Overclock.net banner

[Modding] Pimp my notebook! Acer Aspire 5742G the tag!

58K views 61 replies 23 participants last post by  MehlstaubtheCat 
#1 ·
Welcome to my second project here on OCN !

All the me of my current ongoing project
( http://www.overclock.net/t/1417888/buildlog-project-industrial-silence-900d-ivy-bridge-e-backplatemod-mehlstaub-the-cat )
already know, that I'm not a fan of normal 0815 optimizations or modding
biggrin.gif


This time I'm modding my notebook
smile.gif


Why I wish to a notebook rebuilding / modding ?
Hmm, because I can and feel like it and it's already getting old
wink.gif
!

But of course it also has a practical use.
I am traveling a lot for business and therefore take the notebook always.
Then I went on the internet a lot but sometimes I like to also been playing Diablo 3
or talk on TeamSpeak / Skype then with my wife.
wink.gif

When I'm at home it is almost 100% my internet computer.
My big beast is only for video editing, etc. gameing.

Find out more about the notebook :

Type designation :
Aspire 5742g-374g50mnkk

Date of manufacture :
09.2010
Thus, almost exactly three years old!

Technical data :

Prozessor :
Intel Core i3-370M 2,4Ghz Arrandale Sockel 988A

Chipset :
HM55

Graphics :
Nvidia GT 420M 1GB @ Stock 500MHz Chip / 800MHz VRAM

Memory :
Samsung ( M471B5773CHS-CH9 )
2x2GB 1333MHz CL9 runs at 1066MHz with CL7
more MHz does not support the processor.

HDD :
500GB Hitachi 5400RPM

I will perform the following modifications:

1. Processor upgrade !

According to the datasheet I can upgrade my i3 to an i5.
I bought an i5-560M on Ebay.
http://www.fotos-hochladen.net

2. Memory upgrade !

I can use 4GB per channel, exactly what I will do.
I'll buy myself 2x4GB 1066MHz CL7 1.5V Samsung memory.
Better would be of course CL6 1066MHz at 1.5V but I don´t find any
smile.gif

In addition, I have to tweak the latencies before with CPU-Tweaker.
Currently, the latencies are tightened to gamble on CL6, the whole is Prime stable and a little faster.
Will then again a RAM DISK Creating the browser cache, etc. just a little bigger than before.

3. Reconstruction of the hard drive and installing an SSD !

The available hard drive I'm using an adapter
banish the DVD slot and when the DVD drive is required replug again.
Add to become free disk space is a 120 GB SSD.
The chipset according to data sheet "only" supports SATA II,
but I will buy a Samsung 840 120GB Evo for about 86 €.

4. Conversion of heat pipe cooling !

Here again comes my crazy wire to light
wink.gif


There we give a Headpipe mod with additional cooling surface in the form of aluminum and copper coolers.
These coolers are glued with a special two-component thermally conductive adhesive.
And I'm going to put on the hot CPU and GPU with the VRAM small additional holes through the casing drilling, so that fresh air can flow over the heat sink .
These holes are accurately measured and positioned for optimum cooling additive.

The air heats up inside , is conveyed through the existing fan with outside,
should not be a problem. The plastic on the fan outlet I will dremel off
so a little more air to be freely blown out of the case.

It will also give the Liquid Ultra thermal paste replaced so that the best possible heat transfer is ensured.
I hope by a colder CPU and GPU.
If it works I will use the GPU and VRAM clock to gamble as before can also slightly increase.
Currently I been playing with 700MHz Chip 900MHz VRAM all I want to maintain as far as possible only when slightly cooler.
wink.gif


Unfortunately it is not possible to overclock the CPU with SetFSB or other tools
because on this notebook not a supported clock generator has been installed, you can not have everything.
wink.gif

This has to suffice the CPU update.

Example picture of Headpipe!


5. Expansion or unplugging of Bluetooth, webcam and microphone !

I feel watched scandal since the NSA intercepted and therefore I will make the webcam and the microphone harmless I do not need bluetooth as well.
Perhaps this also saves some power.

