroshock III Sleeve

 

Maybe I have a weak processor (I can't OC as high as others) or the Acer team actually applied the thermal paste correctly.

As with most things in life, it's probably some combination of both.

 

My 450m isn't stable past 164MHz BCLK either. But my GPU can go up to 740MHz core stable.

 

Wow. Smoking!!!!

 

If I had tried to break down those proverbial walls with my overclocks, it eventually would literally have been smoking!

 

I'm jealous. Let's switch 3820TGs!

 

But based on what you wrote earlier, this "matched" RAM would enable me to OC at a higher bclk than my current 164 MHz, right? I would need to adjust the RAM timings in BIOS / Windows 7.

Currently, I have 2 "mismatched" sticks of RAM (2 GB each). One is Samsung and the other is PQ1.

 

Don't worry about a few MHz higher BCLK.

Just save the money and use it for a new SSD or an faster CPU or something else.

 

My best wprime 32mb time 18.377 View Score Hendrickson's Acer TimelineX 3820TG, i5 450m, 4GB, ATI 5650 | wPrime Multithreaded Benchmark
According to the chart, My processor beats all mobile chips apart from the

Intel Intel i7 Mobile Q 800 series (1st Mobile, 2010)
434

Your Performance Index
413

Intel Core i7 Mobile 800 series (2nd Mobile, 2010)
408

Intel Intel i7 Mobile Q 700 series (3rd Mobile, 2010)
400

Intel Core i5 Mobile 400 series (Mobile, 2010)
348

Intel Core i7 Mobile 700 series (Mobile, 2010)
336

Intel Core i7 Mobile 600 series (Mobile, 2010)
322

This is at BCLK 170.7 stable....

 

WOW, it's a little bit faster than my desktop Q6600 at stock clocks @ 2.4 Ghz (OK, I usually use it at 3.6 Ghz). So this little beauty when overclocked has the same performance as one of the quad core monsters from a few years ago (just my Thermalright cooler weights almost a kg...)

 

When I saw your result I also ran a 3DMark06 test with the the following settings:

CPU - 164 MHz BLCK; 3286 MHz speed; x20 multiplier

GPU - 700/1100 clocks

Combining the CPU and GPU overclocks, I got a 3DMark06 score of 9614.

Max temps for the CPU and GPU were 78*C and 69*C respectively during the test.

I don't know how to get the results to become pictures that I can post, if I knew I would have attached the results as pictures.

 

How can I check the max OC I can do to the GPU? Is there any programs to check if it's stable. For the CPU I used Prime95, IntelBurn test etc.

 

Hey.
I have a question about battery discharging. i have 9-cell battery, and it's wear is 3.2%. But problem isn't in that, my battery discharge rate is 15.000~22.000 mW with: intel HD graphics, bluetooth&wi-fi off, minimum display brightness. Do you have any suggestions how can i low my discharge rate ?

 

Hi!

I've a couple of questions:

1: Are all 3810T keyboards backlit? I'm from Sweden and I haven't been able to find a swedish keyboard for sale at all. So I'm considering buying a keyboard from Germany. It's the same number of keys but I will have a key saying Ü (German letter) instead of Ä (Swedish letter), but I think I can live with that. But none of the german keyboard I have found mentions anything about backlit. It might be my german that's lacking a little... Some of the reviews I've read of the 3810T mentions backlit keyboard, but not all. Is the backlit keyboard a standard Acer keyboard for the 3810T?

2: Hendrickson mentions a an anti glare matte screen protector. Is that the same as an anti-reflex film? And does these have any affect on the colors?

3: Adding an extra SSD by adding a pci-express port looks very intresting, have any one tried that?

 

1. There are no german backlit keyboard at the moment.

2. "an anti glare matte screen protechtor" and "anti-reflex film" are the same things.

3. Anybody has try to add the pci-e port on a non UMTS modell and ist doesn't work. The reason is not known.

 

Is the ATI card off?
Which driver do you use?
Have you removed the ACER ATI driver?

 

1)Yes
2)Downloaded 2 drivers from Acer site (ATI-VGA Driver,Intel-VGA Driver) and Catalyst 10.7
3)Where can i uninstall it?

 

@Violent - Turn off, bluetooth and wifi if not in use. Use a lower brightness setting. YOu should then get around 10watts.

Using batterycare, I've noticed that the backlit keyboard consumes around .4-6 watts. Not much at all

@Bankergolfer, We might be albe to overlock out i5 450's a bit higher we better ram. Using core mark 2010 I noticed it reported my ram at about 1200Mhz. Thats way over its spec'ed 1066Mhz. Could be the ram failing on us before we reach the CPU's max OC.

I'll have some 4GB OCZ ram next week to test so I will see if it does indeed make a difference. If not it gets returned to the shop.

Anyone want a cheap i5 540m QS ?? Will be back on ebay shortly...

 

Done... 15-17 watts

 

The ram data is interesting. With you getting the 4GB OCZ (did you get 1 DIMM?) and Banker getting an 8GB kit, it will be interesting to see what results you get. Would be nice is the OC issue was that simple. Imagine how happy you would make the I7-620M owners if all they needed was some more powerful ram to utilize the full power of their CPUs.

