Bug 2:
They didn't remap the memory properly resulting in not all 4GB fully utilised. By rights if they are not going to utilise Intel HD Graphics they should have allocated 0MB to the Intel Graphics DVMT(or let user decide by enabling the menu in EFI setup menu).
I got my hands on one of the newer Acer Laptop: Acer Aspire 4740G
This is a rather cheap laptop with rather good specifications.
I won't be posting any picture of this laptop as you can google how it looks yourself.
To me performance is a more vital information source.
The specifications are as follows:
| Operating System |
|
| Processor & Chipset |
|
| Memory |
|
| Optical media drive |
|
| Storage |
|
| Display |
|
| Graphics |
|
| Audio |
|
| Communication |
|
| I/O Interfaces |
|
| Security |
|
| Power supply and battery |
|
| Keyboard & Special Controls |
|
| Weight and dimensions |
|
| Software |
|
| Warranty |
|
| CPU Properties: | ||||
| CPU Type | 2x , 2133 MHz | |||
| Instruction Set | x86, x86-64, MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2 | |||
| Original Clock | 2133 MHz | |||
| L2 Cache | 256 KB (Asynchronous) | |||
| Multi CPU (HyperThreading, Actual No. of Cores:2): | ||||
| CPU #1 | Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz, 2128 MHz | |||
| CPU #2 | Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz, 2128 MHz | |||
| CPU #3 | Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz, 2128 MHz | |||
| CPU #4 | Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz, 2128 MHz | |||
| Video Adapter Properties: | ||||
| Device Description | NVIDIA GeForce 310M | |||
| Adapter String | GeForce 310M | |||
| BIOS String | Version 70.18.3f.0.a | |||
| Chip Type | GeForce 310M | |||
| DAC Type | Integrated RAMDAC | |||
| Driver Date | 16/3/2010 | |||
| Driver Version | 8.17.11.9716 - nVIDIA ForceWare 197.16 | |||
| Driver Provider | NVIDIA | |||
| Memory Size | 512 MB | |||
| Monitor Properties: | ||||
| Monitor Name | Generic PnP Monitor [NoDB] | |||
| Monitor ID | AUO183C | |||
| Manufacturer | B140XW01 V8 | |||
| Manufacture Date | Week 1 / 2009 | |||
| Serial Number | None | |||
| Max. Visible Display Size | 31 cm x 17 cm (13.9") | |||
| Picture Aspect Ratio | 17:9 | |||
| Gamma | 2.20 | |||
| DPMS Mode Support | None | |||
| Harddisk Controller: | ||||
| Driver Description | Intel(R) 5 Series 4 Port SATA AHCI Controller | |||
| Driver Date | 3/3/2010 | |||
| Driver Version | 9.6.0.1014 | |||
| Driver Provider | Intel | |||
| INF File | oem8.inf | |||
Windows Experience Index
Note: The harddisk is a upgraded WD BEKT 7200RPM 16MB Buffer Drive the default 5K500 Hitachi Drive doesn't give as much performance
CPU
The New Arrandale CPU i330 M330 (the lowest end)
The Throttling States is as follows:
Lowest Frequency: 1200MHZ Multiplier: x9.0
(In between Multiplier changes from x9.0 to x16.0 depending on CPU Usage thus conserving power,however sometimes it hits x7.0 Multiplier could be a bug,
QPI is fixed and no more Front Side Bus)
Maximium Frequency: 2100MHZ Multiplier: x16.0
It is Physically a Dual Core CPU with 2 Hyperthreading Cores so 4 Logical Cores in Total
Graphics SubSystem
Note:
There maybe some errors regarding PhysX. Official Statement about PhysX is only 32 CUDA Cores GPUs are supported however G 310M only has 16 CUDA Cores. But I have tested AS4740G and it DOES support PhysX using the latest Nvidia 257.21 driver but I wouldn't count on the performance.
GPU is soldered to the board as VGA BIOS/Firmware cannot be read by GPUZ the normal way. Also Soldered GPUs can reduce the pricing of the laptop therefore this can explain the cheap price of Acer Aspire 4740G.
Below is a picture of the GPU and CPU
Note GPU is soldered onto the mainboard therefore NOT UPGRADEABLE.
