Acer 8371/3810 Owners Thread

[Jakg]

Does anyone find it slightly weird that the 8371's have an Intel Centrino 2 badge sticker instead of Core 2? The SU9400 is definitely listed as a Core 2 CPU: http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=36697

Centrino = Power-saving Intel CPU + power-saving Intel WiFi card. Centrino is not a line of CPU.

Many laptops come with Centrino stickers, as all of the chassis may well be Centrino, but not all have a Core 2 or whatever.

Now if people have installed the latest bios 1.28 (which you should as it has a lot of good changes) you will see that the fan speed is quite loud and the fan is always on when connected to AC power.

I have modified this latest bios to change the Fan Settings on AC and Battery and also added additional settings in the bios menu as well as SLIC2.1 . In the bios menu, you just need to set the User access level to FULL to show all options. You can now choose ATI Only and Intel ONLY as well as switchable graphics. This means you can install the latest drivers for each graphics adapter and change in the bios when needed.

If anyone is using my old modified bios please upgrade to this new bios as my old bios has a few issues.

MODDED BIOS DOWNLOAD - http://www.mediafire.com/?qsn4aoovoba2kuo
ALTERNATIVE DOWNLOAD LINK - http://www.2shared.com/file/arRt9weV/BIOS_Acer_8371_128_Modified_Qu.html

Only use this bios on 8371 laptop.

These are the temperatures set for the bios:

(CPU TEMP)
Min Max FanSpeed
45C 50C 20% (You can't hear 20% fan speed)
55C 60C 40%
62C 70C 50%
72C 80C 70%

(Thanks to advan20092 from notebookreview and IXBT Forum for help with modifying fan table)

Let me know how people get on with the bios. You will notice a big difference in the fan noise on battery and it also doesnt turn on all the time when you insert AC adapter.

Just installed this BIOS, but it does seem to get quite hot - 20% doesn't seem to spin the fans at all (or at least, I can't hear it and it's not moving much air).

CPU isn't cooking (~70° C), but it does get quite hot to the touch.

Does anyone have something with a little more RPM across the range? And how can I use the Windows tool to go from a 1.28 -> 1.28?

 

[haz_pro]

Centrino = Power-saving Intel CPU + power-saving Intel WiFi card. Centrino is not a line of CPU.

Many laptops come with Centrino stickers, as all of the chassis may well be Centrino, but not all have a Core 2 or whatever.Just installed this BIOS, but it does seem to get quite hot - 20% doesn't seem to spin the fans at all (or at least, I can't hear it and it's not moving much air).

CPU isn't cooking (~70° C), but it does get quite hot to the touch.

Does anyone have something with a little more RPM across the range? And how can I use the Windows tool to go from a 1.28 -> 1.28?

I am getting around 55 max with that bios :S

 

[Jakg]

I am getting around 55 max with that bios :S

I have to admit both of my tests have been "unusual" (one while transferring 400GB of files over the network to it, and once while blocking up all the vents watching a film in bed), but still there doesn't seem to be any airflow actually cooling it.

It's OC'ed as well which might not be helping

 

[Gray-Fox]

I spilt tea on my keyboard and now the backspace key is a bit stiff. Can I remove it?

 

[Rambo]

I have to admit both of my tests have been "unusual" (one while transferring 400GB of files over the network to it, and once while blocking up all the vents watching a film in bed), but still there doesn't seem to be any airflow actually cooling it.

It's OC'ed as well which might not be helping

I am using dragonuk's modded BIOS and it never reaches 70*C. Around 50-55*C max... (Mine is also OC'ed)

Centrino = Power-saving Intel CPU + power-saving Intel WiFi card. Centrino is not a line of CPU.

Makes sense. Thanks.

And how can I use the Windows tool to go from a 1.28 -> 1.28?

dragonuk removed the version check I think, that's why you can go back to the original Acer BIOS if you wish...

 

[fanphobic]

Modified BIOS and Vista activation

Hi, I'm using dragonuk's 1.28 modification for the integrated-graphics version of the 8371, and the combination is great - so much so that I bought three more 8371s. However today one of the machines running Vista started to demand activation, so it looks as though the BIOS is intended for Windows 7.

dragonuk, would it be possible for you to upload a BIOS for integrated graphics and Vista? This would really help me out, otherwise I have to go out and buy some Windows 7 licenses, or downgrade to XP which doesn't seem to have the same problem (yet).

Many many thanks in advance!

 

[sja360]

It says it's already on the newest drivers?

It's doing it just about every boot-up now. :/

if i remember rightly i removed the snaptic driver and just left it with a standard driver which only gives you left/right click no multi-touch, its a shame as the multi-touch is a nice feature. still atleast it left and right clicks now lol.

 

[jmario]

3810tg oc/cpu

hi have used oc tool as on page 3 workes but when i re boot my settings go back to fsb 199.5 runs 250.5 when i run oc program. I got one of the last 3810tg from IT247 under £400
su9400 500gb hdd love it.and windows 7.

 

[Gray-Fox]

Re the built in mouse pad, I'm experiencing an issue whereby I click the right side of the button to right click and it simultaneously right and left clicks. The little icon in the systray shows this by indicating green in the right click button but yellow in the left click side. It's so ridiculous. It means that right clicking is effectively useless on the trackpad.

