Acer 8371/3810 Owners Thread

[dragonuk]

Just to clarify you can flash it even though the bios version is the same, as i done it earlier.

How did you remove the check though? So i can do it to the other 1.28 bios if i decide i dont like this bios?

Its in the platform.ini file.

You can just remove the BAP31.128_SLIC_QUIET.fd (this is the bios file) from the folder and replace it with another fd file like the official acer bios and then just run the flasher and it will work fine. (It doesnt have to be named anything special either. Just have .fd on the end)

 

[haz_pro]

Ah okay thanks for the info!

 

[user100monkey]

ok slightly off topic, just upgraded from bios 1.11 to standard 1.28 and now CPUZ is displaying my CPU 798mhz.
Now i understand its trottleing down the mhz whilst not underload but before on 1.11 it only took it down to 1100mhz, is this normal, everyone else down to 798mhz?

And in answer to Dragon
Under no load
CPU 41c GPU 54c
Underload
CPU 50c GPU 70c
underload OC to 550/750
CPU 50c GPU 70c
Would it be possible to set the fan speed to 20% whilst under 45c
40% or 60% when over 45c ?

what are the current settings?

 

[dragonuk]

ok slightly off topic, just upgraded from bios 1.11 to standard 1.28 and now CPUZ is displaying my CPU 798mhz.
Now i understand its trottleing down the mhz whilst not underload but before on 1.11 it only took it down to 1100mhz, is this normal?

Yeah the cpu without overclock runs at 200mhz bus speed.

The cpu multiplier goes from x4 to x7.

So when its at x4 multiplier : 200 x 4 = 800 so 798mhz is fine. Mine does that.
Plus its better if it goes down to 800mhz . Saves battery power

It should have done it on the old bios too :S

 

[LadFromWales]

Right, bios is running. Booted to Linux, ran Chrome and restored session, come here, and these are my temps...

coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Core 0:      +49.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)  

coretemp-isa-0001
Adapter: ISA adapter
Core 1:      +49.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)

The notebook certainly feels warmer though the jury is still out on that one. With the fan at normal settings the laptop feels almost cold in use, not even hitting 32c for hugely long periods before the fan switches off again at 30c

It certainly is silly quiet at 20% speed though!

 

[dragonuk]

Ok so your cpu is at 49C is that what it shows ?

I always find after a bios flash my cpu temp is really high for some reason. You need to really leave the laptop off or in standby for 30 mins or so and then test what temperatures you get using it.

My cpu is currently at 23C Though I just turned my laptop on .
EDIT : Ok mine is hovering around 37-40C . I think this temperature is fine really and what you want idealy is it to stay around 40C.

49C is a little high maybe. See if it hovers around 40C soon ?

Also if you set the bios to Intel Only it totally disables the ati graphics so the cpu runs cooler.
I'm sure with the AC Adapter plugged in the cpu temp is hotter too . From what I have experienced anyway. Always seems cooler on battery

I might change the temps and have the fan running at 20% or 25% at around 30C because you can hardly hear it anyway. Hmmm..
To be honest I don't really know what the ideal temperature settings are in relation to fan speed and all that to keep it at the optimum cpu coolness without being too noisy.

Does the intel only option work for you now ?

 

[LadFromWales]

I might change the temps and have the fan running at 20% or 25% at around 30C because you can hardly hear it anyway. Hmmm..

Do it! 25% Too lazy to quote...will try Intel only in a bit

Thinking about it...the CPU is ok up until 105c, but who wants their CPU running that hot?!
I would set it up like this...
MIN C 40C 35% (Always on @ 35% til 40C)
40C 50C 40%
50C 60C 50%
60C 80C 70%

Test for noise in a quiet room. If you can push the fan higher than 35% without it becoming a distraction, then apply it to the always on fan speed

Your current table...
45C 50C 20%
55C 60C 40%
62C 70C 50%
72C 80C 70%

I'd rather my laptop run cool. Cooler running means longer life, plus it feels nicer to use when it isn't warmer than you are

Sorry for all the edits

 

[dragonuk]

I might change the temps and have the fan running at 20% or 25% at around 30C because you can hardly hear it anyway. Hmmm..

Do it! 25% Too lazy to quote...will try Intel only in a bit

Yeah might do.
Although if the fan is going at 25% I dunno if it will actually do anything because its going that slow lol.

The current fan settings I have set in that modded bios is:
(CPU TEMP)
Min FanSpeed
45C 20%
55C 40%
62C 50%
72C 70%

Basically when the temp is below 45C there is no fan. When it hits 45C fan speed is 20%. When it hits 55C fan speed is 40% .

I'm not sure what ideal fan settings would be.

Someone tell me what you think I should set the temps and fan speed too. There needs to be 4 temperatures and 4 fan speeds like above

For reference the stock 1.28 had the fan running at 45% when plugged into AC so thats what 45% fan speed sounds like.

EDIT : Ok What about this table below. (Forget about the max makes things complicated.

Min Fan speed
0C 30%
45C 40%
55C 50%
65C 70%

So basically always at 30% fan. Then 40% fan when it reaches 45C etc ?

And post below stop with the edits its confusing

 

[haz_pro]

35C 40C 30%
41C 50C 40%
51C 60C 50%
61C 80C 70%

I think this would be good, aslong as 30% is still very quiet. Having the fan at what you say is "45%" speed when im in quiet enviroments is very annoying, or maybe im just wierd? hah

 

[dragonuk]

Ok here we go.

