Acer ASPIRE ONE 521 User Manual
Aspire one 521 Series
Service Guide
Service guide files and updates are available
on the ACER/CSD web; for more information,
please refer to http://csd.acer.com.tw
PRINTED IN TAIWAN
Revision History
Please refer to the table below for the updates made on this service guide.
Date Chapter Updates
II
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.
Disclaimer
The information in this guide is subject to change without notice.
Acer Incorporated makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the
contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular
purpose. Any Acer Incorporated software described in this manual is sold or licensed "as is". Should the
programs prove defective following their purchase, the buyer (and not Acer Incorporated, its distributor, or its
dealer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, and any incidental or consequential
damages resulting from any defect in the software.
Acer is a registered trademark of Acer Corporation.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Other brand and product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
III
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
SCREEN MESSAGES Denotes actual messages that
appear on screen.
NOTE Gives bits and pieces of additional
information related to the current
topic.
WARNING Alerts you to any damage that might
result from doing or not doing
specific actions.
CAUTION Gives precautionary measures to
avoid possible hardware or software
problems.
IMPORTANT Reminds you to do specific actions
relevant to the accomplishment of
procedures.
NOTE: This symbol where placed in the Service Guide designates a compo nent tha t should
be recycled according to the local regulations.
IV
Preface
Before using this information and the product it supports, please read the following general information.
1. This Service Guide provides you with all technical information relating to the BASIC CONFIGURATION
decided for Acer's "global" product offering. To better fit local market requirements and enhance product
competitiveness, your regional office MAY have decided to extend the functionality of a machine (e.g.
add-on card, modem, or extra memory capability). These LOCALIZED FEATURES will NOT be covered
in this generic service guide. In such cases, please contact your regional offices or the responsible
personnel/channel to provide you with further technical details.
2. Please note WHEN ORDERING FRU PARTS, that you should check the most up-to-date information
available on your regional web or channel. If, for whatever reason, a part number change is made, it will
not be noted in the printed Service Guide. For ACER-AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS, your Acer
office may have a DIFFERENT part number code to those given in the FRU list of this printed Service
Guide. You MUST use the list provided by your regional Acer office to order FRU parts for repair and
service of customer machines.
V
VI
Table of Contents
System Specifications 1
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
System Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Notebook Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Closed Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Left View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Right View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Base View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
TouchPad Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Using the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Lock Keys and embedded numeric keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Windows Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Hot Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Special Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Hardware Specifications and Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
System Utilities 29
BIOS Setup Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Navigating the BIOS Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Main . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Boot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
BIOS Flash Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
DOS Flash Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
WinFlash Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Remove HDD/BIOS Password Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Removing BIOS Passwords: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Miscellaneous Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Machine Disassembly and Replacement 45
Disassembly Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Related Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Replacement Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Pre-disassembly Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Disassembly Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
External Module Disassembly Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
External Modules Disassembly Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Removing the Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Removing the Dummy Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Removing the Base Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Removing the DIMM Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Removing the Hard Disk Drive Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Removing the WLAN Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Removing the 3G Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Main Unit Disassembly Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Main Unit Disassembly Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Removing the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Removing the Upper Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Removing the Touchpad Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Removing the Bluetooth Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
VII
Table of Contents
Removing the LCD Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Removing the Mainboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Removing the Thermal Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Removing the Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
LCD Module Disassembly Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
LCD Module Disassembly Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Removing the LCD Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Removing the Camera Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Removing the LCD Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Removing the LCD Cover Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