 

[jacksonliam]

I dont have any of the mousepad issues on my 3810TG. Are you pressing all the way to the right and not pressing too heavily on the rightclick?

@jmario the overclock does do that. I think its also cancelled when you resume from sleep. Someone put some instructions up to assign it to a scheduled task so its run on startup and resume from sleep.

The only niggle i'm finding is that usb2 is the fastest i can get data onto the thing. This isnt very good for throwing large files around.
A gigabit NAS with amazing throughput is an option but an expensive one at that!

The left usb port has four holes in the end - anyone know what for? USB3? Firewire? Esata compatibility?!?
See pic: http://i56.tinypic.com/2ccsfgm.jpg

 

[Gray-Fox]

I dont have any of the mousepad issues on my 3810TG. Are you pressing all the way to the right and not pressing too heavily on the rightclick?

Yes, precisely as I do on every laptop I've ever had lol. I've never had an issue until now.

 

[johnnyfinlandia]

I will share my Tips and Tricks Including installing a 3G modem and a 2nd HDD and my modded quiet bios.
...

INSTALLING A 3G MODEM

Also the laptop is ready for a 3g modem. It all ready has a sim card slot in the case. If you remove the battery and then look to the left of the battery connection on the laptop you will see a black sticker covering something. If you remove this black sticker it will reveal a fully functional sim card slot. You can insert a sim and remove. Now this doesnt give you 3g. All you need to add a 3g modem into the laptop is purchase a 3g wwan pcie card like this :

And plug it in to the slot in the top right (you can see the slot in the first picture I posted. Top right of picture). They cost ab

OK I have my Sierra 8781 and Sierra 8775 and neither seem to work.
There is an option in the BIOS to turn on MiniPort but it didn't do anything.
The Acer 3G software and lack of driver request in Windows confirm either card isn't recognised.

I assume the cards are OK. I haven't added an aerial yet (and can't see anything readily handy (I have an apple aerial module which I might try and leave hanging around).

Once done I don't know which driver to install either .. there are 2 or 3.

faraday also added the 3G module (see vv) and he couldn't get it to work either ?!?

Has anyone with the 3810TG had success ?

 

[johnnyfinlandia]

I've added a Sierra MC8781 WWAN card to my 8371, however after installing the Sierra drivers there is no indication that the card is present. Has anyone successfully installed a Sierra (or any other, for that matter) WWAN card? Does the Insyde BIOS require modification, i.e. does it have a whitelist?

Did you get this sorted as today I have the same Sierra MC8775 and Sierra MC8781 and both are not recognised ?!?

 

[dragonuk]

I read somewhere i think you had to press either the wifi button a few times at top of keyboard to right of power button , or you had to press fn and F3 the bluetooth button to activate the wwan card.

Try that

 

[johnnyfinlandia]

Hi dragunuk

Well I also read in another forum that if you use the soft button (Wifi LED) it should cycle through WiFi and 3g options (4 options) but mine doesn't as I have a fresh Win7 Pro X64 install so missing any launcher maybe ? Anyone know where to get this ? (although it should probably see the card in win7 anyway without this s/w).

Button will turn green if 3g on

This is supposed to be the same as the bluetooth shortcut - it activates the BT card (Fn + F3).

I also read that you might have to cover pin 20 on some WWAN cards as they are blacklisted. (assume that means that Acer doesn't want you to use that device and it gets round this - although I don't know what pin20 is on either device).

btw 8781 has 3g + gps and 8775 only has 3g I think.

 

[johnnyfinlandia]

Installed the launcher application and it only shows the WiFi .. so thinking

- BOTH cards are duff
- I haven't set something on the BIOS
- something else on the board is not connecting them (ie. giving power)
- way of checking is removing the WiFi card and putting in that slot
- the correct driver and aerial will ONLY be needed IF the card is powered and recognised by the laptop

Has anyone installed the 8775 or 8171 bought as 'used' from e*** in their 3810TG or 8371 and were there any issues OR should I have used a different WWAN card ?

.. any ideas ?

edit: I also run the 1.28 BIOS with the fan change .. that couldn't be it ?

 

[fraxos]

On a different subject,

does anyone how we can get the laptop to overlcock automatically upon startup?

 

[dragonuk]

johnnyfinlandia

The modded 1.28 bios will have nothing to do with it, it should work :S

Read this :

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...-3810t-other-interesting-tidbits-machine.html

Lots of people added wwan cards to their laptop there, from about page 14 or something. Don think anyone had any problems

 

[johnnyfinlandia]

johnnyfinlandia

The modded 1.28 bios will have nothing to do with it, it should work :S

Read this :

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ace...-3810t-other-interesting-tidbits-machine.html

Lots of people added wwan cards to their laptop there, from about page 14 or something. Don think anyone had any problems

Yes I have read that forum thanks Lots of info.
I have emailed both sellers to see what they say.
They were new but maybe blacklisted by Acer
I am using Win7 Pro new install on SSD so maybe put my old 500GB HDD disk in and see what that says
Weird

 

[johnnyfinlandia]

On a different subject,

does anyone how we can get the laptop to overlcock automatically upon startup?

You have to copy the .exe to your startup folder.