Acer E5-553G(-F55F) Problems

seronx · August 2016

So filler first then the problems. So, I bought this laptop around July 30th, 2016. It gets delivered by August 2nd, 2016. I quickly install Windows 10 Build 14393 which is Redstone. With the settings get rid of all apps, documents, settings. All that junk pre-installed stuff gone! Nice clean shiny laptop to claim as my own! So, now that I had this clean shiny laptop I put it to the test. Testing EVERYTHING except the USB Type-C.

-> FX-9800P, nice and fast for 15W and slightly smoother desktop usage than FX-8350 desktop.

-> Realtek ALC255 , very clean audio! (Compared to the ALC892)
-> HDMI, oh em gee HDMI 2.0a!!! 120/144 Hz, much pixel clock!!!

-> Gigabit Wired / MU-MIMO AC (DIR-885 has beta stage for this so it is very clean giving near 100 Megabit wired speeds)

-> SSD is ultra fast, HDD is fast for what it is.

Okay problem time!

BIOS functions;

-> Disabled/No dual-channel support. Probably want to add that to a BIOS fix. (8 GB usabled, 8 GB reserved)

-> Disabled/No hUMA/IOMMU mode/support. Like above probably want to add that to the BIOS. (7.5 GB usable by CPU, 512 MB reserved to GPU)

With both enabled 2x8 GB sticks will be usable, and the GPU wouldn't need to reserve RAM. As both the CPU and GPU would see the same addresses. More performance, less energy!

Display functions;

No eDP 1.4a/1.4b support even though that is what is implied with HDMI 2.0 support via the HDMI interface. So someone should probably go into panel service options and enable 1.4a/1.4b mode. So, we consumers can get some of that sweet, sweet VESA Adaptive Sync.

Windows 10/Redstone;

Warning! Dragons be here! Bristol Ridge and Meso get renamed to Carrizo and Topaz. Which in turn breaks UVD (Unified Video Decoder) and VCE (Video Coding Engine) functionality. AMD had to use the same device ids... ugh.

Other than that this thing rockz!

seronx · August 2016

Another issue I have discovered. The dGPU is flashed with the wrong BIOS.

So, M440 is deviced_id & rev_id = 6900_C3. The device in my acer is deviced_id & rev_id = 6900_83, which is the M340.

Reason for second post: The above is APU related. While, this is about the dGPU which is integrated with the system.

seronx · August 2016

Just talked/chatted with Acer support. These problems can not apparently be fixed by Acer. Which is absolute garbage by the way. Another day, another bad customer support service.

Problem #1;

The Dedicated GPU is flashed the wrong VBIOS.

R7 M340 = Up to 1021 MHz, 2 GB DDR3, Device_ID = 6900 - Revision_ID = 83

R7 M440 = Up to 855 MHz, 2 GB or 4 GB DDR3, Device_ID = 6900 - Revision_ID = C3 [Rebranded R7 M340 would be 6900_C3_2 or 6900_C3_3]((The last number defines package type, vender, and DRAM amount))

Problem #2/#3;

IOMMU is disabled. Dual channel is disabled.

This means the UMA Frame Buffer option is read. With IOMMU enabled that option becomes depreciated. Dual channel isn't active thus, the system only provides me with 8 GB. Then, the depreciated setting UMA Frame Buffer takes 512 MB.

The above is function breaking. There are other issues.

#4 the GOP Driver in the main BIOS // GOP/VBIOS OROM is out of date.

1.59_____ is 2015. <== What is in the BIOS.

1.6______ is 2016. <== What isn't in the BIOS.