LCD Reassembly Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Replacing the LCD Cover Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Replacing the LCD FPC Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Replacing the LCD Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Replacing the Camera Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Replacing the LCD Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Main Unit Reassembly Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Replacing the Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Replacing the Thermal Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Replacing the Mainboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Replacing the LCD Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Replacing the Bluetooth Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Replacing the Touchpad Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Replacing the Upper Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Replacing the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Replacing the Hard Disk Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Replacing the DIMM Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Replacing the 3G Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Replacing the Wireless LAN Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Replacing the Base Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Replace the Dummy Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Replacing the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Troubleshooting 111
Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Power On Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
No Display Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Random Loss of BIOS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
LCD Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Built-In Keyboard Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
TouchPad Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Internal Speaker Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Internal Microphone Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
HDD Not Operating Correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Other Failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Intermittent Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Undetermined Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
POST Code Reference Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Jumper and Connector Locations 127
Mainboard Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Mainboard Bottom View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
BIOS Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
BIOS Recovery by Crisis Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
VIII
Table of Contents
FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) List 131
Exploded Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Main Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
LCD Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
FRU List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Screw List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Model Definition and Configuration 139
AO521 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Test Compatible Components 159
Online Support Information 163
IX
Table of Contents
X
System Specifications
Features
Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many features:
Operating System
• Genuine Windows® 7 Home Basic 32-bit (China only)
• Genuine Windows® 7 Starter 32-bit
Platform
• AMD V Series processor V105 (512 KB L2 cache, 1.20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 9 W)
• AMD M880G Chipset
System Memory
• Single-channel DDR3 SDRAM support with one soDIMM module
• Up to 1 GB of DDR3 system memory (for Windows® 7 Starter for small notebook PCs)
• Up to 2 GB of DDR3 system memory (for other operating systems)
Chapter 1
Display
• 10.1" SD 1024 x 600 (WSVGA) pixel resolution, high-brightness (200-nit) LED-backlit TFT LCD
• Mercury-free, environment friendly
• Super-slim design
Graphics
• ATI Radeon™ HD 4225 Graphics with 384 MB of dedicated system memory, supporting Unified
Video Decoder 2 (UVD2), OpenGL® 2.0, OpenEXR High Dynamic-Range (HDR) technology,
Shader Model 4.1, Microsoft® DirectX® 10.1
• Dual independent display support
• 16.7 million colors
• External resolution / refresh rates:
• VGA port up to 2456 x 1536: 60 Hz
• HDMI™ port up to 1920 x 1080: 60 Hz
• MPEG-2/DVD decoding
• WMV9 (VC-1) and H.264 (AVC) decoding
• HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content
Protection) support
Color Options
• Antique Brass
Chapter 1 1
• Onyx Black
Storage subsystem
• Hard disk drive:
• 2.5" (9.5 mm) 160/250 GB
• Multi-in-1 card reader, supporting:
• Secure Digital™ (SD) Card, MultiMediaCard™ (MMC), Reduced-Size Multimedia Card (RS-
MMC), Memory Stick™ (MS), Memory Stick PRO™ (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card™ (xD)
• Storage cards with adapter: miniSD™, microSD™, Memory Stick Duo™, Memory Stick PRO
Duo™
Audio subsystem
• High-definition audio support
• Two built-in stereo speakers
• MS-Sound compatible
• Built-in digital microphone
Optical Media Drive
• 8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive:·
• Read: 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 6X
DVD-ROM DL, 6X DVD-R DL, 6X DVD+R DL, 6X DVD-RW , 6X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM·
• Write: 24X CD-R, 16X CD-RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD-R DL, 4X DVD+R DL, 6X
DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM
Communication
• Webcam
• Acer Video Conference featuring:
• Acer Crystal Eye webcam with 1280 x 1024 resolution
• Acer Video Conference Manager software, featuring Video Quality Enhancement (VQE)
technology, supporting 640 x 480 resolution online video calls
• Wireless and networking
•WLAN:
• Acer InviLink™ Nplify™ 802.1 1b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™
• Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ (available only in Russia, Pakistan, Ukraine)
• Supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology
• WP AN: Bluetooth® 3.0+HS
• WWAN: UMTS/HSPA at 850/900/1900/2100 MHz and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE at 850/900/
1800/1900 MHz, upgradable to 7.2 Mb/s HSDPA and 5.7 Mb/s HSUPA
• LAN: Fast Ethernet
Privacy control
• BIOS user, supervisor, HDD passwords,
• Kensington lock slot
2 Chapter 1
Dimensions and Weight
• 259 (W) x 189.7 (D) x 23.2/28.3 (H) mm (10.20 (W) x 7.47 (D) x 0.91/1.11 (H) inches)
• 1.25 kg (2.76 lbs.)2 (for models with 6-cell 5800 mAh battery pack)
Power Adapter and Battery
• Product Safety Electric Appliance and Materials (PSE) certified for battery pack
• 2-pin 40 W Acer MiniGo AC adapter:
• 93.2 (W) x 48 (D) x 32.2 (H) mm (3.66 x 1.88 x 1.26 inches)
• 180 g (0.39 lbs.) with 250 cm DC cable
• Standard:
• 48 W 4400 mAh 6-cell Li-ion battery pack
• High-capacity:
• 63 W 5600 mAh 6-cell Li-ion battery pack
• Battery life: 6 hours with standard battery pack; 7.5 hours with high-capacity battery pack.
