just bought a AN515-43-R2WK, have couple of questions

repiru
repiru Member Posts: 17 Troubleshooter
edited December 2023 in 2020 Archives
hi guys, it's my first time owning a laptop as expensive as this, so i have some questions about it

1.) is it okay to keep the charger connected to the laptop always, or do i have to remove the battery and just plug in the charger so it wont ruin the battery performance?
2.) i played my game earlier, and i had 70-75 deg c on my CPU, and a 60 deg c on my GPU. my specs are ryzen 7 3750H and a GTX 1650, is it normal to be getting these temps?
3.) i noticed that this laptop only has 4gb of ram, and I want to add a 8gb stick to it. is it possible to? and what things do i need to know before i buy a ram and add it inside?
4.) i play valorant, but i only get around ~90-100 fps in game on lowest settings, is it supposed to be like that or is it really low and i did something wrong?

thank you for all the answers!

Answers

  • MihaiEVO
    MihaiEVO Member Posts: 72 Devotee WiFi Icon
    1. Totally yes. Most laptops nowadays have a built-in system that stops the battery from overcharging. Feel free and safe to keep the charger in all the time.
    2. You should not be concerned unless the temperatures for the CPU goes over 95 degrees C constantly. You can undervolt for lower temperatures, but this is just a personal choice. The GPU temperatures are cool for a gaming laptop, and again, you should not be concerned unless throttling occurs.
    3. Yes, you can add an extra stick. You need to know your current stick's latency and frequency first. Download CPU-Z and find your memory specifications and find a new RAM stick with the most similar specs. You can also find in-depth tutorials on how to upgrade your laptop model.
    4. It is completely normal since you only have 4GB RAM and it's also single channel (just a single stick). AMD loves dual channel (dual sticks) and they usually give a +15 FPS boost (my case).
    I hope I answered your questions properly. Have a great day and happy gaming!
  • GAMING6698
    GAMING6698 ACE Posts: 6,077 Pathfinder
    @repiru
    1)That is exactly how it is meant to be used. The Nitro and Predator series will only reach high performance when plugged in and that is how Acer designed it so forget the oldies. You can't overcharge the battery because charging shuts automatically when it reaches 100%. Also when gaming make sure your battery is charged to 100% BEFORE you game and keep it plugged into AC while gaming.

    You can unplugged your laptop and use with battery when you are not gaming 

    2)Below 90°C is normal for acer nitro and predator series laptops.
    If you are getting 90°C or more then it is not normal.
    Your system is working great 

    3)check @MihaiEVO comment 
    In addition,
    I do NOT recommend using two ram sticks of different sizes. Waste of money
    If you want best ram performance then make sure 
    i)Both ram sticks to be of equal size
    ii) Both ram sticks to be of equal voltage
    iii) Both ram sticks to be of equal CL (cas latency)
    Iv) equal  Mhz DDR4 ram sticks

    4Gb+4Gb ram= 8Gb ram (good but not enough, you can run majority of games)
    8Gb+8Gb ram=16Gb ram(excellent and able to run upcoming pc games without bottleneck.

    4)May be because of only 4gb ram and most probably you didn't update your gpu driver.
    You need to update your gpu driver to achieve best performance.
    windows 10/11 optimization guide for gaming 
    Windows 10/11 optimization guide for gaming — Acer Community

    My AN515-43 laptop UserBenchmark-
    https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/51514566
  • repiru
    repiru Member Posts: 17 Troubleshooter
    MihaiEVO said:
    1. Totally yes. Most laptops nowadays have a built-in system that stops the battery from overcharging. Feel free and safe to keep the charger in all the time.
    2. You should not be concerned unless the temperatures for the CPU goes over 95 degrees C constantly. You can undervolt for lower temperatures, but this is just a personal choice. The GPU temperatures are cool for a gaming laptop, and again, you should not be concerned unless throttling occurs.
    3. Yes, you can add an extra stick. You need to know your current stick's latency and frequency first. Download CPU-Z and find your memory specifications and find a new RAM stick with the most similar specs. You can also find in-depth tutorials on how to upgrade your laptop model.
    4. It is completely normal since you only have 4GB RAM and it's also single channel (just a single stick). AMD loves dual channel (dual sticks) and they usually give a +15 FPS boost (my case).
    I hope I answered your questions properly. Have a great day and happy gaming!

    thanks for all the answers! i just have one question tho; the other reply stated that adding another ram that is a different size of the original one is not recommended? as i  said i currently have a 4gb 2400Mhz sodimm ddr4 ram here, and i was planning to buy an 8gb stick of ram.

    if it really was okay to do so, what should i know before buying a ram aside from the clockspeed and the type of ram (ddr4 sodimm)?
  • repiru
    repiru Member Posts: 17 Troubleshooter
    @repiru
    1)That is exactly how it is meant to be used. The Nitro and Predator series will only reach high performance when plugged in and that is how Acer designed it so forget the oldies. You can't overcharge the battery because charging shuts automatically when it reaches 100%. Also when gaming make sure your battery is charged to 100% BEFORE you game and keep it plugged into AC while gaming.

    You can unplugged your laptop and use with battery when you are not gaming 

    2)Below 90°C is normal for acer nitro and predator series laptops.
    If you are getting 90°C or more then it is not normal.
    Your system is working great 

    3)check @MihaiEVO comment 
    In addition,
    I do NOT recommend using two ram sticks of different sizes. Waste of money
    If you want best ram performance then make sure 
    i)Both ram sticks to be of equal size
    ii) Both ram sticks to be of equal voltage
    iii) Both ram sticks to be of equal CL (cas latency)
    Iv) equal  Mhz DDR4 ram sticks

    4Gb+4Gb ram= 8Gb ram (good but not enough, you can run majority of games)
    8Gb+8Gb ram=16Gb ram(excellent and able to run upcoming pc games without bottleneck.

    4)May be because of only 4gb ram and most probably you didn't update your gpu driver.
    You need to update your gpu driver to achieve best performance.

    just a lil bit confused on the 3rd answer, as to which the other guy said it's fine to put ram, but u said it's not adviseable to put a different sized ram. what should i do? i feel like 8gb ram is still pretty low
  • batmalin
    batmalin Member Posts: 4,231 Guru
    Yeah, sell the 4gb and get 2x8gb and you will ger better performance. If you don`t care about it then get 1x8gb.
    Please click "Yes" if I have answered your question.
    Userbench: https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/31177158

  • repiru
    repiru Member Posts: 17 Troubleshooter
    batmalin said:
    Yeah, sell the 4gb and get 2x8gb and you will ger better performance. If you don`t care about it then get 1x8gb.

    if i would sell it, how would I know what 2x8gb ram to pick? same with the initial one as well? 2400 Mhz, DDR4 sodimm? how about the voltage and other stuff?
  • batmalin
    batmalin Member Posts: 4,231 Guru
    2400 or 2666 take the cheaper one of both, mine is with 2x8gb 2666 look at the link in my signatute.
    Please click "Yes" if I have answered your question.
    Userbench: https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/31177158

  • repiru
    repiru Member Posts: 17 Troubleshooter
    batmalin said:
    2400 or 2666 take the cheaper one of both, mine is with 2x8gb 2666 look at the link in my signatute.

    okay, so im planning to get 2x8gb 2400Mhz SODIMM DDR4, are these the only things I need to remember when buying ram? nothing else like the voltage or pc type?
  • batmalin
    batmalin Member Posts: 4,231 Guru
    This as well - 1,2v sodimm 
    Please click "Yes" if I have answered your question.
    Userbench: https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/31177158