Quintix256 · September 2016

To add to OP: Dual Channel is enabled with 1.08 (yay!)
FRC is disabled (BOO!) so this only shows 64 shades of grey instead of 256, and there is banding everywhere. Guessing (hoping) it's just a display controller firmware issue, or dual graphics not operating in a proper configuration... Seronx, are you having the same issue?
Task manager reports (hardware?) Virtualization is Disabled, still no bios option to enable it; CPU-Z 1.77 seems to indicate AMD-V is enabled. If you're up to answering, what CPU ID tool are you using, Seronx?
Memory controller should be capped at 2133 @15 watts. The 35 watt DDR4 APUs supports nope it should support up to 2400MHz. Good on Acer putting 2133 sticks in, bad on Acer for running them at 1866.
Suspect the reason why the E5-553G (16GB model) was/is $110 more than the somewhat more powerful Intel/nVidia equivalent (The Aspire E5-575G-53VG; has half the ram but double the SSD capacity which should cancel eachother out in terms of BOM, so I'm focusing on the CPU/GPU and FSB speed) is because Intel has disallowed Acer from disclosing wholesale prices Acer actually pays (no doubt negotatiated on a case by case basis) to Intel's competitors, so AMD can only go by their own experience with pricing, Intel's ARK and what Acer is willing to pay AMD, sabotaging any possibility of AMD underbidding Intel. Distasteful, but I doubt it's illegal, or if it is illegal, the laws are written in a manner where it's nearly impossible to establish probable cause. I highly doubt Acer (or any major laptop vendor) is paying $281 for each i5-6200u; that would be more than half the retail price advertised for the E5-575G-53VG. What room would there be for all the other components + the OS license and the retail margin? Either way (whether our not Intel is conspiring to make AMD machines needlessly more expensive to squeeze them out of the market, on top of possibly encouraging firmware sabotage), I've heard of enough shady behavior from Intel & nVidia to pay the $100+ premium for underdog brand loyalty, but really nobody should. It's not fair to AMD nor is it fair to Intel's customers.

HP already stabbed AMD in the back by going single slot for their flagship Bristol Ridge laptops, after demoing the x360 with AMD before launch. They even left open space on the motherboard (and solder points) for soldered on memory that's unused! So Acer now has the flagship AMD laptop. If Acer is going to charge a premium for what is considered a value brand, customers should expect no less than premium firmware and optimal settings.

seronx · September 2016

I had a RAM DIMM slightly not installed correctly. So, I got Dual-channel post v1.08 after I popped it open.
Oh, I am using the HDMI port to my desktop monitor. With the embedded monitor closed. Banding was particularly bad which is why I moved to my desktop montior.
I use Hwinfo64, SIV, GPU-Z, CPU-Z for my various info. We want AMD-V enabled so AMD-Vi which is IOMMU can be enabled. Which depreciates and should deactivate certain options in the BIOS. Primarily UMA Buffer which is 1 GB with Dual-channel.
Actually, the 15W models for both AMD & Intel are 1866 MHz dual-channel. It is the 35W/45W models which have 2400 MHz+ support.

- Acer side;

FRC
FreeSync
Latest AGESIA BristolRidgePI & GOP Driver
AMD-V then AMD-Vi which should create IOMMU device which requires IOMMU driver. (Once the driver is installed in SecureBoot UEFI driver cache. Reboot then boom no 0.5 GB/1 GB/2 GB for UMA buffer as IOMMU driver allows CPU & GPU to read from Global MMU in a nUMA way)
Enable HPET for HPET + TSC-invarient, AMD/*unix community calls this TSC-resilient mode or something. (Sync CPU-0 to HPET once, then CPU-1 onwards to CPU-0, ensures no time skewing)

- AMD side;

Driver that is WHQL(required for APU-SecureBoot or it doesn't install) and supports Anniversery Update(WHQL issue is doubled up).
H264/HEVC/VP9/AV1 4K60P Decode enablement. (PG mode currently, should be FF/fixed function)

X4K7 · September 2016

Well, I have currently the same issue, but recently acer just updated their bios version to 1.09 and didn't solve anything at all. the name at CPUZ Information is messed up, altrough AMD-V is listed, there's no virtualization enabled

I also have the same issues as you guys, altrough slightly diffrent model.

Just wanted the AMD-V and banding monitor issues fixed quickly

This is a great hardware but lack of support from acer.

hastypixels · September 2016

I purchased an Acer E5-523, AMD A6 Gen7 with R4 graphics. Basically the best hardware at this price point. Everything else is Pentium or Celeron garbage. A couple of i3 - lame iGPU. I'm super pleased with this unit: great WiFi, quiet and powerful with but one flaw so far:

LCD color banding. I updated the BIOS to v1.09 and this drastically improved the issue, but it remains. I'm guessing it sports a low performance LCD ... is Acer trying to shoot down these nice AMD based machines or what? I haven't seen much that offers the features at this level.

Oh and I've got to second the craptastic support. Well, I could if I'd actually had any. In queue for 2:24 (estimated) real time 20 minutes, then, nothing. It goes dead and offers me an email link that redirects to a discontinued service - that is, no email.