CPU is a PGA Socket hence UPGRADEABLE.
Although the laptop has Intel HD Graphics onboard the CPU (see the 2 die above?), it is not activated or detected, you can pray that Acer will release a BIOS, no sorry EFI Firmware that will unlock Optimus or Switchable Graphics BUT from my past experience with Acer chances are as good as striking lottery...
New:
Below is a picture of the GPU and CPU
Note GPU is soldered onto the mainboard therefore NOT UPGRADEABLE.
CPU is a PGA Socket hence UPGRADEABLE.
Although the laptop has Intel HD Graphics onboard the CPU (see the 2 die above?), it is not activated or detected, you can pray that Acer will release a BIOS, no sorry EFI Firmware that will unlock Optimus or Switchable Graphics BUT from my past experience with Acer chances are as good as striking lottery...
New:
IRONLAKE-MOBILEd.0.Ä.C.0...................BIOS_DATA_BLOCK ˜...”.þê..d....1914Intel(R)Ironlake Mobile PCI Accelerated SVGA BIOS..Build Number: 1914 PC 14.34 10/15/2009 11:37:51..DECOMPILATION OR DISASSEMBLY PROHIBITED..............CoI found the above VGA ROM (IRONLAKE is the Intel Code Name for Intel HD Graphics onboard the Intel Core iX CPU) data inside the BIOS dump which indicate Acer Aspire 4740G CAN ACTUALLY SUPPORT switchable except Acer disabled the ability in the EFI/BIOS.
Temperature Dissipation Test
This is a new Test I devised to measure how well the unit dissipate heat it can produce at maximium performance:
My opinion on this result is that this Acer Aspire 4740G handles heat pretty decently.
Considering that Acer uses Thermal pad on the GPU this is a very good result.
I estimate if the thermal pad is replaced by a Copper Shim temperature will fall by a good 10 degrees.
Only real Tests like the one I conducted can accurately determine if a particular model potentially has thermal issues, not old grandmother stories like how my Acer from 10 years ago overheat therefore all Acer overheat(This is a flawed argument by the way).
Anyway a computer that cannot dissipate the heat it produces is as good as a man who can't wipe his own backside (Acer Aspire 4530), so this laptop does pretty well.
My opinion on this result is that this Acer Aspire 4740G handles heat pretty decently.
Considering that Acer uses Thermal pad on the GPU this is a very good result.
I estimate if the thermal pad is replaced by a Copper Shim temperature will fall by a good 10 degrees.
Only real Tests like the one I conducted can accurately determine if a particular model potentially has thermal issues, not old grandmother stories like how my Acer from 10 years ago overheat therefore all Acer overheat(This is a flawed argument by the way).
Anyway a computer that cannot dissipate the heat it produces is as good as a man who can't wipe his own backside (Acer Aspire 4530), so this laptop does pretty well.
Kombustor rate of temperature rise graph:
3 PowerMizer States are as shown below:
It seems to indicates a decent CUDA Device.
Power Consumption Max Load Mode (Using JouleMeter from Microsoft Research)
Power Consumption Idle Mode(JouleMeter from Microsoft Research)
So there you go all the information you need to consider this laptop for usage.
If you know how to reinstall an Operating System, always do a clean install for better performance.
Why, because if you go Windows Hardware Developer Central there is a report that stated over 80% of OEM Imaged Computers has lousier performance than a Clean Windows Installation.
I believe this is due to OEM Crap pre-installed in the computers.
Remember to run idle task and defragment the harddisk so AFTER installing all drivers to ensure optimal performance.
If you want to do a clean install you can use the list below as a driver checklist.
Or click here for links to latest greatest driver.
If you want to do a clean install you can use the list below as a driver checklist.
Or click here for links to latest greatest driver.