6. Create power-saving battery profile !

With the help of additional tools I will try to increase the battery life.
When I sit on the train surfing the internet look at a movie or DVD,
the battery should hold out as long as possible.

7. Benchmark Results !

The new Cinebench 15 to determine the CPU performance.
MaxxMEM ² to determine the memory performance.
The Heaven Benchmark 4.0 as a graphics benchmark.
And as CPU and GPU Benchmark i will use Aquamark 3.
The disk performance I will identify with AS SSD benchmark.

As stability and temperature test, I'm going to use Prime 95 27.9 64bit.
The CPU temperatures will produce I read with Real Temp.
The maximum temperature of the graphics chip is read with HW monitor.
To produce the maximum system temperature,
I'll let Prime and Heaven benchmark run for 30min in parallel.

As Latenztweakingtool comes CPU Tweaker 2.0 is used.
To change the graphics / VRAM clock I would use EVGA Precision X.

Latest drivers :
Intel Chipset Driver 9. 4. 0. 1026
GeForce Display Driver 327.23 WHQL

Each benchmark will be run twice and the second result is posted

Benchmark results before the conversion :

Full load temperatures Prime95 + Heaven Benchmark
30min Prime 95 Small FFT´s Maxtemp CPU Core 1 85degree Core 2 82degree / Graphics 77degree / Roomtemp 23,4degree


Cinebench 15


MaxxMEM ²


Aquamark 3


Heaven Benchmark 4.0


AS SSD Benchmark

Epic result
wink.gif


Benchmark results after the conversion :

Full load temperatures Prime95 + Heaven Benchmark

Cinebench 15

MaxxMEM ²

Aquamark 3

Heaven Benchmark 4.0

AS SSD Benchmark

Here are some pictures :

Above


Below


Open
Do not wonder why the symbols are are so small.
I downsample from 1:2 1366x768 to 2732x1536@80Hz which I find very pleasant surfing.
wink.gif



In the side panel you can see very well the air vents under this I will make a few extra holes.


To do Liste !

Order of :

Samsung 840 Evo SSD 120GB ordered !
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/120GB-Samsung-840-Evo-Series-2-5Zoll--6-4cm--SATA-6Gb-s-TLC-Toggle--MZ-7T_917097.html
Corsair ValueRAM DDR3-1333 8GB SO-DIMM CL9 Dual Kit ordered !
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/8GB-Corsair-ValueRAM-DDR3-1333-SO-DIMM-CL9-Dual-Kit_715608.html
HDD installation frame Silverstone TS06 ODD Slimline ordered !
http://www.mindfactory.de/product_info.php/Silverstone-TS06-ODD-Slimline-USB-2-0-schwarz_782726.html
I bought an i5-560M on Ebay. ordered !



Current list of materials + total cost of the renovation works:

Mindfactory Order:
Midnight shopping without Shipping

Samsung 840 120GB SSD Evo 85.43€
Corsair ValueRAM 8GB DDR3 -1333 SO-DIMM CL9 Dual Kit 52.78€
HDD mounting frame Silverstone TS06 Slim ODD 22.63€
Little cooler parts 13,70€

Ebay
Core i5- 560M Mobile Processor 73.10€ + Shipping

Total Cost: 247.64€

Available material :
Arctic Silver ArctiClean CPU cleaning kit exits 0€
Little cooler parts already exists 0€
Arctic Silver Premium thermal glue exits 0€
Cool Laboratory Liquid Ultra thermal grease exits 0€

Threads with my questions and issues, around this project !

http://www.overclock.net/t/1433780/memory-advice-notebook-memory
http://www.overclock.net/t/1431809/acer-aspire-5742g-which-clockgenerator
 
See less See more
23
#2 ·
Update :

There is something new from me about this project!
I have bought a couple of little coolers.
With some thermal adhesive and the little coolers, I will improve the heat pipe.
I hope that by the temperatures of the CPU and GPU can be reduced.
It is all but why not test experimentally, can not be worse I guess.
wink.gif


Thanks to my friends at Hardwareluxxx forum alpha-3 and Lebedev for their good deals!

 
#3 ·
Subbed

Laptop projects really excited to see what happens to your thermals when you add the extra heat spreaders.
 
