My totally bias review

Spec:
i5-460M
13.3-inch display with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels,
Switchable ATi Radeon HD 5650 graphics
4GB of DDR3 RAM
750GB of hard drive
Atheros Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (Can do 300mbit/s)
Bluetooth 3.0
3 x USB 2.0 ports
100/100/1000 Lan
Multi card reader
6-cell battery
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Battery life:
No wifi, light usage: 8 hours
Wifi, light browsing: 6 hours
Gaming: 2 hours max

Display:
I got an LG display! It looks nicer than my old XPS1330, Asus U35 and Latitude 13!


CPU/GPU Performance:
The core i-5 460M running @ 2.53GHz and turbo boost @ 2.8GHz is fast enough for running a few OS in Vmware concurrently without a sweat. I feel further swiftness as compared to my XPS1330's T9300 which also running @2.5GHz. The ATI 5650 is REALLY powerful. I was running Street Fighter 4 @1366x768 max setting (with no AA), I got more than 9000 score, rank A. Running Starwars TFU running at 1360x768 with High Detail, the fan is not even at high speed. Running Starcraft 2 High setting @1366x768 has no lag at all (in fact, it's really smooth) even with 8 protoss carrier attacking.

My 3dmark06 score is 7562 and did not improve much after a fresh OS and Catalyst 10.8.

Keyboard:
If there is 1 thing I don't like about this notebook is the keyboard. The key is not firmly sit on they notebook. It's like you can move they key sideway a little with your finger. I like firm and steady keyboard. And I also hate the small directional key.

Portability:
At 1.8 kilos or (3.9 lbs), it is portable enough for me. It's slightly smaller and lighter than my XPS1330. When I put U35 and 3820TG side by side, 3820TG looks slimmer. However, it is not as light and slim as Latitude 13. If only Dell can pack this much power in Latitude 13.

Heat management:
This is what I like most about this notebook. Normal wifi browsing (flash, whatever) after an hour, CPU is around 40-48 Celsius. GPU is 45 Celsius. Gaming and under heavy load for a few hours, CPU max @87, GPU max @82. I can see temperature rapidly going down once game stop. The 2 fans working really really well.

Loudness:
This notebook is dead silence. During normal office usage, in my small room, I could hardly hear anything even when I am using it. The fan never produce any sound in normal browsing. It kicks in once or twice when I start installing Starwars TFU, copying GB data from USB and installing Starcraft 2 all at once.

You should be able to hear both fans working during gaming, but it is still way more quiet than any notebook I have known.

About the speaker, it is really soft, but I don't use internal speaker often.

Conclusion:
I am a picky person when it comes to notebook. I have a few things I really want from a portable notebook:

1. Powerful enough to play recent game
2. Small and light enough (13" and below)
3. Good battery life for work and gaming

Acer 3820TG meets all those requirements, and being really quiet and cool are added bonus. So, I took all the effort to get this specific model from Singapore. I did extensive checking on the unit (build quality, battery, keyboard flex, dead pixel, temperature, audio jack, hdmi, vga, network, hardisk etc) before I starting to remove all the sticker.

And if some of you still wondering between Asus and Acer, I'd say this Acer 3820TG 'feel' and 'look' better in term of quality compare to another Asus U35 which I just brought for my staff.

This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 20 2010, 10:19 PM

how about local pricing and the warranty.

it's not available in MY...

cowithgun, you finally got it. So envy.
How much you bought it from Singapore?

got it last week, but have been busy. finally able to write something about it. Should be able to get it at RM3.4k, I paid a couple hundreds more for shipment. it's worth the $ since the new Asus U35 (Core i-5 460M) cost around RM3.2k too (4Gb ram), but the graphics is just G310M. The ATI5650 (3dmark06: 6526) is like 2 times faster than G310M (3dmark06: 3137).

well, this is the first Acer i ever own, so, i m not really an Acer fan. other than the keyboard, i m quite happy with unit.

Black or silver lid? 66Whr battery? Going to upgrade to Momentus XT or SSD?

WOW make it a 3820tg / 4820tg thread , then i'll post pictures of my 4820tg here :whistle:

I got a silver lid.

CPUID hardware monitor reports Designed Capacity 64800 mWh. Suppose to be 67Whr right?

SSD should be my next target, but really need it to be more affordable. I can't live with 120GB...

Some report Momentus to eat more battery... I rather have more battery

This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 20 2010, 11:07 PM

u sure it's only 6526 3D Mark 06??? wat's ur settings?

i ve got roughly the same with my HD4650 @ 1280x768...