- Intel Chipset Driver
- Intel Rapid Storage Driver
- Intel Management Engine
- Nvidia Graphics Driver
- Nvidia High Definition Audio Driver
- Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
- Acer Launch Manager
- BroadCom Bluetooth Driver
- Finger Print Driver (Available from Windows Updates)
- SuYin/Chicony WebCam Driver
- Conexant Modem Driver
- Synaptics/ALP Touchpad Driver
- Intel Management Engine Controller
- BroadCom NetLink LAN Driver
- Atheros/Intel Wireless Driver
- Realtek Card Reader Driver
- Acer Smart Power Manager & Optical Driver Power Manager
Conclusion about whats great and what sucks
What's Great:
1)This laptop although armed with the lowest end Core i3 Processor can even outmuscle any AMD Turion II Mobile Processor so you might want to reconsider buying any Turion II laptops.
It says something when you find a Turion II M 660 Flagship Processor can't beat the lowest end Intel Core i3 330M Processor. It says even more when the Turion II equiped laptop (4540G) cost more than this laptop (4740G).
2)The Audio is fantastic: Subwoofer + Bass on a 14 inch laptop (5.1 Surround Sound See Below)
You need to use MSI Audio Drivers to get the real potential. It comes with a 5 Ohm 2 Watt speaker instead of the usual 4 Ohm 2 Watt. New Realtek Driver Audio Mod for Better Sound
3)Solid hinge from older Gemstone.
4)Cheap price for a Intel/Nvidia combo laptop.
Remember Nvidia Always has better drivers than ATi on both Linux and Windows.
5)Awesome heat vent much better than previous designs.
6)Easy to access bottom panel for fast component upgrades
7)Ultra Slient Exhaust Fan even when spinning at Full Speed.
What Sucks
1)The touchpad looks silly because when you use 2 finger scroll, the etches for the Touchpad 1 Finger slide seems pointless
2)Sound is not so good maybe because the drivers have not yet been stably corrected.
3)Fingerprint Magnet Monitor bezel.
4)WebCam driver image quality not quite there, needs better drivers.
What's Controversial
1)The new 14 inch form factor has lower height but broader breath, personally I like it as this gives it a more compact look like a 13 inch which give better mobility but the total screen area is conserved.
2)Keyboard needs some getting use to (Sort of VAIO/Macbook style keyboard I am too used to the old Acer Style)
3)Battery life is around 3 hrs on the default battery but I know it is possible to buy 12 Cell Batteries on Ebay to equip this laptop.
4)RW-Everything reported this laptop can support up to 16GB after BIOS data analysis but only 2 Physical Slots are available so it should take a Max of 8GB only.
Bottomline:
I don't think anyone can find an Arrandale Based Laptop with decent Nvidia Graphics for the same price Acer placed on this laptop so yea this is it.
If you already own this laptop you might be interested in Optimizing the System Disk & Touchpad Configuration and installing OpenSUSE on AS4740
Changing the BackUp Button to open other applications (Using Zune as an Example)
Note: This will only work if you install the LauchManager from Acer Aspire 4540G.
<------------------(Start Copying after this Line)------------------>
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Compal\LManager\Settings\Buttons\Backup]
"Command"="C:\\Program Files\\Zune\\Zune.exe"
"Command Type"="1"
"Label"="Zune"
"Remote Code"="C008"
"Description"="Zune Media Player"
"Configable"="1"
<---------------------(Stop Copying Before this line)------------------------->
What's Great:
1)This laptop although armed with the lowest end Core i3 Processor can even outmuscle any AMD Turion II Mobile Processor so you might want to reconsider buying any Turion II laptops.
It says something when you find a Turion II M 660 Flagship Processor can't beat the lowest end Intel Core i3 330M Processor. It says even more when the Turion II equiped laptop (4540G) cost more than this laptop (4740G).
2)The Audio is fantastic: Subwoofer + Bass on a 14 inch laptop (5.1 Surround Sound See Below)
You need to use MSI Audio Drivers to get the real potential. It comes with a 5 Ohm 2 Watt speaker instead of the usual 4 Ohm 2 Watt. New Realtek Driver Audio Mod for Better Sound
3)Solid hinge from older Gemstone.
4)Cheap price for a Intel/Nvidia combo laptop.
Remember Nvidia Always has better drivers than ATi on both Linux and Windows.
5)Awesome heat vent much better than previous designs.
6)Easy to access bottom panel for fast component upgrades
7)Ultra Slient Exhaust Fan even when spinning at Full Speed.
