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

The Samsung is running on lower frequencies because of the slower PQI RAM that I was given, right?

 

For those with the 9 cell battery, can you confirm the voltage and mah or mwh?

 

No, both of them are always running at a frequency what CPU-Z is saying in the Memory pane (not in the SPD). It's 600..something Mhz for you (x2). The PQI ram is possibly making memory errors at that frequency, but it has no other choice. Weird application problems, or freezing for example could be a memory problem (but can be anything else).

In CPU-Z: SPD pane is for the theoretical maximum, Memory pane is for the actual speed memory is running at.

 

thank you for the prompt reply guys i really appreciate it because im getting the unit friday, now this is a serious issue for me since i am looking to OC for better performance in gaming . As for the TME enabled motherboards, is it possible for me to find out this info on the box or maybe even through the bios screen, or control panel?? how do i find this out??

Also if the motherboard has the turboboost feature can i overclock it with setfsb or the mobo will only accept that method? ( meaning it has TME)

 

Thanks. Then the PQI must be doing ok, since I haven't had any problems.

I know - the only sure way to know is to run MemTest. Doing it tonight before I go to bed.

 

Thanks i missed it btw i was rereading your first post and you were saying that u had the i5 430m and later on in the post u meantion having the i5 450m and o/c it can i ask was the reason why you switch because you could not overclock the i5 430? or it was just your preference? also as Bronsky was telling me and as u mentionned as well if i do have a TME mobo, in order for me to OC will i have to switch the mobo or just the processor to a i5 450m?

 

Thanks

Thanks

Good work

 

When a memory is producing a few errors you cannot really see it. Some weird application errors could be a sign. On a desktop you can set it overclocked in BIOS and run Memtest86+ overnight, but on a laptop I think the FSB is reseted every time you reboot it. Maybe there are some windows based memory testing, but I have never used any.

 

Post the setfsb screen and read the 10 last postings from Bronsky and the first of this thread

 

My system has the Hynix 2 x 2GB sticks, they are only rated to 1066Mhz max. So I have high hopes for some OCZ ram on its way.

Very nice! Well done bronsky, you did it. But I have a feeling your chipset is different again that what my old i5 430m one was. It was a first model before the revised BT3 units with i5 450m's. I suggest you keep testing and run prime95 stress test for a few hours as it stress the CPU and RAM.

With prime95 I found my max as 169. Originally 172Mhz BCLK worked but failed prime95 after a while. The ram I think is what is the weakness. Because on wprime 32mb test its fine.

Still can't wait to see a retail OEM i5 540m overclocked too 4Ghz on these units Its possible i think if you get a nice stable 540m.

Anyone going to try a i5 540m OEM come on overclockers

 

The Samsung 2 GB RAM stick is rated at 10600, which means it's 1333 MHz I believe.

The free PQI 2 GB RAM stick is 1066 MHz.

I am disappointed that PCHome wouldn't at least try to get the speeds matched for the free RAM. I know that it was free, but as Zsero stated earlier, it's best to match the pieces.

 

Try overclocking with the just the Samsung 1333Mhz stick and see if you can push the Base clock higher?

I can't believe they mixed up ram like that. No good. My OCZ 2 x 2GB sticks are in a 4GB kit.

 

Confirmed.

My using 1333 MHz RAM does not benefit me from a overclocking perspective. It failed to allow the overclocking of my 3820TG's i5-450m CPU to a higher BCLK speed.

I pulled out the PQI 2 GB 1066 MHz RAM stick, thus leaving the Samsung 2 GB 1333 MHz 10666 stick as the only RAM in my laptop.

Previously when overclocked, the Samsung RAM had a DRAM frequency of 657.4 MHz while the CPU was stressed by Prime95.

Now, under the same conditions, the Samsung RAM has a DRAM frequency of 678.7.

However, this unfettered increase of speed failed to allow a higher, stable BCLK overclock of the CPU. Prime95 was used to test this.

More details to come in Part 15.

 

Hmm ok thats for that. Will see what happens with my OCZ, it should have different timing too i think. if it doesn't increase the OC it will be sent back.

The speed difference is interesting, as if the other non Samsung stick slowed it down.

 

All "free parts" are the cheapest on the market.

 

LOL! True!