Special Keys and Controls
• Keyboard:
• 84-/85-/88-key Acer FineTip keyboard, 93% of full-size smooth typing keyboard, with
international language support
• Touchpad:
• Multi-gesture touchpad, supporting two-finger scroll, pinch, rotate, flip
I/O Ports
• Multi-in-1 card reader (SD™, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD)
• Three USB 2.0 ports
• HDMI™ port with HDCP support
• External display (VGA) port
• Headphone/speaker/line-out jack
• Microphone-in jack
• Ethernet (RJ-45) port
• DC-in jack for AC adapter
Eco standards
• ENERGY STAR®
• WEEE
•RoHS
• Mercury free
Accessories
• In-box:
• Protective bag
• 6-cell Li-ion battery pack
Chapter 1 3
• Optional:
• 1 GB / 2 GB DDR3 1066 MHz soDIMM module·
• 6-cell Li-ion battery pack·
• 2-pin 40 W AC adapter
• External USB HDD
• External USB optical disc drive
Warranty
• One-year International Travelers Warranty (ITW)
Environment
• Temperature:
• Operating: 5°C to 35°C
• Non-operating: 20°C to 65°C
• Humidity (non-condensing):
• Operating: 20% to 80%
• Non-operating: 20% to 80%
NOTE: The specifications listed above are for reference only. The exact configuration of the PC depends on
the model purchased.
4 Chapter 1
System Block Diagram
5 IN1
CARDREADER
BATTERY CHAGER
SYSTEM
5V/3V PCU
AMD C PU C ore
CPU_NB Core
Channel A
PWM FAN
UNBUFFERED
DDRIII SODIMM
SIDE PORT
DDRIII 128MB
AZALIA COD EC
CX20672
Mobile 2.5"HDD
P25
SMBUS
CPU
THERMAL SENSOR
P4
P15
P6
Headphone Jack
P4
MIC In Jack
Digital MIC
Speaker Header
P19
P19
P22
HDT
P4
LAN-AR8152L
3G
WLAN/WiMAX
SIM CARD
Bluetooth
USB PORT
(Left)(Lower Right) (Upper Right)
P20
P32
P33
P34
LVDS MUX
TMDS(PCIE 4x1)
DAC
PCIE GEN1
P23
P23
P23
P18
USB 2.0
06
P20
Keyboard
P18 P18
P21
4
2
8
5
LVDS CON
HDMI CON
VGA CON
1
CCD
P24
NB CORE
P26
DDR 1.5VSUS
P27
+1.1V
(VLDT)
P28
P16
P16
P17
P16
73
USB PORT
P29
Discharge/+2.5V/
P30
VDDR
Thermal Protection
P31
P20
0
2
1
USB PORT
+1.8V
Geneva
AMD ASB2 CPU
K125 (Athlon SC) 12W HT1
K325 (Athlon DC) 12W HT1
(812 balls ; 27x27mm
RS880M
HyperTransport LINK0 CPU I/F
DX10 IGP
SIDE PORT MEMORY
LVDS
1X16 PCIE I/ F
1X4 PCIE I/F WITH SB
6X1 PCIE I/F
(21x21mm)
A-Link X4
SB820M
USB2.0(14)+1.1(2)
SATA III(6PORTS)
4X1PCIEGEN2I/F
PCI/PCI BDGE
INT. RTC
INT. CLK
EC
HD AUDIO
LPC I/F
ACPI 1.1
(23x23mm)
LPC
EC
TouchPad
SPI Flash
DDR III,800 MT/s
)
P2~5
HyperTransport LINK
16x16
DDRIII
P6~9
HD AUDIO I/F
SATA II I/F
P10~14
Winbond NPCE781L
Charger
P25
P26
Chapter 1 5
Notebook Tour
This section provides an overview of the features and functions of the notebook.
