Acer TimelineX 3830/4830/5830 T/G

I own both a 4820TG and an HP dv6z-6135DX. Either of those machines is a better gaming rig than the x830TG. The recertified HP was $539 delivered from newegg and is a monster once it's overclocked or properly setup for crossfire with profiles and everything. Take away overclocking and driver updates from the HP, and throttlestop from the x830TG and the HP is still very much on top, running most games at 30 to 40 fps while running 70C with stock clocks.

When you look at the GT540's scores in late model benchmarks and games, it's pretty mediocre really, with the 6750 and GT555 GPUs leaving it behind.

The 4820TG runs hot as an oven, but it never crashes and with the GPU so very overclockable in it, it gets insanely good fps rates for a 1st gen i5 laptop.

both of my machines can score 8000 or better on 3DMark06 and get into the p1200 range on 3DMark11 with appropriate overclocking. For something smaller and portable a used 3820TG or 4820TG is a better choice, if you can find one. The fact that all the ones for sale on ebay have the woefully slow 5470 GPU speaks volumes. For something a little bigger that runs cooler there are LOTS of 15.6" machines out there that fit the bill. The $450 Asus K53TA, when it was still available was a monumentally good value.

I think if I wanted small and portable right now I'd step up to one of the 900p machines like the Sony SA, or the Asus U31DX (I think that's the model). Neither are screamers, but they are a nice size with a 900p screen, and for me that might be my next area of interest.

If the X830TGs were at least available with 900p screens I could forgive the throttling and bite the bullet and get one for the display and use it as a multimedia / workstation machine.

 

According to notebookcheck.net the 4820TG scores 6719 points in 3dmark06, mine 3830TG scores over 10,000 points. I think that's a significant difference.

 

Most 3820TG's, esp. the HD 6550 version, routinely post 3DM06 scores over 10,000 marks. The 4820TG has identical specs and only lacked the dual fans.

 

Bronsky et al
A couple of questions as the 3830T's are on my very shortlist.
I'm confused about the display on these: is there just one, or more than one? [13.3]? if more than one, which is "the one to get"?
are any of the available screens non-glare non-glossy [i sure wish the whole industry could settle on ONE term for such]

Bronsky you mentioned a model with HD 6550 ; which model is that?

And what notebook from any mftr beats this model in i3/i5 11.5-13.9: with or without dedicated graphics?

thanks all

 

I was talking about the 38 20TG, which is the model before the 38 30TG. Acer usually puts a few different panels in its notebooks. In the 3820TG, the Samsung seems to have gotten the best reviews, the LG was liked the least. I don't know about the 3830TG.

As far as competition for the 3830TG, if you are outside the US, I would seriously consider the Thinkpad E320 with HD 6550 dedicated GPU. If you are in Korea or have time to wait, the new LG P330 looks decent (I5/I7, GT 555M GPU ). In the US, the only real competition for the 3820TG is the 13" Sony SA.

If you don't need dedicated GPU, you might look at the new 13" Toshiba Z830, selling for $850 at BB soon. For a couple of hundred more, you can get the UX-31, which has higher resolution but is having some keyboard and touchpad issues. Acer has an ultrathin S3, but it is not in the same league as the other two. Asus also has a new 11.6" notebook, the U24, which has an I5/I7 in a small package.

Edit: Here's something else to think about ... if you don't mind refurbished, there is a great deal on a Thinkpad X220, 12.5" IPS display, I5-2540M CPU, HD 3000 graphics, 6GB RAM, 128 GB SSD for $857.61. http://outlet.lenovo.com/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/428r9fad1g.html?AID=10499647&PID=3640576&SID=skim525X832X2f2e9eb2adad15a26e871cfc21a12be8&CJURL=http%3A%2F%2Foutlet.lenovo.com%2Flaptops%2Fthinkpad%2Fx-series%2F428r9fad1g.html Looks like a great deal.

 

Seems like an awesome price for this notebook. I had got the new line of the dm1 a month ago (the e450), however about a week ago the screen was busted and luckily I was still able to return it. The dm1 was definitely nice for the pricepoint but I was hoping it would be a bit more powerful, and the hinges on it were garbage. Where can i find this <$500 deal?

 

If u are in Canada this laptop can be bought from staples for ~425$ with coupons!

 

Looks like Acer rereleased the 3830tg. AS3830TG-6415 (opposed to 6413). Staples has discounted the 6413 to $449 (still not as good as 429.99 deal but w/e) and they sold out... I guess they were trying to get rid of any last inventory they had.