I don't mind that the RAM was cheap. I do mind that PCHome didn't at least match the speeds.

That like giving someone a free spare tire to go with the new car that they bought, but it's a motorcycle tire.

 

No it isn't because OC is not a standard usage. You should only use a Bclk of 133MHz

But I understood you. Have fun and OC your unit.

 

Yes it is, because mismatched speeds of RAM could potentially cause problems.

 

No, it is wrong.

Both RAM modules are read out and slowest is used.

All the other things are foren myths.

 

Ahhh ok. Thanks!

 

I may have spoken too soon.

I am now running at BLCK 166.3 MHz and testing with Prime95. Previously, I couldn't go above 164 MHz.

It might be able to go even slightly higher.

So while it's not a substantial improvement, there is a positive impact to using RAM with higher speeds.

There may be more improvement to be had if I adjust the RAM timings, but I'm not an expert at that yet.

 

Previously, with 4 GB of RAM, the lowest, stable, and consistent battery discharge rate I was able to get was -5227 mW.

To achieve this, I had to:

integrated GPU only.
standard CPU volts (NO undervolting).
standard FSB (no underclocking).
turn off bluetooth.
turn off WiFi.
turn the display brightness all the way down to minimum.

Now, with only 2 GB of RAM, the discharge rate is now -5152 mW, under the same test conditions.

The Battery Life has gone up to 6 hrs, 6 min (previously, it was 6 hrs even).

So linear extrapolation would suggest that I would lose 12 minutes of battery life were I to upgrade to 8 GB of RAM (+4 GB of RAM added incrementally).

 

Update on OC'ing.

Ran a couple of tests last night and the SLG505YC264BT clockgen seems to be unstable in the 3820TG. Both Superpi and WPrime show checksum errors. Wprime shutdown. It might be that I don't have the settings right due to the double slide being activated. IMO, the real problem is that the clockgen is close but I don't think it's reliable. In the hope that the SetFSB creator will help out other Computeruniverse buyers, I'm packaging up this information and sending it off to him. Maybe he can come up with a new Clockgen ID for the German Units.

For me, I'm pressing to order my Motherboard. Shark Technologies LTD has not gotten back to me yet. They're driving me crazy. I sent a few other inquiries out today. Anybody have any suppliers to suggest? I've also found a good price on an OEM I5-540M. http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-Core-i5-Mobile-Processor-i5-540M-2-53GHz-3MB-CPU-/320581483128?pt=CPUs I'm just waiting on confirmation about the motherboard before I pull the trigger. If faced with the choice of having an OC'able I5-450M or a non-OC'able I5-540M, I would take the latter. If the new board OC's with the normal clockgen - all the better.

All that would be left then is to order the paste and switch for the keyboard. I'm torn between using IC7 in light of Hendrickson's results or MX3 to give us a comparison.

Bronsky

Edit: for the benefit of the other Computeruniverse owners, there may be a way to stabilize the OC'ed CPU is you could get the right setting combination. But it's almost infinite and I don't have that kind of time ATM. I need an operating work machine. Accuracy and stability are more important to me than the speed right now.

 

Bronsky, what about this guy?

Intel Core i5 540M 540 2.53G 3M 2.5GT SLBPG PGA988 CPU - eBay (item 270611268883 end time Sep-20-10 02:27:17 PDT)

I dunno if it's legit though. Recently I just found out that a monitor I purchased on ebay was stolen. So no warranty service... Oh well, comes with the risk I suppose.

 

It's not an OEM model. It's an ES (engineer's sample). I want an an OEM CPU in its original packaging.

 

If Shark hasn't gotten back to you after all this time, then I'd move on. Think about the wonderful customer service they'll show you if they send you a defective mobo.

 

The only option I have ATM is a new board from MK in Germany at twice the price. I suspect that Shark is confirming availability before issuing the proforma invoice. That's why I sent out some emails today to see if I can order one somewhere. Anybody know a good parts supply house in Mainland China or Taiwan other than shark? I'm sure there are motherboards available there.

Bronsky

 

I understand. It's just poor customer service on their part to not even acknowledge your emails.

 

Has anyone run MemTest86+ on their 3820TG yet?

I tried but ran into a problem where by laptop kept rebooting itself after several seconds of MemTest86+. I created both a bootable CD and USB stick (both with Memtest86+ on it).

