NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Acer Forums › Acer Notebooks › New 8204 BIOS - brighter screen?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

New 8204 BIOS - brighter screen?

post #1 of 49
3/16/06 at 2:35am
Thread Starter 
In case anyone hasn't noticed, Acer Panam now has the V3311 BIOS posted. A few folks (including myself) have installed it, and unless we're all suffering from wishful thinking, the screen seems a few notches brighter.

I'd swear by it, in fact. I'd say, 2-3 notches brighter. The forum background is no longer as dark a shade of grey, and with a white background the screen is almost too bright.

The BIOS is official (at least for Panam systems), so if you're able, go ahead and flash it and report back with your findings.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 49
3/16/06 at 2:55am
Well TOO bright might be a stretch but I do think it is one or two notches brighter than before. Which also seems to help the off-axis viewing - before it was terrible, now it's just not great.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 49
3/16/06 at 3:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wynand32
In case anyone hasn't noticed, Acer Panam now has the V3311 BIOS posted.
Want to do the update. I live in South Africa. I'm not sure if my laptop supports Euro or American Updates. Any Idea?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 49
3/16/06 at 5:42am
brightness seems bearable now, it's these damn grey lines that kill me. Screen replacement is what I'm saving up for now.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 49
3/16/06 at 5:51am
bearable? ocean, the brightness is definitely fine now. lines are a bit annoying, but the brightness is totally ok
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 49
3/16/06 at 6:20am
Well, I don't know what BIOS version I had before updating to 3311, but I'm not seeing any subjective difference in the screen brightness at all here. Then again, I was always suitably impressed by my 8204's screen, so perhaps the BIOS I had originally was different to what you guys have upgraded from?

Note that my machine is a very early Asian version - Jan 06 build date.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 49
3/16/06 at 6:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluntspoon
Want to do the update. I live in South Africa. I'm not sure if my laptop supports Euro or American Updates. Any Idea?
Just updated my Asian 8204 to the PanAM 3311's without problem. AFAIK, there's not going to be a different BIOs for different regions - there's only one culture for BIOS's - American English.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 49
3/16/06 at 8:16am
Haven't noticed any brightness impovements it all
Guess I'm just not obsessed with the idea of my screen being too dim
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 49
3/16/06 at 8:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Travel Matey
Just updated my Asian 8204 to the PanAM 3311's without problem. AFAIK, there's not going to be a different BIOs for different regions - there's only one culture for BIOS's - American English.
Thanks Travel Matey
Downloaded the Updated from Panam. About to try it out.
How did you get such high 3dmark scores.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 49
3/16/06 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluntspoon
Thanks Travel Matey
Downloaded the Updated from Panam. About to try it out.
How did you get such high 3dmark scores.
The scores in my signature were done using the Catalyst 6.2 desktop drivers (6.3's have the same performance BTW), and a core/mem overclock of 529/558 using ATI Tool.

Note that the new 3311 BIOS is NOT compatible with ATI Tool however - it now reports a default speed of 209/135, whereas this was previously 450/500.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 49
3/16/06 at 10:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wynand32
In case anyone hasn't noticed, Acer Panam now has the V3311 BIOS posted. A few folks (including myself) have installed it, and unless we're all suffering from wishful thinking, the screen seems a few notches brighter.

I'd swear by it, in fact. I'd say, 2-3 notches brighter. The forum background is no longer as dark a shade of grey, and with a white background the screen is almost too bright.

The BIOS is official (at least for Panam systems), so if you're able, go ahead and flash it and report back with your findings.
I downloaded the file "ZC1_3311.WPH" then I googled to find and downloaded "winflash151" becasuse there is a note at the Panam site stating that you must have this file to flash the bios.

Can anyone provide the exact (specific please) steps for me to know how to do it?
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 49
3/16/06 at 10:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by golfkwesi
I downloaded the file "ZC1_3311.WPH" then I googled to find and downloaded "winflash151" becasuse there is a note at the Panam site stating that you must have this file to flash the bios.

Can anyone provide the exact (specific please) steps for me to know how to do it?
The winflash program was listed with the bios file on the Acer PanAm website. You should be able to get it from there. Here is the link to the flash program
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 49
3/16/06 at 11:42am
I don't know if this is correct but I have just downloaded the new bios file from both taiwan website and panam and I have compared them using the windows command:

fc /b ZC1_3311.tw.WPH ZC1_3311.WPH

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro...38ef02424.mspx

it has not found any byte difference between the two files, so I have made the same check between 3309 european and 3309 taiwan and again no difference found.

I have run it again between 3309 and 3311 and it has found many difference.

So it COULD be that the files are the same for all over the world... I was and I am a beliving that keybord controller part should be different between different languages/keyboards but it could be that all is included in one file only.

I am typing from Europe... I am still a bit worried about updating my bios using panam or taiwain files but I think it should be ok... anybody wants to test and let me know?
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 49
3/16/06 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
For anyone one the fence on trying the update, the BIOS flash utility backs up the previous BIOS. So, I backed mine up to have a copy of the factory BIOS, and can go back should I experience any issues.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 49
3/16/06 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TaY
bearable? ocean, the brightness is definitely fine now. lines are a bit annoying, but the brightness is totally ok
well my point is that it could be brighter, but it's secondary to the grey lines BS. So I'll take whatever brightness I have now but the grey lines thing is a deal breaker.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 49
3/16/06 at 2:13pm
I dont think its any brighter than before, here's what i suspect happened:

The bios update reset some settings (like default drightness level, and wifi was off)

So when first looking at, you say "same old dim crappy screen" but you try to turn it up anyway, and it does - great. Not once, but a few times and you say wow thats better, double great! But its the same mediocre screen.

Look, anyway you cut it 185 cd/m² and 50/50/65/65 viewing angles aint nothing to write home about. No BIOS in the world is going to change that.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 49
3/16/06 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Falafel
The winflash program was listed with the bios file on the Acer PanAm website. You should be able to get it from there. Here is the link to the flash program
Falafel: thanks for the link to the right winflash file! Do you know if there is a thread on the steps to complete a bios flash? I didn't find any.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 49
3/16/06 at 5:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by golfkwesi
Falafel: thanks for the link to the right winflash file! Do you know if there is a thread on the steps to complete a bios flash? I didn't find any.
Unfortunately i don't have the laptop infront of me, and Acer doesn't provide tutorials. Maybe someone can post a tutorial for you.
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 49
3/16/06 at 6:30pm
its very simple. Run winflash and select the bios file.
Select Flash Bios.
Wait till it finishes.
your done
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 49
3/16/06 at 7:17pm
Thanks for the guideance! Done...where are those sunglassess when you need them.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Acer Notebooks
NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Acer Forums › Acer Notebooks › New 8204 BIOS - brighter screen?