STAPLES | BUREAU EN GROS

Anyone try it?

Note: the new version has the Core i3 2330m instead of the Core i3 2310m.

 

Well, I've been playing with my $425 3830TG (i3/540) and it's definitely worth the investment. Viewing angles are poor but a little gamma adjustment and I'm happy with the contrast/colour saturation.

I'm 2 hours into Skyrim and it plays very smoothly at native/medium settings. Dropped an SSD in, did a fresh install, and its fast and can game for under $500.

Good enough.

 

Been playing COD MW3, runs 60 fps smooth online and SP at native res, very happy

 

is that model offered in the USA?

More general question re: 13.3 or smaller models of this: do ANY of them offer a anti-glare/matte/dull/satin/non-glossy screen?

Secondly - barring the above, do any of the anti-glare screen sticky/add-on products work well? [I guess this question applies to all displays that suffer from brilliant reflection]

 

is there a way to replace the bilingual keyboard with a US one?

 

The only one I know of that doesn't have a Glossy screen is the Dell Vostro. I wish I had gotten that laptop TBH, it's very solidly built from the reviews. It's a business laptop so you aren't probably going to get a strong GPU... They were on sale a couple weeks ago. Then again, Dell always has one sale or anther. Check under the Dell business section and you'll see it.

Edit:
http://www.dell.com/us/soho/p/lapto...=en&s=soho&~ck=mn#!facets=55846~0~5930679&p=1

The ones listed as "anti-glare" are matted.

Edit: Hmm... the US site has Vostros with Dedicated graphics (AMD)...

*Goes to check Canadian site*

 

13'' with matte screen, Sony SA/SB/SC, Vostro V131/3350, Toshiba R830

 

Thanks, didn't know about the Sony/Toshiba.

Edit:

:|

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDQrYxwxmLE

That makes the 3830tg sound like a champ

 

thanx team. i had that vostro on the list. big price delta there -
I really don't understand the glare-surface issue: if you look at HD monitors of many makes/types/fab/size/pricepoint, many of them are and have-been anti-glare including the one I am currently looking at, at reasonable prices.
what gives with the "mirror-reflect" disease?

 

Glossy screen give higher contrast..

 

is it possible to install windows xp 64 on these laptops?

 

I think I'm going to raise the budget a bit: what beats this Samsung NP350U2B-A01 ?

Tuplinux : I can't think of any reason XP pRO X64 wouldn't work great on that one. should be really fast. but how to install?

 

yes, how? I've tried burning an iso on cd but after the loading of drivers appear a blue screen with an error, I don't understand if it's a problem of laptop or iso/cd

 

are you using USB dvd/cd ? if so it will not work.
there are ways to do a network-push install but its non-trivial. I would google search for a USB-flashdrive install process. I know such exists for regular x86 version of xpp, though I have had no reason to work through it myself. it can be done.
here's one writeup; ymmv:
Tech Crunch: How To Install Windows XP Pro Using USB Drive

 

you should either change the sata mode in bios - from ahci to ide/compatibility - or load ahci driver for windows xp64bit using a floppy disk

 

Has anyone tried the re-release? I can't find any info on it on the web....

 

Permanently or only for installation?

 

permanently; although methods to change from ide to ahci after installation exists, will not always work and you will likely get a bsod.

 

Like it has been said, you need the sata achi driver for your specific chipset. Instead of using floppy you can use Nlite nLite - Deployment Tool for the bootable Unattended Windows installation to make the driver load as a part of the install routine, then you will not need any floppy or such. It will be fully automatic and you need not change to ide.

With that said, I suggest you do some research for which drivers that are available for XP x64. The manufacturers of notebooks don't care much for XP these days, and certainly not the x64 variant. I suggest you look in your Device Manager in present install and scribble down hardware ID's for hunting on the net. All components are made by sub-suppliers, and they are fitted in many different laptops. You will prob hit patrol on things like switchable graphics and Intel chipsets, but all can be overcome.

Personally I would love to install XP on my 3820TG, but ATI switchable graphics simply can't be done in XP, I have tried... I sincerely hate Vista and Win7, they're a pile of crap.. I have cut down my win7 installataion and made it as much as possible to be XP style functioning, but I can't do much about the lousy and sluggish performance.

Good Luck!

 

Nice to hear.