Then I saw that others were having the same problem with their Acer laptops (different models) as well. They think it's the BIOS that's not playing nice with MemTest86+.

Others having same problem as me.

 

New 3820TG arrived.

Bad news: Defective fan, sounds like something is loose and thus hitting the fan, making an awful sound. Hope I can get it through as DOA.

Good news: It has an SEC3030 monitor, which is AWESOME compared to the AUO monitor in my other 3820TG.

Now that fan issue really bugs me since I got so lucky on the screen....

 

Why did you get 2? I know we love this laptop but.....

 

To replace my first one, since acer wouldn't accept the screen backlight flickering I had as an defect.

Other news: Yes it's setFSB overclockable, max BCLK is 155 giving an speed of 2766MHz. Probably RAM or CPU holding it back.

 

Just tested Memtest 4.10 and it found the chipset and the both Ram moduls but the test runs only on 640k of the RAM.

Edit: In a few comments on other forums is written, that version 2.11 should run. Not tested

 

I truly believe now that MemTest86+ does not play nice with the Acer BIOS.

I tried both the CD and USB versions of MemTest86+ on my Desktop PC. Works perfectly.

On the bright side, I am glad I installed the 8 GB of RAM. Everything is loading much faster. I suspect it has to do with the RAM caching enough stuff that the laptop doesn't have to access the slow 5400 rpm HDD as much.

I also noticed that I gained 15 more minutes battery life as well. Probably also due to the laptop not having to access the battery draining mechanical HDD as much.

I can't OC my CPU as high as I did before installing the 8 GB of RAM. I suspect it has to do with RAM timings (need to loosen them a bit?) but I'll wait for more skilled people like Hendrickson or Bronsky to do it first and then walk me through it afterwards!

I'll be sure to write up my findings later.

 

If anyone is looking to buy a Samsung 2 GB RAM 1333 MHz or PQI 2 GB RAM 1066 MHz and match them up with what you have from PCHome, let me know.

Both are for sale and we can work out a good price.

 

Anyone running ubuntu 10.04 on the 3820TG? I cant seem to get my ethernet/wifi to work

 

What model did you get ? And from where so other can know that they are overclockable motherboards Shame about the fan noise.

One think I keep forgetting to comment about, but now I remember. My Acer had most of the screws under the keyboard so loose that I could move them with my finger. Only one side of the underneath part had the screw torqued correctly.

Acer's assembly line needs to double check the screws are tightened. Another reason why I'm glad I opened it up. That and the really crap thermal paste!

So your getting the 8GB after all? Will be interesting to know if it makes a difference in your OC?

 

Can you please post the SPD window from cpu-z with the new ram?

 

You have download the driver source code for the atheros lan card and compile it. At least you have to install the new package.

Wlan never used on the 10.04 version.

I used the lan only to take a backup of the factory instalation.

Or change to 10.10 it works without problems but it is an early version.

 

Netonnet.no - swedish store but selling to norway as well, currently holds the lowest 3820TG price.

Acer TimelineX AS3820TG-5454G32N 13,3" laptop med høy ytelse - DATA - Laptop - Laptop 13 - 14 tom

5454g32n/LX.PXZ02.003 i5-450m/HD5650/320GB/4GB/6 cell.

 

After realizing the 9 cell on ebay isnt the real thing (the capacity of that 9 cell would only result in about a 40 minute increase, and its well below what acer advertises for the 9cell), anyone know where to get one? And also, I'll be in Japan for in October, where could I get a replacement plug in thats only 2-pin and not 3-pin?

 

Oh, a 5454G32N. If everything is smooth then tomorrow morning we will be model number buddies. Since I had to return mine, I just really really hope that I get an overclockable one. At least I don't have to live with a 9 cell battery.

 

Video of my modded backlit keyboard with switch in action : YouTube - Acer Aspire TimelineX 3820TG keyboard backlit mod

 

Sweet!!!!!

 

Part 15: To RAM or not to RAM

I had recently purchased 8GB of G. Skill RAM from Newegg.com – (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666).

Newegg.com - G.SKILL 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBSQ

I was going to return it, as others in the 3820TG correctly stated that I could get a more immediate, beneficial impact to my 3820TG laptop by purchasing a SSD instead.