Top View
# Icon Item Description
1 Acer Crystal Eye
webcam
2 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays computer
3 Microphone Internal microphone for recording sound.
4 Power button/ Turns the computer on and off.
5 Keyboard For entering data into your computer
6 Chapter 1
Web camera for video communication. (only for certain
models)
output (configuration may vary by model).
# Icon Item Description
6 Power* Indicates the computer’s power status.
Battery* Indicates the computer’s battery status.
1. Charging: The light shows amber when the light is
charging.
2. Fully charged: the light shows blue when in AC mode.
HDD indicator Indicates when the HDD is active.
Communication
indicator*
7 Click buttons
(left, and right)
8 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a
9 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hand when using the
NOTE: *Front panel indicators are visible even when the computer cover is closed.
Indicates the status of the 3G/Wireless LAN
communication.
Blue light on Orange light on Not lit
3G on / WiFi on
3G on / WiFi off
The left and right buttons function like the left and right
mouse buttons.
computer mouse.
computer.
3G off / WiFi on 3G off / WiFi off
Closed Front View
# Icon Item Description
1 Status Indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) that light up to show the status
of the computer’s functions and components.
Left View
# Icon Item Description
2
3 HDMI HDMI port Supports high definition digital video connections.
4
Chapter 1 7
External display
(VGA) port
Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged
Connects to a display device (e.g. external, LCD monitor,
LCD projector).
use.
# Icon Item Description
5
6
USB 2.0 port Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB
camera).
Multi-in-1 card
reader
Accepts Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC),
Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO),
xDPicture Card (xD).
Note: Push to remove/install the card. Only one card can
operate at any given time.
Right View
# Icon Item Description
7 Microphone jack Accepts inputs from external microphones.
10
11
Headphones/
speaker/line-out
jack
8
9
USB 2.0 port Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB
DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.
Kensington lock
slot
Ethernet RJ-45)
port
Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g., speakers,
headphones).
camera).
Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security
lock.
Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-based network.
8 Chapter 1
Base View
# Icon Item Description
Battery bay Houses the computer’s battery pack.
12
13
14
3G SIM card slot Accepts a 3G SIM card for 3G connectivity. (only for certain
Battery release latch Releases the battery for removal.
Note: The battery shown is for reference only. Your PC may
have a different battery depending on the model purchased.
models)
Hard disk bay Houses the computer’s hard disk (secured with screws)
15
Memory compartment Houses the computer’s main memory.
16
17
Ventilation slots and
cooling fan
Battery lock Locks the battery in position
Enable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use.
Note: Do not cover or obstruct the opening the fan.
Indicators
The computer has several easy-to-read status indicators. The battery indicator is visible even when the
computer cover is closed.
Icon Function Description
Power Indicates the computer’s power status.
Battery Ind icates the computer’s battery status.
1. Charging: The light shows amber when the light is charging.
2. Fully charged: the light shows blue when in AC mode.
HDD indicator Indicates when the HDD is active.
Communication
indicator*
Indicates the status of the 3G/Wireless LAN communication.
Chapter 1 9
TouchPad Basics
The following items show you how to use the TouchPa d:
1
2
• Move your finger across the TouchPad (1) to move the cursor.
• Press the left (2) and right (3) buttons located beneath the TouchPad to perform selection and
execution functions. These two buttons are the equivalent of the left and right buttons on a mouse.
Tapping on the TouchPad is the same as clicking the left button.
Function Left Button (2) Right Button (3) Main TouchPad (1)
Execute Quickly click twice. Tap twice (at the same speed
Select Click once. Tap once.