Just for fun, I set Skyrim to Ultra settings, x2 AA and it still runs smoothly outdoors. This little beast can actually game quite nicely. Wish I had the i5 to see how much further I could push things.

 

nVidia Optimus isn't supported in Vista and below..

 

is the dvd/cd drive on the sata bus, or via usb?

 

Well, not entirely true. In earlier notebooks there have been a very rudimentary support for it, with need for reboot between. I'm pretty sure it can be done with this laptop as well. It boils down to if you are prepared to sacrifice a reboot for the added performance. Ati switchable graphics has no support what so ever, but if we hack the bios we can access the menu for choosing vga.

 

Internal = sata
External = usb

 

True, but the BIOS hack will only works if there exist connection from the nVidia to the display, which in Optimus, is not necessary to have..

 

nothing to do, I've installed xp64 but if you tell me that it isn't fully compatible with nvidia optimus than I prefer a linux distro that has the same problem. Without ahci mode I can't use an ssd properly so all is a failure.

I was searching the smallest windows SO 64bit because if I would buy an ssd 64gb, with my actual win7, 16gb go away instantly

 

its not hard to find articles on the process. I had to do this on my older cpq laptop and the process was counterintuitive but worked.
Enable Intel AHCI under XP; Case Closed, read second last post - MSFN Forum

something akin to this can be done assuming you have a good driver package.
in my case the only thing that saved me was that some kind soul had extracted the appropriate drivers from the encrypted Intel CAB archives, and posted them in usable fashion on download.com. followed the steps described above and many other such posts, and it worked.

and this addresses the issue. apparently, re: the final post, it worked:
Nvidia Optimus Support under XP - NVS3100mm vs Int... - Lenovo Community

 

Quick question on the 4830TG...

...Best Buy carries the version with the 540M:

Acer - Aspire Laptop / Intel® Core™ i5 Processor / 14" Display / 4GB Memory - Cobalt Blue - AS4830TG-6450

But I know the 13" version of this laptop throttles BADLY under load. Does the 14" model do the same thing?

 

nice catch...
interested in the answer.

Do ANY of these units have a non-reflective/glossy screen?

 

Why are you guys going back to XP, I don't really see any advantages over Win7 except some compatibilty with old apps, but you sacrifice SSD TRIM, optimus and updated drivers... Win7 isn't that bad it runs very well. I think I can never go back to xp i'm so used to the new interface...

 

All will use glossy screen,
The non-glossy model is Travelmate 8473TG/8573TG..

 

Like I have explained win7 occupied 16gb minimum, winxp 6-7 so if I would buy a 64gb ssd it's better to save space. the solution to trim and optimus seems to be in the links above

 

who sells these non-reflective models? I did a quick search and came up empty

after spending some time with samsung's brilliant and non-gloss-reflective screens yesterday [thank you BestBuy!], there's no way I'm going back to glossy again. if anyone still thinks that "matte" means "low-contrast", you need to see theirs. I don't know if the panel is exactly the same as in the sony sa, but the samsungs I looked at and played with looked better than anything in the store including the MBA's.

 

I have not yet found a source for US keyboards, but it should be possible. However, you will need to take the laptop apart to remove the keyboard from underneath. It's not as simple as it was on the x810-series where you could use an old credit card to pop out the keyboard from the top. Can't speak for x820-series since I never owned one.

Did you know about using regedit to change the function of keys? Aside from the funny placement of the right backslash and the enter key, all I did with mine was re-map the left backslash to function as L-shift, and I'm quite a bit more satisfied with it now, I have adjusted completely.

Yea, I'm pretty annoyed with glossy screens too. As if people don't have windows in their homes, or big flourescent light bars in their offices..

 

Just did the re-paste with Arctic Silver 5 as detailed on the link on this thread's sticky and just felt I'd post some comments to be helpful. I have a 3830tg, i5, 540m and experienced severe throttling when attempting to play Starcraft 2 (4v4, med/high settings). While it started well, I hit 95 degrees pretty quick and there was noticeable choppiness.