My speaker should be in the mail from Germany soon. If Shark ever gets back to me with a proforma invoice, I'll get the motherboard ordered. If I don't hear from them soon, I may just buy a new one from MK. I have a lot of work coming up in September through the end of the year and I need my notebook up-and-running.

That means, I will probably be taking my unit apart again in a week or so. As much as I would like to put the I5-450M back in to see if the board OC's, I am loathe to take this thing apart again. The OEM I5-540M is really tempting me.

It also looks like my Acer is going to get its first use at trial later this fall or early this winter. I have a case that is perfect for the kind of graphic presentation that the 3820TG is capable of. Now, I just need to find a place that will rent me a smartboard for a week or so. I intend to document that Acer's use at trial and write it up when the case is over.

Can't wait to see what you and Banker find out about the ram. As always ... I'll await your results.

Bronsky

 

1. Is it the same number of keys on a american keyboard? Can you use one but with the wrong "letters" on the keys? I know you can manipulate which key represents which letter in windows. I really would like to have a backlit keyboard :-( Is the american keyboard an acer original product or made by someone else?

2. Thanks!

3. There can't be something that must be modified in the Bios to get this to work?

 

Hi, I have this laptop for about a week now. Yesterday it started freezing on me. It froze several times already, and I am kind of worried since it is brand new. Sometimes when I put it to sleep, it doesn't wake up as well. Any ideas why?

 

Hi all sorry if im double posting but i was looking for a laptop that incorporates good speed and a decent gpu and found this Acer 13.3" Laptop, 2.26GHz Intel Core i5-430M, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD witha 5470 ati radeon HD 512mb dedicated. i just wanted to know if i will be able to overclock this as you guys (hendrickson) specifically have. if u could tell me/ point me to the right page of this thread where you can tell me which program and a little how to guide to overclocking the cpu and gpu. i tried the search bar but all im getting is ur results and not the method if u get what i mean. thanks again for your time i cant wait to pick up this laptop in 2 days!!

 

Hey,

can you please play the video with the Intel graphic card and with activated hardware acceleration in the flash player option?

Please report if the video has artifacts/blocks and your flash player version.
Do you use the intel graphic card driver from the Acer page?

Thanks.


Because I get artfacts in the linkked video and on lots more videos with my Intel graphic card if the hardware support enabled in the flash player.
My flashplayer version is "WIN 10,1,82,76" and the intel graphic card driver has the version 8.15.10.2104.

 

Based on the advice of people in this thread, I'm going to return the 8 GB RAM. I didn't realize that the i5-450m could only handle RAM with speeds up to 1066 MHz (the RAM I bought is 1333 Mhz). According to Nick, the RAM will only increase my BCLK by 5 -7 MHz anyway. Not enough performance improvement for the $200, not to mention I might have to increase the voltage to support the change in memory timings.

You should test out the i5-540m OEM chip, overclocks and all. If it looks nice, then the $200 I save from not purchasing the RAM would probably be better spent getting a SSD (more likely) or the i5-540m (less likely, as I don't need AES).

Thanks again to everyone in this thread for sharing their advice and opinions on this matter.

 

I'm currently running some Prime95 benchmarks. Once I'm finished I'll do this and report back, Nick.

 

That's because the actual method has not been written up in this thread (everyone pretty much knows how to OC the CPU and GPU). Your best bet is to google that info on the internet.

As for your variant of the 3820TG, its CPU and GPU are not as powerful as mine or Hendrickson's. Yes, you can OC your CPU and GPU, but you won't get the same results.

 

All Acer keyboards are made by someone else.

Bronsky

 

New 3820tg tunnin in, yoyo!

Seems like a really cool laptop so far, and the whole flex on keyboard is just one big lie.

Anyway, i was hoping u could answer two questions:

1. The screen seems pretty glossy... though envy etc. also have those glossy screens, would do u think of it, worth getting the matte layer thingy for it? (Not a question how to do it, i know there's a guide, just askin for opinions here)

2. Right, so there's so much crapware on it, only way to solve that would be clean install i believe. Though i'd also like to backup the factory settings / programs etc. is it worth doing it? - like do u even need it for waranty issues or anything. In case you recommend me to do it, is it possiple to copy them over to an exteral hdd, dont wanna spend 50euros on external dvd drive / 3 dvds just to backup some crapware.


Thanks!

 

@louissasha - The ability to OC the CPU depends on wheter or not you have the right clockgen on your motherboard. If you have one which has Trusted Mode Enabled, it will not overclock. The I5-430Ms have the highest percentage of TME enabled motherboards, so are the least likely to OC. Where are you buying this unit (what country?). You can't tell about the CPU until you buy the unit.

The GPU will likely OC with no problem.

Bronsky

 

Nice catch. Totally forgot that not all mobos can OC the CPU. I'm getting old and senile (at the age of 38)!

 

It happens.

 

I've got the same issue, but just with Firefox:
* Flash: WIN 10,1,82,76
* Latest Acer supplied Intel Gfx Driver: 8.713.3.3000

Disabling hardware acceleration reduces my cpu load

No issues with Internet Explorer
* Flash: WIN 10,0,45,2

 

Banker, the stock 450M is using the ram for only 1066 Mhz. When you overclock the BCLK (or FSB on other systems) it overclocks both RAM and processor simultaneously. So at a 18% overclock you will use your ram at 1258 Mhz.

BUT, what is CPU-Z saying, under load?