What Sucks
1)The touchpad looks silly because when you use 2 finger scroll, the etches for the Touchpad 1 Finger slide seems pointless
2)Sound is not so good maybe because the drivers have not yet been stably corrected.
3)Fingerprint Magnet Monitor bezel.
4)WebCam driver image quality not quite there, needs better drivers.
What's Controversial
1)The new 14 inch form factor has lower height but broader breath, personally I like it as this gives it a more compact look like a 13 inch which give better mobility but the total screen area is conserved.
2)Keyboard needs some getting use to (Sort of VAIO/Macbook style keyboard I am too used to the old Acer Style)
3)Battery life is around 3 hrs on the default battery but I know it is possible to buy 12 Cell Batteries on Ebay to equip this laptop.
4)RW-Everything reported this laptop can support up to 16GB after BIOS data analysis but only 2 Physical Slots are available so it should take a Max of 8GB only.
Bottomline:
I don't think anyone can find an Arrandale Based Laptop with decent Nvidia Graphics for the same price Acer placed on this laptop so yea this is it.
If you already own this laptop you might be interested in Optimizing the System Disk & Touchpad Configuration and installing OpenSUSE on AS4740
Changing the BackUp Button to open other applications (Using Zune as an Example)
Note: This will only work if you install the LauchManager from Acer Aspire 4540G.
<------------------(Start Copying after this Line)------------------>
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Compal\LManager\Settings\Buttons\Backup]
"Command"="C:\\Program Files\\Zune\\Zune.exe"
"Command Type"="1"
"Label"="Zune"
"Remote Code"="C008"
"Description"="Zune Media Player"
"Configable"="1"
<---------------------(Stop Copying Before this line)------------------------->
53 comments:
Good review, thanks. One question, is the 310M good enough for todays game?
What games do you play?
Excellent for old games medium to low on crysis I think
if it can handle crysis than should be no problem for dirt2, assasins 2 i think...thanks for replying...
Remember it should be low settings.
Anyway this laptop's graphics is still overclockable should be able to get a few extra hundred points easily.
Thermal output is optimal to justify overclockability.
hi, just bought one for my wife for the sole purpose of playing flash games on facebook (farmville, etc). problem is, whenever we try to play on full screen, the monitor goes black out and the computer hangs (or so it looks like it). is this some sort of bug? can you please advise on what we can do? thanks!
Can you try updating the graphics driver direct from Nvidia download site?
You should also try reinstalling flash.
As always I always recommend clean installing Windows 7 instead of depending on the poorly done Acer Disk Image.
Try to remove the crapware that comes with a lot of Acer Laptops.
As I always do clean installs with my laptop I didn't experience the issue you face.
any update on the memory remapping?
I will update when the issues are resolved.
I added an additional 2gig from my 4740g so its now supposedly 3gig but it says here only 2.49 is usable. thats 17% of wasted memory! any news on the fix for this?
Make sure you are on 64bit OS first.
I'm currently using a genuine Windows 7 32-bit OS. aren't 32-bit operating systems capable of properly supporting 4Gb?
No, although it is originally capable of doing so, Microsoft capped the limit to 3GB userspace and 1GB reserved to system due to "driver" issues so now to obtain the full addressing capability you have to have a 64 bit OS. If you include any Graphic adapters behaviour of system memory stealing you get even less.
my 4740G with 4 gb ram does randomly hang while playing full screen facebook game.. I updated the nvidia driver but still hang at times. Each time it hangs,it produced a tone from the speaker and alt-crtl delete wouldnt work, so i have to press the on/off button to restart it.. I'm worried in a long run my computer will suffer..any good advise?
Do a clean install as shown here.
Make sure all the drivers I listed in the driver check-list in the review are installed.
I don't know how they deployed the image.
For AS4740G the i3 and i5/i7 are different.
i5 comes with Turbo Boost which requires a driver while i3 doesn't.
If they happen to deploy the same disk image to different machine configurations it is possible that this could be the cause of glitches.
how to upgrade the cpu from core i3 to core i7..?
how and where to get it..?
how to upgrade the cpu..?
where to get it..?
how much is the core i7 or core i5 processor price to upgrade..?
ebay.