I'm ready to put up with the banding because I can't find anything else that will do what this one does without spending a couple hundred more dollars. No thanks! I used an external LCD via HDMI and that's a thing of beauty thanks to the R4 coupled with DDR4 RAM.

I could easily swap the HD for an SSD and upgrade the single slot RAM, which is surprisingly cheap, even with so few options right now (less than 60 at NCIX), so ... I'm annoyed but really pleased with this laptop. Acer's really burning their bridges here.

X4K7 · September 2016

So, more interesting thing i discover when upgrading the Radeon Software & Driver

Right now, i'm using the graphic driver provided by acer (16.101.1201.1007-160601a-303462C-Acer) and it listed my graphic card as R8 M445DX, also the dual graphic setting in the additional setting is present

When i update the driver to the latest one, the detected graphic card is diffrent and there is no dual graphic setting.

Really hope someone from acer see this thread as the problem isn't fixed yet.

This is a great laptop and i hope it gets better when updated

ferryong · October 2016

-CPU1:

I would like to run VirtualBox/VM Ware with 64bit guest OS.

Is that possible with the locked AMD-V option?

- CPU2

from internet, I don't see much difference between A12-9700 and FX-9800p.

in Malaysia, I cannot find the FX version. Should I just go for A12?

- SSD:

The A12 version has no SSD installed.

Is the additional slot physically available, so I just buy my own SSD, install then move the OS to it?

- RAM:

Specs says DDR4 1866. Can I upgrade with Crucial RAM 2133, DDR4 - 16GBX2 ?

I really need these info, as it will definitely a decision point if I should buy this laptop.

Thanks.

X4K7 · October 2016

1. Nope, my FX-9800P can't run 64bit virutalization

2. well, what's the point if you can't find one

3. from what i know, the A12 Version has a M.2 SSD slot available, so yeah i guess you can just buy one

4. don't know about this one

ferryong · October 2016

thanks for the response, X4K7 ...

What about Hyper-V?

Can Hyper-V be used to install a VM with 64-bit OS?

X4K7 · October 2016

well, as far as i know, hyper-V is working, but i don't think it can be used to emulate a 64bit OS because the virtualization is not working

ferryong · October 2016

sorry to ask Smiley Happy

would you be so kind to try, as you already have the unit? Smiley Happy

X4K7 · October 2016

ehm, sorry that i don't provide more information.

Yes i do already try enabling Hyper-V

i use virtualbox to emulate a 64bit OS but it didn't work.

i try to find a workaround for it but the problem is in the bios acer put on this laptop that makes the AMD-V doesn't work

So, no 64bit virtualization i guess until acer decided to fix this thing.

ferryong · October 2016

I may not fully understand.

I meant, have you tried creating Virtual Machine (64bit) with Hyper-V (NOT with Virtual Box or VM Ware)?

pokonyang · November 2016

my laptop acer e5-553g-f79r. i buy it 2 days ago. i install windows 10. install every drivers from CD except VGA driver. im download latest driver from amd.

i have a problem with the VGA. coz its like not stable. since i install driver for the first time and i test playing a little job like watching movies and playing game for 2-3 hours. and then the display flash for a couple times then the driver cant open anymore. display driver change to Windows basic adapter. i must clean unninstall the driver, and re-install again. after im re-install the VGA driver and the problem appears again. im already re-install the driver for 3 times till now. and i trying use driver from CD Manual and it can't to be installed. so i just install the latest driver from website AMD.

can anyone give me solution?

or maybe my laptop have a hardware issue?

thanks.. srry for bad english

Quintix256 · December 2016

There's a new BIOS update: Version 1.13; released barely a week ago

the release note description is cute:

Fix display not smooth issue on Windows paint

Yeah, uh... it's not just windows paint.

Ignore smartscreen filter; it's only popping up because it's a very uncommon executable download. Again, this thing is brand new.

It's strange that's the only release note, given it's an update from 1.9 to 1.13

Maybe other things are hidden/in the works in there. Like an option for proper AMD-V and IOMMU support in the BIOS. I know my HP had AMD-V disabled by default, but that's the thing: it's a default, meaning there was an option to enable it. I'll reboot real quick and see if Acer finally made it an option instead of a lock down.

Edit: Bad news: BIOS options are no less locked down than before.

C'mon Acer, it's a piece of hardware that customers physically purchase. Stop acting like it's licensed, not sold;

Or at least give options comparable to your competitors. Again, this is (still) the flagship AMD laptop, and may well remain so until Zen comes out for mobile.