Confused about quoted processor speeds

Hi, hope someone can help me. I'm planning to buy a 751 in the UK, the 6 cell battery model with bluetooth and win XP.

The exact model is the AO751h-52Bb, and Acer's part number is LU.S850B.161. I've found it at several on-line stores but some are quoting it as having a 1.22ghz processor and others are quoting it with a 1.33ghz processor, even though the part numbers are the same. In the product specs on the Acer UK website they are all quoted as having a 1.22 processor.

So what's the story? Is there really a 1.33 version and how do I make sure I get it?

Thanks

 

Well I've had an email from Acer customer service that confirms the 751 processor runs at 1.22ghz.

This being the case I can only assume that Acer are underclocking the Z520 which has an official spec. of 1.33ghz. Explaining the confusing specs on different websites.

Anyone confirm?

Can I overclock it back to standard processor spec in the BIOS?

I really like the 751 but there is a common theme to all the reviews, slooow...

 

Think it depends on the bios, on the latest bios and with Windows 7 Ultimate that I am using, it runs at 1.33mhz according to Windows.

 

Yea mine seems to run at 1.33 as well with Win7.... it's nippy enough.

 

I have one that runs at 1.33ghz.

 

Windows does not report the actual processor speed. For instance, on my machine Windows reports 1.33 GHz. However, if you right click on your desktop, look under the "graphics properties" and hit "information", you will see that most people are only running at 1220 -1240 MHz:

Report Date: 11/19/2009
Report Time[hr:mm:ss]: 12:29:51
Driver Version: 8.14.10.2011
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium* , (6.1.7600)
Default Language: English
DirectX* Version: 10.0
Physical Memory: 2038 MB
Minimum Graphics Memory: 64 MB
Maximum Graphics Memory: 763 MB
Graphics Memory in Use: 40 MB
Processor: x86 Family 6 Model 28 Stepping 2
Processor Speed: 1240 MHZ
Vendor ID: 8086
Device ID: 8108
Device Revision: 07

 

Do you still get that with Bios v.3210?

DirectX* Version: 10.0
Physical Memory: 2038 MB
Minimum Graphics Memory: 64 MB
Maximum Graphics Memory: 763 MB
Graphics Memory in Use: 122 MB
Processor: x86 Family 6 Model 28 Stepping 2
Processor Speed: 1330 MHZ
Vendor ID: 8086
Device ID: 8108
Device Revision: 07

 

I'm using v.3208. I'm a little scared to change it because this is the only BIOS version I've found that allows my system to be stable (i.e. mostly solve the dreaded freezing issue). But yes, it's possible that version 3210 bumps the processor up to it's native speed. Most systems come from the factory at 1.22 GHz or so.

 

How do you get the above data?

 

Like this:

 

My details here:

Report Date: 11/20/2009
Report Time[hr:mm:ss]: 01:44:58
Driver Version: 8.14.10.2011
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate* , (6.1.7600)
Default Language: Danish
DirectX* Version: 10.0
Physical Memory: 2038 MB
Minimum Graphics Memory: 64 MB
Maximum Graphics Memory: 763 MB
Graphics Memory in Use: 105 MB
Processor: x86 Family 6 Model 28 Stepping 2
Processor Speed: 1330 MHZ
Vendor ID: 8086
Device ID: 8108
Device Revision: 07

 

I'm running Win7 with BIOS 3210 with no lockup's and my speed is reported to be 1.33Mhrz.

 

Awesome. It sounds like BIOS 3210 is the key!

I'll try to upgrade it at a time when I have time to backup my system (and potentially brick the thing, too, depending on whether the BIOS update is successful).

 

I have 3208 and the graphics properties say it's running at 1330Mhz

 

Just remember to "sit" on your hands when the BIOS update is running so that it can completely finish its task. When I the upgrade (I think I had 3202 or 3204), a few times I thought the computer locked up, but from past experience, I "sat" on my hands and sure enough, the BIOS finished its update properly.

Note: If you don't want to sit on your hands, you can try holding your breath.

 

In that case, I'm not sure why some machines are underclocked and some aren't. There's no user-changeable FSB setting in any of the BIOS versions I've seen.

It's possible that the chipset itself is declaring it's native speed at 1240 MHz (much like memory modules declare their default speed to the BIOS). Acer or Intel would have specifically arranged it this way. Maybe the earlier 751 models used chips that were "binned" as lower quality, and hence set to a default clock speed that is lower than 1330 MHz.

That would explain the poor overclocking performance on most of these machines.

 

In the "real" world, do you really think you would notice the difference between 1.24 Mhz verse 1.33 Mhz?

 

Very true. In fact, if you look at some of the benchmarks for the 30% overclocked Asus 1101HA, overall system performance only improves a few percent. Not enough to notice.

That being said, I wouldn't mind if my CPU was running at it's native speed. It somehow makes me feel like I'm being cheated, if you know what I mean.

 

Amen to that. Especially with a low powered Netbook. As far as I know, I got one of the early models in the U.S. As voiced elsewhere here, I wonder if some memory sticks slow the unit down a tad?