Acer 8204 or 5672? Please help

Hi Folks,

I'm looking to buy a 15.4" duo core notebook, and after checking out the market I've decided I want to get an Acer. The problem is, I'm not a very experienced computer user, and I can't decide between the 5672 and the 8204, and I would love to get some help on this. To be honest, I can't really put my finger on what the huge difference between these two is, except for the 3D performance.

My main use for the notebook will be business (internet, email, office, etc) and entertainment (watching dvds, listening to music). I will also be doing some graphics work like photoshop and video editing, and also some gaming, but nothing too serious. My main goal is to get a laptop that will last me for around 5 years and will never slow me down in terms of business and entertainment, and also allow me to do the other things that I mentioned in a normal matter. Battery life is also important to me, and since I do some DJing I also want it to have software enabled two channel output (I know the 8204 supports this, does the 5672?)

I've read a lot of reviews about both models and these are the pros and cons that I found relevant to me:

Screen - It appears the 5672 has a much better screen, and this is important to me.
Performance - The 8204 has much better performance when it comes to 3D gaming, but the difference is not that huge in regular applications.
Battery life - The 8204 has about 45 minutes more of battery life.
Ports and such - A bit better on the 8204.
Memory - The 8204 comes with 2GB, it seems the x1600 version of the 5672 comes with only 1GB, but I guess that is easily expandle and still keeps the 5672 at a much cheaper price.
Build - The 8204 has a much cooler build.
Price - Obviously the 8204 is much more expensive - Since this laptop will last me for 5 years, the price isn't the most important issue.

So what would you recommend? I just can't seem to get the feel of what exactly is the difference between these two laptops, other than the 3D gaming which is not the most important thing in the world for me. The fact that the 5672 has a much better screen is the main thing that leads me to consider it over the 8204, is the difference that huge?

Thanks!

 

I dunno, I see no reason for Acer to put a better screen on their 1k model rather than their carbon fiber cutting edge top of the line model. Maybe you should go to a store to check these laptops out?
If price is unimportant, I would go with the 8204 because of the faster CPU (2.0GHz vs 1.66GHz), more memory, better vid card, and the carbon fiber look.

 

Hey ric, thanks for the reply..
I do agree there is no reason, but I've read tens of reviews and hundreds of posts, and everyone has a problem with the 8204 screen, while everyone is loving the 5672 screen.. This is actually my biggest dillemna..

 

I've been looking at 5672 too. Acer now makes it with either the x1400 or x1600 video card (same card as the 8204 though less video ram) which makes the choice that much more difficult in my opinion, as I'm sure 3d performance is much closer with an x1600.
http://us.acer.com/acereuro/page4.do?sp=page9&dau22.oid=14537&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=25&CountryISOCtxParam=US&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&crc=1163154511

 

Funny thing is the x1600 5672 comes with 1GB of RAM (two 512MB), and the x1400 comes with 2GB of RAM (two 1GB), which I just don't get.. I really would like the 2GB, but that means I'd basically be throwing away the two 512MB that came with it.

 

I own an 8204. I've had it for about a month now. Really, it's been nothing but problems for me. I now regret getting it, but am determined to stick it through (actually, I have no choice since I can't return it any longer). It's such a shame since it is a very promising machine and I can tell that it'd be great for those people who don't have any problems with it. As for me, I've encountered several issues and as of now, haven't gotten it to a point where I'm satisfied. The screen is only part of it and really an issue that I've resigned to just accept.

If buying an the 8204, I highly recommend trying it out first. You should only buy from somewhere that will allow you to return it, no questions asked, if you are not satisfied. Check out the screen, and if it's acceptable to you, then you may be very happy with it.

I won't go into detail about all the other issues I've had, but I'll simply tell you that I've had problems with some of the materials (plastic) on the laptop, and most annoyingly is a problem with the graphics card drivers that I've spent the last week trying to resolve with no luck.

 

i would suggest posting the faq in the what to buy forum and getting feedback for other options. acer is an okay brand, but not the best. there could be other alternatives that may work better for you.

 

I just got my 8204 about a wk ago and haven't had any problems with. The screen seems fine though the posts here are beginning to worry me. Fingers are crossed and hopefully, nothing will go wrong.

For what it's worth, I love my 8204. It's a great machine with lots of good features. The only downside is the price.

 

[/Quote]Screen - It appears the 5672 has a much better screen, and this is important to me.
Performance - The 8204 has much better performance when it comes to 3D gaming, but the difference is not that huge in regular applications.
Battery life - The 8204 has about 45 minutes more of battery life.[/QUOTE]

I dont think the 5672 has a better screen. The Crystal Brite XGA appears brighter but is a lower resolution screen. The 8204 comes with a SXGA matte screen which may not be brighter but is less glaring and non reflective.