This post has been edited by astria: Oct 21 2010, 08:37 AM

the 6526 score is from Notebookcheck site, which also has score for G310. they do benchmarking for all graphic card, i was just using it as benchmark.

my unit has 7.5k score.

Okay... So here are my pic of my 4820tg... Sory for noob photography



The Acer 4820TG 's Lid



The view of the 4820TG



Specs



Powered by Intel I5 , Windows 7 Home Premium and ATi Graphics HD 5650



thickness of the 4820TG compare to 20 sen coins


The Left Side of the 4820TG .

note: the white color thing is an air filter..

The Right Side of the 4820TG



Thats all

This post has been edited by RayX: Oct 21 2010, 07:00 PM

@RayX,
please resize ur picture and u forgot to disclose ur win 7 cd key.

how to resize?

@RayX

Your 4280TG comes with 2gb DDR3 ram?

I've searched through internet but the default memory should be 4GB 1033mhz DDR3?

I think thats for the foreign model mine is 2gb


Acer Aspire TimeLineX 4820TG-5462G64
i5-460M processor
(2.53ghz, turbo up to 2.8ghz)
640GB hdd, 2GB DDR3RAM
ATI HD 5650 WITH switchable graphic

the 4820tg model for malaysia comes with only 2GB ram. if you intend to upgrade the ram later by yourself (usually the shop assistant will ask if you want to upgrade), then probably you can choose the PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333) type.

for my laptop, it came with a 2GB Samsung DDR3-1333, so i bought a Kingston PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333). only rm100 for a 2GB ram, and the price seems to be dropping . fyi, the ram can only run at 533MHz due to processor limitation (PC3-10600 max speed is 667MHz).

[attachmentid=1846038]

Playing Darksiders on my 3820tg;

Graphic is superb. Game is damn fun. I always like Devil May Cry 4 type of game. This game is great. Running at 1360x768.

Watch it in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK249IitJpo

This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 24 2010, 02:22 AM

thanks lee for youtube trick

will post more video when i free

This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 24 2010, 02:22 AM

Did you installed battery care or battery bar? discharge rate under browsing/light usage?

discharge rate is around varies from 11.2 - 12.5 watt (with everything default)

i think it's lower when i disable webcam and Gigabit network card.

minimum brightness (still bright enough for me, indoor), with wifi on, no webcam, no lan card, browsing, lowest discharge i think i seen 8.7w before. i captured the screen

anyone wana sell this monster? pm me

To those who feel the OS is too sluggish for your liking, I'd recommend doing a clean install of Windows 7. Simplified to the 3 steps below:

1. Use the Acer eRecovery to create:
-The recovery DVD (3 DVDs): these DVDs will help you restore your system to factory default state, in case you screw up anything.
-The Application/Driver DVD (1 DVD): this DVD will contain all the drivers and applications from Acer (including bloatwares like games)
-This whole process will take about 1 hour+

2. Use ABR (Activation Backup and Restore)
-This will backup your Windows 7 key (different from the sticker below the laptop) and the Activation Cert
-Save these files to a flashdrive and you will need to 'apply' it to activate your freshly installed Windows 7 later

3. Perform a fresh install of Windows 7
-If you have a Windows 7 64 bit DVD, then it is easy - just boot from the DVD and install Windows the usual way
-If you don't have a Windows 7 64 bit DVD, then there are ways to get it.
-This whole process will take about 30-45 minutes

Note: I am not responsible for any damages to your system that may result from following this guide

after a long wait of 4820XTG , at last it reach malaysia , but now , nvidia gt420/425/435m already come out .

ATI HD 6870 & 6850 also already out! But more choice, better for consumer. I am planning to use this notebook only for a year

OK, wondering how 3820tg play against Assassin Creed 2? Well, it's not doing very well. At resolution 1366x768, I can only get 25 fps with lowest setting. Hey, the game still look nice with lowest setting. Looks like I wont be playing this game much in this notebook.



PS: i must have running that with Intel Graphic! i rerun it awhile ago, i got like 40-45 fps in max setting! so, it's very playable!

This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 24 2010, 11:08 PM

Should be something wrong, I could play smooth on High settings at 1080p with HD4670....

hd5650 better than 420/425. similar to 435m performance.

Yeah, review of the 3820TG is out: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Acer-A...50.38666.0.html



"Mystery prize in the box! Oh boy!" quoted from the review


This post has been edited by [PF] T.J.: Oct 24 2010, 08:43 PM

You are right! I must have been using Intel graphic! I rerun it, it is around 40-45 fps. So, it's very playable at max setting!

