XMG FUSION 15 and CORE 15: All-aluminum laptops in a 15.3-inch format

Article update – March 22, 2024:

The XMG CORE 15 will be expanded to include an upgrade option for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. The possibility of an RTX 4070 had been under consideration for some time, but could only be confirmed after the launch of the 4060. Availability with the RTX 4070 is planned for early June – approximately two months after the RTX 4060. The upgrade price is €295 including 19% VAT.

The XMG CORE 15 can be configured with either an 80 Wh or 99.8 Wh battery. The RTX 4070 is only offered in combination with the 99.8 Wh battery.

Customers who pre-ordered with the RTX 4060 will be notified of this update via email.

The rest of the article remains in its original version.

Leipzig, March 14, 2024 – XMG presents its first 15.3-inch laptops in the 16:10 format: the FUSION 15 and CORE 15. These compact devices, which are very similar except for a few details, differ primarily in their CPUs: The FUSION 15 uses Intel's Core i9-14900HX or i7-14650HX and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 or 4070, while the CORE 15 combines an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS with an RTX 4060. Otherwise, these gaming laptops, weighing around 2 kg and measuring just 21.9 mm thick, offer a 500 cd/m² bright WQXGA display and a chassis made almost entirely of aluminum, featuring a sleek and elegant design.

Model siblings with compact, lightweight, all-aluminum housings

The design language of the XMG FUSION 15 (E24) and the XMG CORE 15 (M24) clearly focuses on understated elegance. Both laptops utilize an identical, black anodized, and torsionally rigid aluminum chassis. Measuring 342.5 x 245 x 21.9 mm, these two 15.3-inch devices are exceptionally compact. Their low weight of 2.0 kg (XMG CORE 15) and 2.1 kg (XMG FUSION 15) ensures excellent portability.

XMG FUSION 15 with Intel processors, XMG CORE 15 with AMD processors

The main difference between the two laptops lies in the choice of processor and some associated platform-related variations. The XMG FUSION 15 offers the greatest configuration flexibility: In addition to the top-of-the-line configuration with Intel's Core i9-14900HX and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 or 4060, XMG also offers an entry-level configuration with the price-performance-oriented Core i7-14650HX and RTX 4060. The XMG CORE 15, on the other hand, is always equipped with AMD's Ryzen 7 8845HS and a GeForce RTX 4060, including the CPU's integrated, advanced AI acceleration features in the form of AMD Ryzen AI – a feature that Intel's HX processors do not offer.

A well-ventilated compact housing ensures high performance.

The combined cooling systems differ slightly in design due to platform-specific requirements, but both the FUSION 15 and the CORE 15 feature four air outlets, each with a copper heatsink in front of it. Fresh air is drawn in from both the underside and the keyboard. Honeywell PTM7958 phase-changing thermal pads are used on the processor and graphics card. This allows the graphics performance of the GPUs to be fully utilized in accordance with NVIDIA's power management.

XMG's first 15.3-inch displays with over 500 cd/m2 and edge-to-edge keyboard

The XMG FUSION 15 and CORE 15 feature a new, highly compact 15.3-inch form factor with a 16:10 display that allows for one-handed opening up to 180 degrees. The 240 Hz IPS panel boasts a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, 500 cd/m² brightness, and 100% sRGB color gamut coverage. The slim bezels on all four sides contribute significantly to the laptop's compact design, while still providing space at the top for a Windows Hello-compatible dual-sensor webcam with a physical webcam cover. The laptop displays are connected to the energy-efficient iGPU; NVIDIA Optimus automatically offloads demanding 3D calculations to the high-performance dGPU, and the displays support variable refresh rates via Adaptive Sync (FUSION 15) or AMD FreeSync (CORE 15). A MUX switch allows for permanent connection to the dGPU if needed.

Seamlessly integrated into the compact design is a newly developed, highly functional edge-to-edge keyboard that sits almost flush with the outer edges of the chassis. In addition to a full, four-row numeric keypad, the keyboard features separate, full-size arrow keys, dedicated navigation keys, and an Fn lock function. In the FUSION 15, the keyboard, with an otherwise identical layout, offers enhanced gaming features such as N-key rollover, anti-ghosting, and freely programmable per-key RGB backlighting. The glass touchpads are a comfortably large 123 x 77.5 mm.

Many external ports

In terms of connectivity, the XMG FUSION 15 offers Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 with support for charging via an additional USB-C charger with up to 100 watts and DisplayPort functionality, HDMI 2.1, Gigabit Ethernet, USB-C 3.2 Gen1, three USB-A 3.2 ports, a full-size SD card reader, and a 2-in-1 audio jack for headsets. Both external graphics interfaces (Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI) are directly connected to the dedicated NVIDIA graphics card.

With two exceptions, the XMG CORE 15 offers the same connectivity: The Thunderbolt 4 port is replaced by a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, also capable of Power Delivery and DisplayPort, but connected to the integrated AMD graphics unit. However, the laptop also features an additional Mini DisplayPort 1.4 with dGPU connection.

99.8 Wh battery and new, more compact power supplies

Both laptops feature a 99.8 Wh battery, and the entry-level configuration of the XMG CORE 15 is also available with an 80 Wh model. They come equipped with new power adapters, which are among the most compact XMG offers in their respective performance classes: The 280-watt adapter for the FUSION 15 measures 160 x 69 x 25 mm, while the 240-watt adapter for the CORE 15 is even smaller at 125 x 70 x 25 mm.

Well-cooled SSDs and an expanded control center

The possible RAM configuration depends on the chosen CPU platform. While the AMD-based CORE 15 supports up to 96 GB of DDR5 memory, the FUSION 15 is limited to a maximum of 64 GB of DDR5 RAM due to the thermal limitations of the largest single RAM modules when combined with Intel HX-series processors. Both laptops feature two M.2 slots with PCIe 4.0 connectivity, equipped with separate heat shields and thermal pads for improved drive cooling.

The enhanced XMG Control Center, a standard feature of the XMG NEO series, is also included in these new models, allowing for very precise adjustment of CPU and GPU power limits, as well as the creation of custom performance profiles and fan curves. More advanced CPU undervolting and RAM tuning (XMP profiles, timing and voltage adjustments) are exclusive features of the Intel HX platform and therefore reserved for the XMG FUSION 15.

Freely configure and buy the XMG FUSION 15 and XMG CORE 15

The basic equipment of the product, which can be freely configured at bestware.com and is available for pre-order now,  It includes Intel's Core i7-14650HX, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 16 GB (2x 8 GB) of DDR5-5600 RAM, a 500 GB SSD, a 99 Wh battery, and a 500 cd/m² bright WQXGA IPS display with a 240 Hz refresh rate. The starting price is €1,599 including 19% VAT. Upgrades to Intel's Core i9-14900HX (€198) or an NVIDIA GeForce 4070 (€295, only available with the i9-14900HX) are available for an additional charge.

The  With two exceptions, it offers the same connectivity: The Thunderbolt 4 port is replaced by a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, also capable of Power Delivery and DisplayPort, but connected to the integrated AMD graphics unit. However, the laptop does offer an additional Mini DisplayPort 1.4 with dGPU connection.

In contrast, the XMG CORE 15 (M24) offers AMD's Ryzen 7 8845HS, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, and an 80 Wh battery for a starting price of €1,399. Upgrading to the optional 99 Wh battery costs €75. Delivery is expected from the end of March (FUSION 15) and mid-April (CORE 15).