I then:
-Removed the screens and still had essentially the same results
-Used throttlestop to x18 (along with other recommended settings) and played again, hitting temperatures of 90 degrees, but still small amounts of choppiness during the game
-Ordered Arctic Silver 5 (just search it on amazon) with the cleaning solution (I also ordered the Kingston Hyperx 4gbx2 just cause it was on sale at newegg)
-Today I took on the re-paste job with a small screwdriver and a lust for lower temperatures. The job went fairly smoothly (I followed the directions as set forth by the re-pasting link on the sticky). Some minor notes were that some of the connectors would not budge when trying to disconnect. Especially the speakers. Since those are towards the end i just did the remaining few steps with the motherboard basically still connected to the chassis.
-Removed old thermal paste and re-applied a thin layer of Arctic 5 to the GPU, CPU, and some other chip that looked like it wanted some.
-Put everything back together with only minor issues. Basically the keyboard and speaker connectors were loose so i had to go back and push them in a bit further
-Booted back up, turned off throttlestop (left it running to monitor temps) and loaded a game of Starcraft immediately. Played a 15 min game of 4v4 Starcraft with no throttling and hit max temperatures of 85 c on the cpu and 75 on the gpu. I also now idle at 45 degrees (I believe I was around 55-60 before). Its my understanding that it only gets better, so hopefully my cooling issues are all gone (though if not i suppose I may try adding heat sinks to the heat sink)

While this little guy is getting a lot of flak, its not really a design flaw. When I finally got to the GPU/CPU they were COVERED in thermal paste. Roughly half a cm of junky paste caked on them, and even more on the heat sinks as well. If the assembly guys or machine would just do a better job applying the paste, I don't think any of this would be an issue.

I only needed a small screwdriver, a business card, and coffee filter (for thermal paste applyin') and did the whole job about 1.5-2 hours. If you have 2 hours, 7-9 dollars for some Arctic Silver, have this computer, and know how to follow directions I highly recommend doing this.

 

I would advise to remove the tip on 1st post, that tells to remove the screens/net grills.... This is stupid and doesn't change anything to temps, only screws your computer.

I'm pretty surprised you guys say yours doesn't throttle anymore..
I also repasted with AS5, I idle at 41/42, but I'm still getting really hot temps under load. I don't have starcraft 2 to test with, but I'm convinced it doesn't put that much load on cpu/gpu...

Using throttlestop x21 it's fine (90/95° max), using x23 it may shutdown my computer.
Not using throttlestop will result in throttling after about 1/4h.

This is tested playing with GTA or Crysis 2, as an example.

 

Wow you know using AS5 gave almost exactly nothing, I was still idling around 52-54. I have heat sinks up and down the inside now (about 12) and now idle around 42-44. Playing serious games like CODMO4 can work at x24 with the laptop elevated but no higher.

 

I recall reading somewhere that it takes around 200 hours for AS5 to "break in."

 

Well, it's been +200h for me, and it's definitely not better..
I'll try to repaste soon, but I doubt it will "solve" anything !

 

IC Diamond 7 lowered my temps by nearly 10C. I have an I5-540M in a 3820TG. You need a really good application to get the maximum performance out of a re-pasting job. I am really careful to make sure I have a proper spread of the paste on the heat transfer surface before I reassemble the fan/sink assembly. It has to be really clean before you start and you have to have all of the surfaces property "tinned" before you apply any paste for spreading. I use a coffee filter for cleaning and a credit card side for "tinning". When I am done "tinning" I wipe the excess with the coffee filter. When you finally reassemble, you have to apply even pressure and make sure you have securely re-fastened the assemblies. If you fail to keep even pressure during the entire reassembly, you have to start over.

Even with good paste, the problem with your Acer is the inability of the cooling system to scavenge the heat and remove it, so there is no way to be sure if new paste will work. It is worth a try.

BTW, anyone looking for a last generation 4820TG, Amazon has refurbished units for $599. http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Timeline...005Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321580213&sr=8-1 That might be a decent option for those who don't want to buy the current generation Timelines and can't wait for a redesign.

 

I noticed its most people posting about the throttling seem to be 3830tg and some 4830tg owners. How bad is it on a 5830tg?

 

Hi guys, been reading most of this post,
I have the 5830tg, wanna report on my temps.

I have repasted removed grills and use a cheap chinese cooler, which has one big fan.
when on idle, i underclock the cpu via windows power options , and so my temps,
are between , 40 to 50 degrees

fifa 12 , undercolocked cpu as well, 68 - 72 degrees
dirt 3 , full turbo on cpu (sits on 25 - 27 multiplier) 73 - 82 degrees
gpu never passses 75 degrees more around the 68 mark

not a heavy gamer, so that around an hours playing

 

Thanks for your contribution.