Drag Click and hold, then use
finger on the TouchPad to
drag the cursor.
Access
context menu
NOTE: When using the T ouchPad, keep it - and your fingers - dry and clean. The TouchPad is sensitive to
finger movement; hence, the lighter the touch, the better the response. Tapping too hard will not
increase the TouchPad’s responsiveness.
Click once.
3
as double-clicking a mouse
button).
Tap twice (at the same speed
as double-clicking a mouse
button); rest your finger on
the TouchPad on the second
tap and drag the cursor.
10 Chapter 1
Using the Keyboard
Your computer has a close-to-full-sized keyboard and an embedded numeric keypad, separate cursor, lock,
function and special keys.
Lock Keys and embedded numeric keypad
The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.
Lock key Description
Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters typed are in uppercase.
Num Lock When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in numeric mode. The keys
function as a calculator (complete with the arithmetic operators +, -, *, and /). Use
this mode when you need to do a lot of numeric data entry. A better solution
would be to connect an external keypad.
Scroll Lock <Fn> +
<F12>
When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up or down when you press
the up or down arrow keys respectively. Scroll Lock does not work with some
applications.
The embedded numeric keypad functions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indicated by small characters
located on the upper right corner of the keycaps. To simplify the keyboard legend, cursor-control key symbols
are not printed on the keys.
Desired access Num Lock on Num Lock off
Number keys on
embedded keypad
Cursor-control keys on
embedded keypad
Main keyboard keys Hold <Fn> while typing letters on
Type numbers in a normal manner.
Hold <Shift> while using cursorcontrol keys.
embedded keypad.
Hold <Fn> while using cursorcontrol keys.
Type the letters in a normal
manner.
Chapter 1 11
Windows Keys
The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions.
Key Description
Windows key Pressed alone, this key has the same effect as clicking on the Windows Start button;
it launches the Start menu. It can also be used with other keys to provide a variety of
functions:
<>: Open or close the S tart menu
<> + <D>: Display the desktop
<> + <E>: Open Windows Explore
<> + <F>: Search for a file or folder
<> + <L>: Lock your computer (if you are connected to a network domain), or
switch users (if you're not connected to a network domain)
<> + <M>: Minimizes all windows
<> + <R>: Open the Run dialog box
<> + <U>: Open Ease of Access Center
<> + <BREAK>: Display the System Properties dialog box
<> + <TAB>: Cycle through programs on the taskbar
<CTRL> + <> + <F>: Search for computers (if you are on a network)
Note: Depending on your edition of Windows 7, some shortcuts may not function as
described.
Application
key
This key has the same effect as clicking the right mouse button; it opens the
application's context menu.
12 Chapter 1
Hot Keys
The computer employs hotkeys or key combinations to access most of the computer's controls like screen
brightness and volume output.
To activate hotkeys, press and hold the <Fn> key before pressing the other key in the hotkey combination.
Hotkey Icon Function Description
<Fn> + <F3> Wireless
communication switch
<Fn> + <F4> Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep mode.
Enables/disables the Wireless function.
<Fn> + <F5> Display toggle Switches display output between the display
screen, external monitor (if connected) and both.
<Fn> + <F6> Screen blank Turns the display screen backlight off to save
power. Press any key to return.
<Fn> + <F7> Touchpad toggle Turns the touchpad on and off.
<Fn> + <F8> Speaker toggle Turns the speakers on and off.
<Fn> + < > Brightness up Increases the screen brightness.
<Fn> + < > Brightness down Decreases the screen brightness.
<Fn> + < >
<Fn> + < >
Volume up Increases the sound volume.
Volume down Decreases the sound volume.
Chapter 1 13
Special Keys
You can locate the Euro symbol and the US dollar sign at the upper-center and/or bottom-right of your
keyboard.
The Euro symbol
1. Open a text editor or word processor.
2. Hold <Alt Gr> and then press the <5> key at the upper-center of the keyboard.
NOTE: Some fonts and software do not support the Euro symbol. See www.microsoft.com/typography/faq/
faq12.htm for more information.