---

Added on October 25, 2010, 11:32 amJust finish reading that review, and "WOW". they are reviewing the exact same model I have, except that mine is slightly newer version that came with bluetooth 3.0



i got 7.5k 3dmark06 out of the box, i wonder why they only get 6754 points.

formidable quote from the review "If you're searching for optimal gaming performance in the smallest possible format, you won't find anything better than the Aspire TimelineX 3820TG-5464G75nks."



This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 25 2010, 11:32 AM

All recent notebooks even netbooks from Acer comes with Bluetooth 3.0 modules. Btw cow, your 3dmark06 bench at what res?

They test it on 1280x1024....

selling 4820TG @ RM2,499

nice .. if below rm 2.5k, extended warranty only cost rm198, so if i were to add additional ram it will cost another rm 150. Total price is only RM 2874.

at k.trg 4820tg rm2499...is worth ?

new one sell at rm2599 at lyp

ok thanks.. i'l get a new one lalalala

I m using the "Basic Edition" which wont allow me to change resolution, so I guess I am running at default 1280x768.

---

Added on October 25, 2010, 7:59 pmHow is 3820tg against Just Cause 2? If I disable AA, I get like 36 fps, which is very playable That is running at 1366x768.



I ll record some gameplay and post it here once I uploaded to YouTube. This game is fun!

As promised, youtube gameplay for JC2

---

Added on October 26, 2010, 12:17 pmMore gameplay. This is another favorite game of mine, Ninja Blade. Very stylish action. This game does not required powerful graphic card though, but i was running at 10366x768 with AAx2, can possibly run even higher... but it's good enough for me.

---

Added on October 26, 2010, 1:31 pmDawn of War 2 (Chaos Rising) - very fun, very nice at 1366x768 at Ultra setting, i get average of 25 FPS. this is OK for RTS type of game.

---

Added on October 26, 2010, 4:17 pmStarcraft 2 gameplay at 1366x768 at High setting, except texture at Ultra. Getting around 35-40FPS even during massive attacks.



This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 26 2010, 04:17 PM

^ wow... how many games u've got... i've got none

Hey guys I have some question about the Acer warranty.. let's say I install *ahem* version of Microsoft Office, would that void the warranty?

Thanks

No...

hmm, why buy 4820TG if not playing game? jes kiddin

Cow got Civ5 and MassEffect2 to test ma?

hm... my friend using the 3820tg say that when she turn on her laptop... the screen will flicker? is that normal? (i think she's mainly on the intel card)

there should be no flicker during booting up. but after you login, sometimes there is. the flicker is caused by switching graphic card.

why sometimes? becoz you may be using Intel and shutdown. so, when PC starts, it boot with Intel, but after you login, PowerSmart detected using AC, so, it switch it automatically and vice versa.

so even if the plan is the selected as power saver, it still switches to the ATi card in its plugged in AC?

Super useful post. My Win7 seems very sluggish and unresponsive. Sometimes can't even shutdown properly (stuck at the "Logging Off" page)...

Anyone else has such similar experience?

I'm gonna reinstall a fresh Win7. Fingers crossed the issues above will be sorted then.

yup. if u dont like this feature, u need to go to Graphic Properties, PowerPlay, uncheck the Enable PowerPlay.

is 3820TG in msia yet? roughly how much?

3820tg not release in msia

ou...thanks

Hi guys, just got my Acer 4820TG at Digitmall earlier today and this is my very first laptop I've owned.

Here's a newbie question I'd like to ask.. if I plug for AC power with the battery inside, would it damage the battery life or is it fine to just leave it like that?

Thanks

I'd suggest you to remove battery when your notebook on AC adaptor.

i notice that the battery will not charge when it is still at 97% or so. it will stay 97% even with AC. it will only charge if it is lower than certain %.

i read somewhere saying that the notebook is quite smart that it will not charge the batter when it's full. so, it should not affect the battery life.

Apparently this new model of 4820TG has improved a lot from older models.
Because my friend has bad experience with her acer laptops.
The specs are great for the price. But will it give problems? cos she's going overseas to study. it'll be bad if laptop break down

Should we just made an Acer's gaming laptop series thread?

Option (3) is not workable.
You can't use the OEM product key on non-Acer Win7. The product will not work. You can't activate the Win7.

---

Added on October 27, 2010, 7:00 pmAsk her to purchase the notebook overseas.

---

Added on October 27, 2010, 7:03 pmHow much would you like to offer?
Come offer me. PM me.
3820TG / i5-450 / Radeon 5650 / 4GB DDR3

This post has been edited by ALeUNe: Oct 28 2010, 06:30 PM


Attached thumbnail(s)

on option 3 , is the iso original, not pirated.? like the software in the disc if we bought from Microsoft?

and will it have the acer theme on the windows 7 , i like that

and ... i heard of window 7 loaders.. what is it?