#8 ·
Thank you ultimeus !

Update :

Yesterday I disassembled the notebook.
Had to realize that it is built very tight :foot: I know I know closely is a relative term
wink.gif

The thermal paste was very hard, it is about time to replace them.
The contact surface to the CPU headpipe is also not optimal.
Got myself a 5000 grit sandpaper and polishing compound nabbed
and started to grind and polish the result is really worth.
The built-in webcam and microphone I have removed.
Today the bought CPU has arrived.
I will install it today and the headpipe will get optimized too.

Here are the latest pictures of the disassembly:































 
#11 ·
Update :

This will be the first and last time that I modify a notebook
smile.gif

Removing and installing again, test again if the cooler seated properly, then expand test
Removing and installing test so at least 5 hours until all the cooler seated properly,
then stick with thermal adhesive.
A S... job honestly, I have done so much in my life with computers but something like this,
uhhhh luckily i´am finished with the headpipe
smile.gif

Have the additional CPU support surface better still glued with thermal adhesive,
must then grind again tomorrow.
Today i have no desire to do this ..

Here are the pictures from the reconstruction of headpipe and the motherboard:











 
#13 ·
Hi legoman786 give me a little time, when i have all finished i will make benchmarks and temp results and other stuff.

Update :

The laptop is reassembled , and it still works.
wink.gif


Yesterday was a busy day , had much to do.
Actually, I had planned to dremel the fan slots, but that would have made the page too unstable,
therefore I have decided for a few extra holes .
In the first pictures you can see how the drilled additional holes are created.
Under the fan I also get a big hole dremelt to get more air to the fan.
Modified headpipe, Liquid Ultra onto the CPU and GPU and screwed together.
The last two pictures show the monitor. I have sanded the monitor frame with 400 grid sandpaper.
The reason was he was in piano black design and has mirrored, I 've always wanted him to have matt black,
so I painted it matt black. The result is much better than before.

Performance values, benchmark results and temperature do I do when everything is ready,
which still lasts because my delivery with the SSD and the Memory is slow in coming.

Here are the pictures from yesterday .

























 
#18 ·
Update :

I've removed the notebook once again.
This time I drilled additional holes still on the ground.
The whole has again brought a few less degrees C°
The fan is no longer on the idle and surfing.
Even look at the video on Youtube, he goes to every 5 min short on for 30 seconds.
The whole only at the lowest level, that is barely audible,
the heat again to blow out, then he's off again.
smile.gif

With an SSD, the notebook is now completely silent.

I will continue to test whether I need more holes or whether it is sufficient if anything.
The graphics chip I want to get even further down the temperatures,
let's see how this can be achieved.

This week will arive the SSD and the memory.
That's probably the next thing I would change.

My other project also want something from me, so step by step
smile.gif


Here are the pictures from the drill holes.











 
#19 ·
Update :

And again, I continue tinkering with the notebook.
My orders are arrived.
And now a Samsung 840 120GB EVO has found a new home. ( Image 1 and 2 )
Sick SSD my laptop only supports SATA II but she is realy quick see updated benchmarks in the first thread.
Out this fan mesh I made a cover for the heatpipe fan. ( Image 3 and 7 )
The Silverstone conversion kit has made it possible that I can continue to use my old notebook hard drive.
The notebook cd drive is migrated into the chic external enclosure. ( Image 4,5 and 6 )

Have additional holes drilled again, now this is final completed, more holes are no longer possible. ( Image 7 )
The motherboard also has all the coolers, here it is also no longer possible to install more. ( Image 8 )
Notebook final assembled. ( Image 9)

One thing did not work, the memory that i have ordered, not recognize the notebook, I have to inform myself to know why.
Therefore, all benchmarks are not final yet. !

A few benchmarks are now in thread one updated, they are not Final !.

