The US dollar sign
1. Open a text editor or word processor.
2. Hold <Shift> and then press the <4> key at the upper-center of the keyboard.
NOTE: This function varies according to the language settings.
14 Chapter 1
Hardware Specifications and Configurations
Processor
Item Specification
CPU AMD Geneva (V105 CPU)
Type Single Core
CPU Package ASB2 package
On-die Cache 512 KB L2
Front Side Bus 2.0 GT/s HyperTran s po rt li nk
Processor Specifications
Item
CPU Fan True Value Table (UMA)
CPU Temperature
(Celsius)
43 2700 28
53 3200 31
62 3500 34
72 3900 37
82 4200 37
CPU
Speed
Cores Bus Speed Cache Size Package
Fan Speed (RPM) SPL Spec (dBA)
Core
Voltage
Acer P/N
Throttling 50%: On= 100°C; OFF=85°C
OS shut down at 105°C; H/W shut down at 110°C
CPU Fan True Value Table (Discrete)
CPU Temperature
(Celsius)
38 2700 28
50 3200 31
60 3550 34
67 3900 34
78 4200 37
Throttling 50%: On= 95°C; OFF=90°C
OS shut down at 100°C; H/W shut down at 80°C
North Bridge Chipset
Item Specification
Chipset RS880M
Package • Single chip solution in 55nm, 1.1V low power CMOS
Fan Speed (RPM) SPL Spec (dBA)
technology.
• 528-FCBGA package, 21mmx21mm.
Chapter 1 15
Item Specification
Features • CPU HyperTransport. Interface
• Supports 16-bit up/down HyperTransport (HT) 3.0 interface up
to 4.4 GT/s.
• Supports 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 MHz HT1 frequencies.
• Supports 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, and 2.2 GHz HT3 frequencies.
• Supports AMD AM3 and S1g3-socket CPUs, including the
AMD Phenom II and Caspian-series processors.
• Supports LDTSTOP interface and CPU link stutter mode.
ATI HyperMemory.
• Supports ATI HyperMemory.*.
* Note: Includes dedicated and shared memory. The amount of
HyperMemory available is determined by various factors.
For details, please consult your AMD CSS representative.
PCI ExpressR Interface
• Supports PCIe Gen2 (version 2.0).
• Optimized peer-to-peer and general purpose link performance.
• Highly flexible PCI Express implementation to suit a variety of
platform needs.
• A dual-port, x16 graphics interface.
• Supports programmable lane reversal for the graphics link to
ease motherboard layout when the end device does not
support lane reversal (not applicable to the RS880MC).
• Supports six general purpose lanes, for up to six devices on
specific ports.
A-Link Express II Interface
• One x4 A-Link Express II interface for connection to an AMD
Southbridge. The A-Link Express II is a proprietary interface
developed by AMD basing on the PCI Express Gen2 version
2.0 technology, with additional Northbridge-Southbridge
messaging functionalities.
• Supports programmable lane reversal to ease motherboard
layout.
2D Acceleration Features
• Highly-optimized 128-bit engine, capable of processing
multiple pixels per clock.
• Hardware acceleration of Bitblt, line drawing, polygon and
rectangle fills, bit masking, monochrome expansion, panning
and scrolling, scissoring, and full ROP support (including
ROP3).
• Optimized handling of fonts and text using AMD proprietary
techniques.
• Game acceleration including support for Microsoft's
DirectDrawR: Double Buffering, Virtual Sprites, Transp arent
Blit, and Masked Blit.
• Acceleration in 1/8/15/16/32-bpp modes:
• Pseudocolor mode for 8bpp
• ARGB1555 and RGB565 modes for 16bpp
• ARGB8888 mode for 32bpp
• Significant increase in the High-End Graphics WinBenchR
score due to capability for C18 color expansion.
• Setup of 2D polygons and lines.
16 Chapter 1
Item (NB Cont.) Specification
Features • Support for GDI extensions:
• In Windows XP and Windows Vista: Alpha BL T, Transparent BLT, and
Gradient Fill.