1. Its original
2. No Acer theme, that's one is customized by Acer
3. pirate...

Honestly i don't really understand gome .. my bad ...

so i want to do a clean install , i just i reinstall with the recovery disc?

If you use the recovery disc, it won't be clean install, as its an image of the factory default state...

My bad, the user is suppose to apply the ABR to activate Win7. If I'm not mistaken, the OEM key at the back of the laptop can't be used to do Win7 online activation. It will probably only help to generate an ID which will then be used when you call up Microsoft to get a new key.

Here is my edited guide:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This guide is written with the assumption that:
-you know how to follow instructions, with minimum hand-holding or spoon-feeding
-you know how to boot from a DVD and install Windows
-you know the basics in drive management (reformat, partition, etc.)

Step A. Backup! Backup!! Backup!!!
Before you begin doing anything potentially damaging to your system, make the backup DVDs using the Acer eRecovery application:
-Make the Recovery DVDs (3 DVDs): these DVDs will help you restore your system to factory default state, in case you screw up anything.
-Make the Application/Driver DVD (1 DVD): this DVD will contain all the drivers and applications from Acer (including bloatwares like games)
-This whole process will take about 1 hour+
Step A note: The Recovery DVDs will help you to restore your laptop's OS to factory condition (meaning as good as the day you bought it - working like it should, but with plenty of bloatwares)

Step B. Windows Activation - Ultra Important Step
-Download ABR (Activation Backup and Restore) - follow the instructions on the website
-This will backup 2 things:
(1) Windows 7 key (this is different from the sticker below the laptop)
(2) Activation Cert
-Save these files (just copy the whole folder) to a flashdrive (these files will be used in Step C)

Step C. Perform a fresh install of Windows 7
-If you have a Windows 7 64 bit DVD, then it is easy - just boot from the DVD and install Windows the usual way
-If you don't have a Windows 7 64 bit DVD, then there are ways to get it.
-This whole installation process will take about 30-45 minutes
-When you have successfully installed Windows 7, use the ABR to re-activate your Windows.

Step D. OPTIONAL - Partitioning your drive
-If you haven't already partitioned/resized your hard drive, you can use this freeware - MiniTool Partition Wizard (runs on Windows 7 64 bit). You can do resizing/reformatting within Windows itself (except for when you modify your OS partition, ie. C: drive)

Note: I am not responsible for any damages to your system that may result from following this guide
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This post has been edited by gome: Oct 27 2010, 10:25 PM

Nvm, silly me ^^;

This post has been edited by KahVII: Oct 27 2010, 10:14 PM

this is for Beouwulf:

Civilization V funning on 3820tg. Using the DX10&DX11 mode. Everything max (1366x768@AAx8), with VSync on, running at 25 FPS. Didn't try lower setting as the game is a TURN BASED strategy game, so, I guess 25 FPS is good enough (???).



And the gameplay, uploaded in youtube... this is probably the most boring gameplay ever in youtube since i have never play any turn based strategy game before... a few soldiers moving here and there...



since i have 750gb hardisk, i ll let this game stay put for awhile...

next... i m uploading Mass Effect 2!!! stay tune!

Actually you can, I've done alot of fresh installs and activated Windows 7 using an OEM disc with the key under the laptop.

---

Added on October 28, 2010, 6:04 pmThank for testing it , 25FPS with 8xMSAA not bad at all.


This post has been edited by Beouwulf: Oct 28 2010, 06:04 PM

Mass Effect 2 running 1366x768 at MAX setting getting between 35-60 FPS! even at most explosive, i m getting around 35 FPS! so, this game is super sharp, super playable in 3820tg! it's like watching a really beautiful sci-fi movie where i can interact with it. highly recommended for 3820tg and 4820tg owner!

just one thing, i was playing Mass Effect 2 on my bed (soft surface), the CPU temperature went crazy into over 90 degree after like 1 hour of gameplay.

then, i test it again on my table, CPU temperature is just around 75 degree after an hour!

IMPORTANT: don't let anything block the vent! be careful when putting it on a soft surface that could block the vent.




And here is the gameplay... super nice

damn this acer sure can handle game well,.. i wonder if i can get it below rm 2.5k so that the warranty is rm 100 cheaper..

@cowithgun : bro can test GTA : IV ? would love to see how well ati 5650 would do.

This post has been edited by sclikzs: Oct 29 2010, 05:12 PM

Hmm. Cheaper? From where?