You can find it there but prices are steep.
Currently not worth it IMO.
i just bought mine about 3mos ago. at first, it's not that hot... but now i think its overheating!!! it is NOT FOR YOUR LAP CUZ IT WILL COOK IT. I DUNNO IF THERE'S SOMTHING WRONG WITH MY LAPTOP BUT I FEEL LIKE IT WILL COOK THE POWER ADAPTOR SOON LIKE WHAT MY OLD ACER DID TO THE POWER ADAPTOR.
Is this guess work or have you actually gotten the temperature that it is overheating? Also check the fans, any laptop WILL overheat if you jam the fans with dust, and laptops do not suddenly overheat if it is prone to overheating conditions will show within the first week of intensive usage.
@admin, i guess im gonna have to send this back. i bought a fan for it. now it's not overheating. so i think there's a problem with the fan.
just fyi, acer has been released the updated bios 1.08 (dated 12-07-2010) and 1.09 (dated 13-07-2010), available in the "service & support" section @ acer's official website,
... and ...
there is still no update for the missing RAM issue -- i think we have to wait for the release of bios 2.0 perhaps .... :(
hi i bought acer aspire 4740 2gb ram 250gb HDD. I am facing a problem with the Wifi. for past two days suddenly my wifi hangs and stops resonding. then i have to uninstall the driver and then reinstall it. but it doesnot last for more then 1 hour and the same thing goes on. i have done the update of the driver also but no change in the process. Kindly help.!!!
Can you follow this guide to clean install Windows 7 then use the drivers I linked here?
hi there,
i am laready using windows 7 home basic 64bit OS. this problem related to the hardware or this is a software problem?? this is my new laptop and still in warranty. does this problem needs to contact to the support center?
As I said try fixing it using clean install if the problem repeats then it is a hardware problem.
You can "upgrade" to Home Premium using the guide.
hi there,
i did the clean install of windows but still the problem persists. is it a sure hardware problem. even now its more frequent then earlier time. should i contact the support center now?
Intel Wireless or Atheros Wireless?
ATHEROS WIRELESS. KINDLY HELP ME OUT ON THIS ISSUE.
You can try to open the compartment containing the wireless card.
Reseat the wireless card.
Make sure the antenna is connected properly.
White to Main
Black to Aux
Hello,
I have acer 4740
i3 cpu , 2.13GHz
3gb ram
64 bit OS.
i have problems with my laptop, i think it overheats whenever i play games like PES2010 or COD4:MW2, after 10 or 15 minutes, the laptop will reboot and went into safe mode, and sometimes even small games like flash games in facebook or even puzzle pirates.
this doesnt happen in the first few months, i bought the laptop on feb this year. the problem starts around jun and july
i've tried cleaning the fan, bought Zalman 1000 cooler, still it overheats.
any suggestion?
Actually I already stress tested this laptop and it doesn't overheat.
It could be the thermal paste was badly applied.
You can either try to fix the thermal paste yourself or approach the service centre.
Make sure you are using the correct 19V 4.74A power adapter insufficient power can cause the problem you described as well.
Hello.. im using Acer 4740G i5 core... but i cant play games in full screen such as Fifa 2011.. and DoTA (warcraft III;frozen throne)..
My friend bougt lenovo laptop. similar specs as mine with same graphic card.. but, he can play any game in fullscreen..
i tried adjusting the game resolution from the game menu, but still no effect..
Anyone knows how to fix it?
Have you tried the latest driver from Nvidia?
Hi,
I was wondering if it's possible to have 6GB or GB RAM of this acer laptop? I'm planning to buy 2 4GB DDR3 in order to have my acer's RAM of 4GB to increase to 8GB.
@John Frederick I think you can. check this out -->http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Aspire%204740
im having problems with regards to the HDMI port. :( help! i cant conect it
Hmm. I noticed my 4740g's power adapter is not 19V 4.74A, i reads 19v, 3.42A [65W].. am I using the wrong one? should i be using 4.74A???
"Make sure you are using the correct 19V 4.74A power adapter insufficient power can cause the problem you described as well. "
It depends.