• In Windows 7: Alpha BLT, Transparent BLT, Color Fill BLT, Stretch
BLT, and Clear Type BLT.
• Hardware cursor (up to 64x64x32bpp), with alpha channel for direct
support of Windows XP, Windows Vista andWindows 7 alpha cursor.
• 3D Acceleration Features
• Fully DirectX 10.1 compliant, including full speed 32-bit floating point
per component operations
• Shader Model 4.1 geometry and pixel support in a unified shader
architecture:
• Full speed 32-bit floating point processing per component.
• High dynamic range rendering with floating point blending, texture
filtering and anti-aliasing support.
• High performance dynamic range computations
• Full anti-aliasing on render surfaces up to and including 128-bit
floating point formats.
• Support for OpenGLR 2.0
• Anti-Aliasing Filtering:
• 2x/4x/8x modes.
• Sparse multi-sample algorithm with gamma correction, programmable
sample patterns, and centroid sampling.
• Temporal anti-aliasing.
• Adaptive anti-aliasing mode.
• Lossless color compression (up to 8:1) at all resolutions, up to and
including widescreen HDTV.
• Anisotropic Filtering:
• 2x/4x/8x/16x modes
• Up to 128-tap texture filtering.
• Adaptive algorithm with performance (bi-linear) and quality (tri-linear)
options.
• Improved quality mode due to improved subpixel precision, higher
precision LOD computations, and rotationally invariant LOD
computations.
• Advanced Texture Compression (3Dc+. ):
• High quality 4:1 compression for normal maps and luminance maps.
• Works with any single-channel or two-channel data format.
• HW support to overcome "Small batch" issues in CPU limited
applications.
• 3D resources virtualized to a 32-bit addressing space, for support of
large numbers of render targets and textures.
• New vertex cache and vertex fetch design, to increase vertex
throughput from previous generations.
• Full support of 64-bit and 128-bit textures and surfaces, which can be
4x to 8x faster than previous generation of HW.
• Up to 8K x 8K textures, including 128 bpp texture are supported.
Chapter 1 17
Item (NB Cont.) Specification
Features • New multi-level texture cache to give optimal performance,
greater than 8x the previous designs.
• High efficiency ring bus memory controller:
• Programmable arbitration logic maximizes memory efficiency,
software upgradeable.
• Fully associative texture, color, and Z cache design.
• New hierarchical Z and stencil buffers with early Z Test.
• New lossless Z-buffer compression for both Z and stencil.
• Fast Z-Buffer Clear.
• Z cache optimized for real-time shadow rendering.
• Z and color compression resources virtualized to a 32-bit
addressing space, for support of multiple render targets and
textures simultaneously.
Motion Video Acceleration Features
• Video scaling and fully programmable YCrCb to RGB color
space conversion for full-speed video playback and fully
adjustable color controls.
• Adaptive de-interlacing eliminates video artifacts caused by
displaying interlaced video on non-interlaced displays, and by
analyzing image and using optimal de-interlacing function on a
per-pixel basis.
• H.264 implementation is based on the ISO/IEC 14496-10 spec.
• VC-1 implementation is based on the SMPTE 421M spec.
• For the RS880MC: MPEG-2 decode acceleration for SD
contents:
• Hardware motion compensation.
• Hardware Inverse Discrete Cosine Transform.
• Multiple Display Features
General
• Resolution, refresh rates, and display data can be completely
independent for the two display paths.
• ¡E Each display controller supports true 30 bits per pixel
throughout the display pipe.
• ¡E Each display path supports VGA and accelerated modes,
video overlay, hardware cursor, hardware icon, and palette
gamma correction.
• Supports both interlaced and non-interlaced displays.
• Full ratiometric expansion ability is supported for source desktop
modes up to 1920 pixels/line.
• Maximum DAC frequency of 400 MHz.
• Supports 8, 16, 32, and 64-bpp depths for the main graphics
layer:
• For 32-bpp depth, supports xRGB 8:8:8:8, xRGB 2:10:10:10,
sCrYCb 8:8:8:8, and xCrYCb 2:10:10:10 data formats.