Crytal Brite screen is nice for watching movies but while the matte screen is causes lesser eye fatigue during long working hours.

The TravelMate range has better overall built then Acer's budget range of Aspire. The casing and hinges are better and stronger. Try the flex on the screen and chassis.

With regards to playing games, the ATI X1600 will be twice as powerful as the X1400 based on 3DMark05 scores.
X1400 may not play the latest demanding games. Ican play BattleField 2 with the X1600 on my TM8204.

Cheers

 

Hmm.. Some great answers here. After falling in and then out of love with the 8204, I'm starting to think about getting it again.. Tough choice

Would love to hear more opinions..

 

maybe im not one to reall respond, as ive never looked up the 8204... but off the specs you have given for it... and mentioning that price is not an issue, seems like you would want the 8204 over the 5672.

I just recently got the 5672 (x1600 one) and I love it. The screen at first was bothersome... I almost preferred my older compaq screen. I tweaked the gamma and brightness of this one and is much more nicer/clearer. So I like it now... but I'm always in a room with the light off most of the time (when its on, there is some glare/reflective, since the screen is crystal brite).

The only things I dislike about the 5672 is how much warmer it gets from my older compaq laptop. I play world of warcraft and doom 3 on here... after an hour or more of playing, the touchpad gets real warm (not that I play with the touchpad tho), and sometimes the fan will REALLY kick on, making a bit of noise while pushing out hot air.

My only concern with that is... how long will this laptop last before it ever burns out?

Other than that... GREAT deal for whats its worth... I love it.

 

That's true SeaSerpent, but I am really really worried about the screen. So many people have given it bad reviews, I'm just scared. I would go to a store and look at it, but I don't live in the states and they don't sell the 8204 here. I will be buying it in the states in the summer, I might be able to go see it before I get it, but I'd like to make a general decision before I am in the states.. I think I've read over a hundred posts in different forums with serious complaints about the screen!! And I do like a bright, glossy screen..

 

If the screen is so important - don't even think about 8204. And if price is not a problem - forget about Acer at all...

 

It's not that price isn't a problem - it's just that if I intend to use a laptop for 5 years, I think 2000$ is a reasonable price. I mean it's cheaper than getting a 1000$ laptop and then replacing it every two years.

If my budget is indeed up to 2000$, what would you get for that price?

 

Spoken like a true small hairy person who lives under a bridge.

 

I was in the same position that you were. I eventually decided to get the 8204. The feature set is so much better. I also had the opportunity to use one of the Aspire models and in comparison to my 8204 the build quality was not as good. So far I have had no problems that would cause me to regret my purchase. I did have a problem with noise in the LCD's picture but I managed to get rid of it. Other than that its been a smooth road. If you have the funds the choice is a no-brainer. The 8204 is by far the better laptop.

 

I have a 5672, and it is a great laptop for the money. But I'm selling it to my sister and getting an ASUS A8Jm. The 5672 just had too many ergonomic quirks like- no usb ports on the back and all the audio ports on the front with the vga port on the right side so that the cable was always in the way of using a mouse when hooked up to a monitor. Stuff like that made it a pain to use. Still if you don't use it for muti-media stuff and just use it as a laptop, it is fine. But you might really want to look at the ASUS laptops. Great quality, but more expensive. Still for 2000.00, you can get almost anything you want. The guys in the ASUS forum are very helpful, too.

 

I have had my 8204 since the end of March. There are no issues with it in terms of hardware (screen, etc...). Actually, there are no issues at all. I reformatted the hard drive and installed a fresh OEM version of XP professional. It works like a charm. I play BF2 at 1280x1024@70HZ full graphics on an external 17" inch Sony screen and everything runs perfectly fine. There were software issues at first but after reformatting all is good. I strongly recommend this machine for anyone seeking high-class performance. The only real drawback is the price. Just find the right seller. 5 years may be too much for this laptop but i guarantee you 3 or maybe even 4. No laptop today will give you 5 years of superior performance. You might want to wait a little bit though until the Merom processor comes out. You will be able to have 64 bit and dual core at the same time.
Enjoy.

 

Hi Guys..
I ended up getting the 8204, typing on it right now it's a great laptop, I'm very pleased with my choice. My main concern was the screen, and I've found it to be perfectly adequete. It's not the best screen I've ever seen, it's average, but it's not any kind of a problem. Other than that the laptop is extremely powerful and looks great, I've had no problems whatsoever so far.
I also saw the 5672 in a store, its screen is gorgeous, but after seeing it I was very happy I didn't get it - the screen is extremely glossy, and since I need the laptop for business it would have been quite funny to do business with such a glossy screen. But for entertainment it seems like the 5672 has the better screen.

 

Congrats Dude