Insufficient current can cause hang ups when your computer is utilising maximum power when it is doing very intensive computing.
Under every laptop there is a power label which describes the max power it can consume.
The current rating of the adapter describes the max current it can provide.
Of course to be really accurate you can measure the current consumed using a multimeter but most people would follow the manufacturer guideline in using the correct adapter.
Hi, I was told 4740g can have up to 8GB memory is that true? 2x4gb cards? or can it only support 4gb mem total?
another q: ive got 4gb (2x2gb) and in windows system properties it says 4.00gb(3.87gb usuable).. where's the the 130mb's gone? is that what you mean by bug #2 above?
cheers.
I seemed to have found the ansers to my last 2 questions via the "What's Controversial" section (#4) and later finding a comment in the comments section (http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Aspire%204740)
So 4740g can support max total of 8gb on 64bit OS, nice, that's pretty decent.
Now I have another question.. :D.. My 4740g doesn't have a fingerprint scanner, is that normal? lol, not that I need one, but i guess certain makes/regions/markets wouldn't include it right?
Also, what can I upgrade in this machine exactly? memory, cpu, hard disk, anything else hardware wise?
My disk transfer rate in the WEI is showing 5.4, how come yours shows 5.9? is it because you changed the hdd?
The issue with bug 2 is because there are 2 type of Acer Aspire 4740.
They use the same BIOS but only 4740G has Nvidia Graphics and 4740 uses Intel Graphics.
To use Intel Graphics the BIOS needs to allocate at least 128MB to the Intel Graphics adapter but the Nvidia version has its own memory.
So for those people who own the Nvidia Version the BIOS will still reserve 128MB for the Intel Graphics which is not accessible therefore 128MB will be wasted.
Only certain SKU of 4740G has fingerprint devices.
I have 5.9 for Harddisk score because my harddrive is upgraded to 7200RPM 2.5" HDD.
On the Acer Aspire 4740G only Harddisk, Memory and CPU are upgradable. GPU is soldered on.
Thank you admin for your replies and answers. I don't know if I'm late to the show but I just picked up my first acer machine (second hand, a 4740g) for about 510USD (maybe payed a bit too much for second hand considering it didn't have the fingerprint scanner thing but oh well)
A few more q's:
What is upgradeable without voiding the warranty? I know RAM isn't a problem. Can I upgrade hdd, and cpu (i3 to i5) with out voiding warranty? I.e., is it easy for my local repair shop to easily swap the i3 to i5? or will it involve disassembly of the laptop and voiding the warranty?
For CPU you have to dissemble the machine down to board level.
For Harddisk and RAM you only need to unscrew and open up the respective lids.
Thanx to admin for this. hope u stay healthy and happy
my acer aspire 4740 (i5) use 6GB ram (4GB+2GB - both Kingston same frq), but sometimes got blue screen (avg 10blue screen/week). and sometimes my KAV2012 cannot launch. when this happen, i cant run any software until i restart 2-3 times again.
this problem GONE when i use only 4GB ram.
current bios : 1.05 OEM os Upgrade to Ultimate.
i use Win7 Ultimate 64bit.
how can i use 6GB or 8GB ram on this product?
Try to get Double Sided DIMMs (1 modules with chips on 2 sides) inside of Single Sided(1 modules with chips on 1 side) or Mixed DIMMS.
I own a 4740G.
Read about the reserved 128MB RAM for Intel Graphics. My question : What will happen if the RAM is upgraded to 8GB? The reserved RAM will still be 128MB or 128MBx2=256MB??
It will still be 128MB.
Hello,
Really nice blog...
I have aspire 4740g and want to upgrade its 2gb memory. can I get 4gb memory in addition?
Thanks in advance...
Yes it can support 4GB of Memory.
can the i3 m330 @ 2.13ghz support 8gb of ram? I got win 7 64bit with 4gm ram currently, not sure if it would work more the 4gm ram, i.e. 6gb.. do you think it shouldn't be a problem to have more the 4gb of ram on the i3 4740g?
hey, sorry to ask again, but can the i3 4740g successfully run using 8gb RAM? now I have 4gb and want to add atleast another 2gb is possible.. :(
Post a Comment