• For 64-bpp depth, supports xRGB 16:16:16:16 data format.
• Independent gamma, color conversion and correction controls
for main graphics layer.
• Support for DDC1 and DDC2B+ for plug and play monitors.
• 8-bit alpha blending of graphics and video overlay.
18 Chapter 1
Item (NB Cont.) Specification
Features • Hardwa r e cursor up to 64x64 pixels in 2 bpp, full color AND/XOR mix,
and full color 8-bit alpha blend.
• Hardware icon up to 128x128 pixels in 2 bpp, with two colors,
transparent, and inverse transparent. AND/XOR mixing. Supports 2x2
icon magnification.
• Virtual desktop support.
• Support for flat panel displays via VGA.
VGA Output
• Maximum resolutions supported by the VGA output for different refresh
rates are:
• 2048x1536 @85Hz (pixel clock at 388.5MHz) for 4:3 format
• 2560x1440 @75Hz (pixel clock at 397.25MHz) for 16:9 format
• 2456x1536 @60Hz (pixel clock at 320MHz) for 16:10 format
• 1.3.10 Integrated LVDS Interface
• Integrated dual-link 24-bit LVDS interface.
• 805 Mbps/channel with 115 MHz pixel clock rate per link (230 MHz
maximum pixel clock).
• FPDI-2 compliant; compatible with receivers from National
Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, and THine.
• OpenLDI compliant excluding DC balancing.
• Programmable internal spread spectrum controller for the signals.
System Clocks
• Support for an external clock chip to generate side-port memory, PCIe,
and A-Link Express II clocks. Alternatively, inte rnal generation for these
clocks, with clock input from an SB800-series Southbridge, can be
used (subject to characterization with actual RS880M and SB800series devices).
Power Management Features
• Single chip solution in 55nm, 1.1V CMOS technology.
• Supports ACPI 2.0 for S0, S3, S4, and S5 states.
• Full IAPC (Instantly Available PC) power management support.
• Static and dynamic power management support (APM as well as ACPI)
with full VESA DPM and Energy Star compliance.
• The Chip Power Management Support logic supports four device power
states defined for the OnNow Architecture - On, Standby, Suspend, and
Off. Each power state can be achieved by software control bits.
• Hardware controlled intelligent clock gating enables clocks only to
active functional blocks, and is completely transparent to software.
• Support for Cool'n'Quiet. via FID/VID change.
• Support for AMD PowerNow!..
• Clocks to every major functional block are controlled by a unique
dynamic clock switching technique that is completely transparent to the
software. By turning off the clock to the block that is idle or not used at
that point, the power consumption can be significantly reduce d during
normal operation.
• Supports AMD Vari-Brig ht., ATI PowerXpress., and ATI PowerPlay.
(enhanced with the ATI PowerShift. feature).
• Supports dynamic lane reduction for the PCIe graphics interface when
coupled with an AMD-based graphics device, PC Design Guide
Compliance
Chapter 1 19
Item (NB Cont.) Specification
Features • The RS880M complies with all relevant Windows Logo Program
(WLP) requirements from Microsoft for WHQL certification.
Test Capability Features
The RS880M has a variety of test modes and capabilities that provide a
very high fault coverage and low DPM (Defect Per Million) ratio:
• Full scan implementation on the digital core logic through ATPG
(Automatic Test Pattern Generation Vectors).
• Dedicated test logic for the on-chip custom memory macros to
provide complete coverage on these modules.
• A JTAG test mode to allow board level testing of neighboring
devices.
• An EXOR tree test mode on all the digital I/O's to allow for proper
soldering verification at the board level.
• A VOH/VOL test mode on all digital I/O¡¦s to allow for proper
verification of output high and output low values at the board level.
• Access to the analog modules to allow full evaluation and
characterization.
• IDDQ mode support to allow chip evaluation through current leakage
measurements.
• These test modes can be accessed through the settings on the
instruction register of the JTAG circuitry.
• Additional Features
• Integrated spread spectrum PLLs on the memory and LVDS
interface.
20 Chapter 1
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