 
#20 ·
Hi! I follow with great interest your project: I have the same notebook but with i5-480M as CPU and NVIDIA 540M as GPU.
I'm also looking for ways to decrease the temperature. I noticed that our notebook has only one copper pipe to dissipate the GPU and CPU at the same time and this certainly does not help to lower temperatures. I looked for a sink from another model that was more or less compatible, and I found the Acer Aspire 5750G. Unfortunately the two heatsink are not immediately compatible and replaceable, and so I'm working on some changes even if the thing is being done very complex ... Had you thought about a similar solution? Thanks
 
#21 ·
Hi Swing94,

Welcome to the OCN Forum !
Quote:
Had you thought about a similar solution?
I just wanted to optimize the existing material.
This is difficult enough, so I have not thought of a different solution.
I hope it answers your question.
biggrin.gif
 
#22 ·
Hi, you gave me some nice ideas for "pimping" my laptop.
I have an Acer 5742G I think is the same one you are using in this thread, Intel I3, 4 GB RAM, 320GB HDD, NVidia 420M.

My current upgrades are: 8 GB ram and Samsung EVO 120 Gb SSD.

My first upgrade was the extra 4 GB ram. Second module is 1333 MHz but it works nice with first one, they bout work at 1067 MHz.
I'm old in this kind of business and I know that Samsung is one of the best in memory chips so my second upgrade was the Samsung EVO SSD, and because that was the most expensive part, I needed to make some savings for future upgrades, so I decided to make my own 2nd HDD Caddy.
My old "friend" Google gave me the schematics for sata to slim-sata adapter.

I've modded my bios with UEFI modded bios found on the internet for Acer 5742G. With this modded bios I could make GPT partition on my SSD and I have activated "fast boot" option in bios so Windows 8.1 is booting in 15-17 seconds.

I used an old broken DVD drive and the good part was that I had room for a bass speaker from an broken Toshiba laptop that I connected to the right speaker connector on the motherboard.
I never understand why Acer decided to make an mono speaker laptop when they had room and the connector for stereo speakers.

About the bluetooth, I didn't had any bluetooth module on my laptop. I've tried to connect one but it didn't work. I'm curios about some feedback about this.

My next upgrades will probably be modified cooling system, thanks to your ideas, illuminated keyboard, probably with Acer 5738 one, and some cosmetic upgrades, like replacing the logo on the back of the screen with something like "Diablo" themed (I'm an old Diablo fan to), also I want to make an "Acer 5742G" logo from aluminum foil using the "Metallica" font (pastorof.ttf) and stick it on the right of the touch-pad, and of course some custom painting, like you did with the screen frame, but probably with different color, metallic-red, or something like that.

If I wont brake my laptop I will post some picture after I'll make time to mod it.
I'm curios and waiting for ideas of making the fan cover, underneath the laptop.

Thanks again for your motivational work.
 
#23 ·
Hi Thosa

Welcome to the OCN Forum.

Nice to hear that I inspire other people, just like you.

Yes you have the same laptop as me with only a little other configuration.

My SSD is the same as yours.
smile.gif


Please, can you tell me which memory you have ordered ?
I look a the moment for compatible memory.
My ordered memory didn´t run don´t know why.
Now i look for 2x4GB.

Yes stereo speakers would fit in the case because there is enough space.

I had bluetooth, i but it out, i don´t use it like the webcam and the internal mic.

I'm also interested in what you are mod on your laptop.
Make you own Projekt Thread an then i help you if you want.
Quote:
Thanks again for your motivational work.
You're welcome.
thumb.gif
 
#24 ·
Hi,
About my memory, I didn't had any memory module on my laptop, I've bought it second hand from someone who bought a new laptop so I've ordered one memory module of 4gb, it's Team Group Inc. 4GB DDRIII1333Mhz..
My second module that I've got from a friend that, like in your case, it was not compatible with his laptop, HP-something, it's Ramaxel 4GB 2Rx8 PC3-12800S, I think it's 1600MHz and works fine in my laptop.

As I said they both run at 1067 MHz but that's not a problem, I had 6.9 on Windows 7 WEI so it's ok.

Those are the product ID's that I found written on them:

TED34G1333C9-SBK
RMT3020ED58E9W-1600

I hope you find one of them.

Also, Core Temp show me 59 degrees Max after running SuperPi 4M, and 1080p video on youtube on the same time, but I still want to mod my cooling system and see where my temps go, at least put something on motherboards chipset because there's nothing there.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top