Download - http://www.mediafire.com/?j2vl9pmlfmfjtsr

This bios is the same as my previous modded bios except the fan table has changed to:

Min Fan speed
30C 30%
45C 40%
55C 50%
65C 70%

Tell me what 30% fan speed sounds like. And if your temps are lower or stay the same ?

One disadvantage of having the fan on at 30% all the time is it will use a bit more battery power

 

[haz_pro]

Will try this tomorow if i decide to go to library, will update to say whether or not i did, and if i did the results!

 

[Faction]

Ok here we go.

Download - http://www.mediafire.com/?j2vl9pmlfmfjtsr

This bios is the same as my previous modded bios except the fan table has changed to:

Min Fan speed
30C 30%
45C 40%
55C 50%
65C 70%

Tell me what 30% fan speed sounds like. And if your temps are lower or stay the same ?

One disadvantage of having the fan on at 30% all the time is it will use a bit more battery power

Thanks very much for the modified BIOSes dragonuk, they add a lot of value to this already great deal.

Is it possible to have different fan speed settings on AC and battery, e.g. have the fan table above on AC but the slower settings when on battery.

i.e.

AC
Min Fan speed
30C 30%
45C 40%
55C 50%
65C 70%

Battery
Min FanSpeed
45C 20%
55C 40%
62C 50%
72C 70%


Also, do these tables mean that the fan would never run at 100%? Once my CPU reached 70C or so I would definitely prefer my fan to run at 100%.

 

[dragonuk]

Thanks very much for the modified BIOSes dragonuk, they add a lot of value to this already great deal.

Is it possible to have different fan speed settings on AC and battery, e.g. have the fan table above on AC but the slower settings when on battery.

i.e.

AC
Min Fan speed
30C 30%
45C 40%
55C 50%
65C 70%

Battery
Min FanSpeed
45C 20%
55C 40%
62C 50%
72C 70%


Also, do these tables mean that the fan would never run at 100%? Once my CPU reached 70C or so I would definitely prefer my fan to run at 100%.

You used to be able to have seperate fan speeds for AC and battery but since bios version 1.20 and above, Acer changed the bios to make AC and Battery use the same Fan Speed Table.

So if you wanted seperate speeds for AC and battery the only way would be to use a bios below version 1.20.

Yes this means the fan would never run at 100%.
In all the official Acer bios the maximum the fan can run at is 67% speed. So even Acer don't have it set to 100%.

100% is really loud its louder than 2 xbox360's put together lol.

 

[dragonuk]

Does anyone know any good cheap 13.3" cases that fit this laptop good ?

 

[LadFromWales]

My opinion of all this is that the fan pushes next to no air, making 20% virtually useless as the laptop feels warm as the hot air isn't getting out of the laptop.
I've put the stock 1.28 bios back for now, which uses 45% from 32c and keeps my CPU in the high 30's low 40's.
I've also known the fan to turn off from time to time, but I'm sure I recall dragonuk saying the CPU runs cooler when on battery, so it must be that. I'll probably monitor things over the weekend.

 

[haz_pro]

Ok here we go.

Download - http://www.mediafire.com/?j2vl9pmlfmfjtsr

This bios is the same as my previous modded bios except the fan table has changed to:

Min Fan speed
30C 30%
45C 40%
55C 50%
65C 70%

Tell me what 30% fan speed sounds like. And if your temps are lower or stay the same ?

One disadvantage of having the fan on at 30% all the time is it will use a bit more battery power

Right i tested this in the library earlier, at 30 percent you can here the fan, but only just, and this is in silence.

You can feel that the laptop is a bit warmer, which i guess i dislike, how ever i prefer it than having the fan on at 45 percent all of the time.

I will be keeping this bios for now

 

[dragonuk]

Right i tested this in the library earlier, at 30 percent you can here the fan, but only just, and this is in silence.

You can feel that the laptop is a bit warmer, which i guess i dislike, how ever i prefer it than having the fan on at 45 percent all of the time.

I will be keeping this bios for now

Ok how does this compare to the previous modified bios that had the fan off and only turned on at 45C.

Does your cpu idle cooler. Or is it about the same. If its the same then theres not much point of having it run at 30% all the time really

 

[dragonuk]

My opinion of all this is that the fan pushes next to no air, making 20% virtually useless as the laptop feels warm as the hot air isn't getting out of the laptop.
I've put the stock 1.28 bios back for now, which uses 45% from 32c and keeps my CPU in the high 30's low 40's.
I've also known the fan to turn off from time to time, but I'm sure I recall dragonuk saying the CPU runs cooler when on battery, so it must be that. I'll probably monitor things over the weekend.

If you are interested I created a stock 1.28 bios that has the same fan settings as original acer 1.28. All that is modified is that its SLIC'd and has the extra options in the bios so you can choose Intel Only, ATI Only or Switchable.

Download - http://www.mediafire.com/?kda03bb33ilaa5c

 

[haz_pro]

on idle it was hovering around 37 to 40, so a few degrees cooler.

Not sure if thats a big gain or not relative to the temperature?

 

[dragonuk]

So is that with the new bios with the fan at 30% your temperatures are 37 to 40 ?

Mine is about the same with the older bios . So I think 30% doesnt really do anything as the fan is hardly moving so it doesnt change temps really