The warranty is based on the Acer recommended retail price, even if the seller sell it to you at 2k, you still gotta pay the price for >RM2500 warranty. You can't extend the warranty for Timeline with <RM2500 warranty pack.

From her destination country? Since the warranty will be covered there..

oh snap. didnt know bout that.. thanks for the info beouwulf.

not sure bout it..but i think for extended warranty it shud b rm298 for 3years. im adding my lappy warranty into 3years plus 1yr(means 4years total coverage) for senheng plus1 member.

would changing itz hard disk void warranty?

Yes I think it would.

my 4820tg '}' key flew out while i was typing. snapped it back on and all's well now...
[attachmentid=1860434]

omg.. the 4820tg has its own mind .. it shoots key to attacks us

ohh!!! gome!!! that's too bad! painful for me to see that. i hate the keyboard anyway. not a good keyboard for playing game where i tend to slam on it hard... (and again, the damn small directional key...)

anyway, i m thinking of buying a keyboard protector, i m not really worry about dusk, but i m thinking, with a protector, the key wont feel that 'shaky'... but, i hate to carry extra gram in my backpack... (every gram count!)

after spending hours (about 4.5 hours) playing Darksiders (i love this game!), i know now that heat management is really really important for notebook. the notebook get hot really fast, but thanks to 2 fans, it never really go beyond 90. i heard that core i5 can handle up to 110 before throttling. still, i'd prefer it stay below 90... tends to think, my notebook will give me less problem...

This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 30 2010, 11:42 PM

hmm, i tried fiddling with that key again, and it can be easily detached! other keys are ok though. need to find time for warranty claim!

Yo where can I get the 4820TG in MY? Price?
And, definitely can you play GTA IV with it?? D:

Any IT shop will hv it bro... now around 2.6k la~
I wish thr will b selling 3820tg now in msia~ though i'm hving a 4820tg~
felt too big for me even juz 1'' bigger :-P

Not too many have stocks.. But try to ask around in the lyp, few shop still have stocks. Thats the info i got few days ago.
Fast grab if u can find one..

GTA IV is 2008 game right? i dont have this game, but i did some searching, Acer 5740G i3 330m HD5650 can play at high res, so, with core i5 in 4820TG, this should be a snap

oh gooding. cant wait to get mine next week. rm28xx (lappy + 2gb ram +3 years warranty)

The battery life in 3820tg is not bad, I was playing Darksiders in a car on the way back to Ipoh. Play for a little more than 1 hour, still got like 47% battery left. So, it is safe to assume that I can play for 2 hours if I stretch it.

Still, 2 hours is not that much. So, can Intel HD graphic card play any recent action game? Not 3D game of cause, how about 2D action game?

Shank is a new (2010) 2D beat 'em up game inspired by the good old beat 'em up Double Dragon. Got like 20 FPS if using Intel HD graphic. No lag or anything, the game running smooth with just 20 FPS. The video may not look very smooth but actual gameplay is when i m not recording.



Should be able to play for 4 hours no prob. But for other games, looks like I still need to find power socket everywhere i go. Wish there can be more flight using the A380 airbus which has power socket in every 2 seats.

RM28++ at which store? O.o
there's like...20 stores over in lowyat

I still have the good old Torchlight. A Diablo-alike game I like a lot. Runs fine at 1366x768 at highest setting with just Intel HD.



Should give me hours of fun even without AC.

This post has been edited by cowithgun: Oct 31 2010, 11:24 PM

Can't believe this shit is happening to me.. got my 4820TG for less than a week and now already got problem.

Error loading operating system.

Sigh, have to head to the Acer centre at Times Square tomorrow.

erm my friend use this timelinex but he cant type this symbol @ .. when he tried to type the @ (shift + 2 ) symbol " that will come out .. anyone know why ??

This post has been edited by istillmyself: Nov 2 2010, 01:38 AM

did he set his keyboard to US layout?

the @ appears to be " right? change back to US layout keyboard then would be fine

ok thankz eugenechiuu

bloatware ? or corrupted os ? bad luck for u then

my 4820TG juz arrived yesterday. waiting so long now juz received.
laptop run smooth. can play 2-3games in multitasking.

how much u get

nah . i pre order from garage sales seller (COD) . only 3-4 ppl carry this model atm. try ur luck

arrr... u must be really upset. hope they can repair your unit soon. do share your experience about their service with us. i heard they can repair it within 2 hours if u bring the unit to their HQ Subang Jaya...

i m just wondering, the 4820TG in Malaysia using Western Digital Hardisk as well?

OS issue?
You can actually reintall OS by activating the OS recovery, ALT+F10