3820TG Owner's Lounge - Part Two

[Just_a_Nick]

Anyone? I still can't get it to work...

Use the windows flash tool.

[Wally33]

@Bronsky and Prikolchik
It turns out the pins were reversed.
I'll be sure to let the seller know so no-one else has this trouble.
thanks for all your help with it
really enjoying the free usb ports and BT mouse

[tranceFusion]

I was interested in purchasing this laptop, but I can't find it for sale anywhere. Is there a newer model # or something?

[Apex84]

I personally have given up on switching, I use BIOS switching now (with the Intel menu).

Does that mean you have to enter BIOS whenever you want to switch GPU? Or is it possible to change between the 3 modes (Intel/Discrete/Switchable) in Windows?

[MiniwintZ]

Hi everyone
I'm a proud owner of a 3820TG since 12/2010
It is the i5 460/hd5650/750GB version. I've been pretty much satisfied so far but there is only one big issue about gaming.

As you may know Source engine is not perfect in terms of optimization.

Here's my problem: loading times in Team Fortress 2 game are SLOW: on my desktop pc (Phenom II X4 955, 4GB DDR3 1333, Caviar Black 1TB) it takes about 30 sec to load the first map and then it is about 20 sec for the following ones.

On my 3820TG it takes sometimes as much as 4:30 mins (!!) to load the first map but the following ones are usually fast (~30s) to load.

Fellow TF2 (or other Source based games) players, have you had the same problem ? The only main difference I see between the 2 computers is the hard drive but the practical difference seems huge and as far as I found on the Internet, I don't see many people complain about that.

Any help would be welcome ! Thanks in advance.

PS: Acquiring a SSD is out of question for now. I think the issue is elsewhere.
PS2: Please apology for my bad English.

[Chris]

This is definitely not normal! TF2 should not load that slow on any machine.

Does it happen with other Source engine games as well?
What about other games that are not on the Source engine (download a demo from STEAM on both machines and test)
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I was interested in purchasing this laptop, but I can't find it for sale anywhere. Is there a newer model # or something?

Post your location and we may be able to help you. It's still available, the 3830TG (replacement) is not yet available.

[MiniwintZ]

This is definitely not normal! TF2 should not load that slow on any machine.

Does it happen with other Source engine games as well?
What about other games that are not on the Source engine (download a demo from STEAM on both machines and test)

Although I don't play much other Source games, the issue seems to be similar on CS:S.

edit: I remember there is a defragment tool inside Steam, I might want to see if running it helps.

[geokilla]

Use the windows flash tool.

Everyone says that but I don't want to because it's bricked many motherboards, including one of my own motherboards (previous experience). DOS is the safest way, and so is programs like ASUS EZ Flash, but such things don't exist for this laptop.

[Ordacle]

Is there a place with a particularly good deal on the i5, HD 6550 model?

[edit]Could any of you guys try PCSX2 and/or Dolphin at native resolution, with AA and texture enhancement on?

[zsero]

Does that mean you have to enter BIOS whenever you want to switch GPU? Or is it possible to change between the 3 modes (Intel/Discrete/Switchable) in Windows?

Yes, I go into the BIOS and switch whenever I need to. It is really not a big thing, as when I would like to game, it takes just 3 clicks. And this way I have stable Intel drivers (no DXVA bugs or flash player green screen), and 11.2 ATI driver from the latest official mobility release. Windows switching might be possible in the future, there is a talk in the tweaks thread about it.