The following recent developments altered my decision and I decided to keep the 8 GB of RAM instead.

When I purchased my 3820TG from PCHome (Taiwanese retailer), I knew I was getting a laptop with 2 GB of RAM in it, as well as PCHome throwing in another 2 GB of RAM. I thought I was getting a brilliant deal here. It turns out that the free RAM that was given to me was not the same brand name or speed as the 2 GB of RAM that were in the laptop. How stupid is that?

View attachment 54966 View attachment 54967




Yes, the laptop came with a Samsung 2GB 1333 Mhz RAM and PCHome gave me a PQI 2GB 1066 MHz RAM. The slower PQI RAM was slowing down the faster Samsung RAM.

Still, I cannot really be that upset as I still was able to get my hands on the 3820TG laptop, thanks to PCHome.

As the 8GB of G. Skill RAM was very affordably priced at $189, I decided to keep it and completely replace the Samsung and PQI RAM. Fortune smiled a little on me today, as I discovered that Newegg.com lowered the price of the G. Skill RAM by another $5, which made a great deal even better.

As soon as I inserted the 8GB of G. Skill RAM, I checked Windows 7 System display to see if the OS recognized it. It did. I also ran CPU-Z and looked at the spd tab to see if the RAM had the correct speeds encoded within its architecture. It did.






I immediately noticed a smart peppiness to my laptop. Programs opened faster. Web pages refreshed quicker. Granted, the increase in execution was not as fast as having an SSD, but the benefits are still there. I believe that the system’s not having to access the 5400 rpm HDD as much definitely benefits from a speed perspective.

For however dubious of value the Windows Experience Index (WEI) brings, I re-ran it and saw that the Memory rating went to 6.8 from 5.9 (the other parameters remained unchanged). Only my HDD remained the bottleneck, but I have plans to purchase a SSD when prices drop precipitously in 4Q 2010, which is not that far off.






I saw that my battery life actually increased by 15 more minutes. I believe this is again because the laptop does not having to access the battery-draining mechanical HDD as much, thanks to the RAM storing more information.

Finally, I noticed that I cannot overclock my CPU as high as I did before installing the 8 GB of RAM. I suspect it has to do with RAM timings (need to loosen them a bit?) but I'll wait for more skilled people like Hendrickson or Bronsky to do it first and then walk me through it afterwards!

I also noticed that MemTest86+ does not work with the Acer BIOS of my 3820TG. It causes my laptop to keep rebooting itself after running the RAM test for a couple of seconds. Research has shown that others with different Acer laptop models have experienced the same event as me.

MemTest86+ v4.00 reboots on Acer Aspire 5740-5513 [Archives] - Canardpc.com


If anyone is interested in buying either the Samsung or PQI 2GB sticks of RAM to give their laptops a complete 4GB of the same matched brand name RAM, let me know. We can work out a fair price.

 

Hendrickson,
I noticed in your YouTube video (showing your new backlit switch) that your Internet Connection LED (the LED all the way to the right) is blue.




Is it blue all the time?

Mine is orange all the time.

 

Just posted the GSkill spd in my Part 15 post.

 

Ken Lee of GenTechPC.com was kind enough to weigh the ASUS U35jc and put the debate over whether it weighed 3.75 lbs or not (as claimed by ASUS).

THE PROOF

I am so glad I got the Acer 3820TG! Our laptops can do so much more than the ASUS U35jc AND it's also lighter by 0.1 lbs.

 

I'm in awe of all your work Hendrickson. Your really an asset to this forum! Good job mate.




I am sitting here, looking at all these interesting posts, and just wondering about it all. The majority of the Laptop manufactureres must be so out of touch with consumer needs. What Acer has done with this machine is the future, and shame on all the others, for not making competeable products, to make small thin, mobile, light yet powerful notebooks the norm instead of the exceptions.
I hope 3820 will sell a lot, so all the big manufac's get the point.

 

My god. I just read Kindan's guide to upgrading a CPU in the 3820TG.

After getting to the part where you have to remove the antenna wires just to free the motherboard, I don't think I have the guts to attempt this. There are so many things that could go wrong if I attempted to do this....

LOL! And I so wanted to re-do the thermal paste on my CPU and GPU.