XMG NEO 16 and NEO 17: Pre-order and delivery dates
XMG has now opened pre-orders on its partner site, bestware.com, for the high-end XMG NEO 16 and NEO 17 (E23) notebooks, which were unveiled at CES in January and feature GeForce RTX 4090 and 4080 graphics cards. Models with lower-spec laptop GPUs will follow later, in line with NVIDIA’s official guidelines. For the DDR5-6400 overclocking RAM, which is not yet available, XMG is taking a customer-friendly approach by offering the option of a retroactive upgrade.
XMG NEO 16 and NEO 17: Pre-order and delivery schedule
XMG’s NEO 16 and NEO 17 gaming laptops, unveiled at CES in Las Vegas and featuring Intel’s 24-core Core i9-13900HX mobile CPU and the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 graphics cards, are now open for pre-order.
The exact timing is subject to NVIDIA’s specifications. The pre-order phase for NEO laptops featuring an RTX 4090 or 4080 with 175 watts of graphics power will begin on 1 February at 3.00 pm. Pre-orders for laptop models with an RTX 4070 and smaller GPUs, however, will not be accepted until 14 February. For the XMG NEO 16 and NEO 17, this applies to the configurations featuring an RTX 4070 and 4060 with a graphics power of 140 watts.
Delivery will also take place in stages, in accordance with the official guidelines. Shipping of laptops with the two fastest graphics chips will begin on 8 February, with models featuring smaller GPUs following from 22 February.
Whilst the XMG NEO 17 will be available just in time for the end of the GPU embargoes, the completely redesigned XMG NEO 16 will not be available until a later date. The reason for this is that G-SYNC and Advanced Optimus certification for the 16-inch, 240 Hz IPS display with 2,560 x 1,600 pixels has not yet been completed.
YouTube video from XMG showcases key features
To help pass the time whilst waiting for the new laptops, the company has meanwhile published an unboxing video on its own YouTube channel. Among other things, this video highlights key features such as the two different keyboard options and compares the model with mechanical CHERRY MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile switches directly against the alternative silent keyboard with membrane switches in terms of typing feel and noise.
Furthermore, the video features images of the powerful air-cooling system, which, in combination with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid metal, ensures consistently high CPU and GPU performance, and introduces the improved ports for the optional XMG OASIS external water-cooling system.
These are now self-sealing on the laptop side as well – it will no longer be necessary to drain the notebook before transport and seal the ports with a rubber cover. The OASIS is also connected via magnetic hose connectors that snap into place automatically.
DDR5-6400 RAM coming later – with a retrofit option
When the new NEO series was first unveiled, XMG had already promised the availability of DDR5 overclocking RAM with a clock speed of 6400 MHz and low CL40 latencies. Unfortunately, availability has been delayed, so for the time being only DDR5-5600 (CL46) and DDR5-4800 (CL40) are available.
However, for anyone who doesn’t want to miss out on the faster overclocking memory, XMG is offering a generous upgrade option: the RAM can be exchanged at a later date until at least 30 June 2023. In the event of further delays, XMG will extend this deadline with the aim of giving all interested parties sufficient time to decide on a possible upgrade. Anyone wishing to take advantage of this solution will simply pay the difference between the originally selected memory and the faster DDR5-6400, as the price at the time of exchange. The process is carried out as an advance exchange. Anyone wishing to use the service will therefore first receive the replacement memory clocked at 6400 MHz, before the modules selected at the time of the laptop’s original purchase are returned to XMG.
Configure and buy the XMG NEO 16 and XMG NEO 17
On bestware.com, you can freely configure and buy the and . Compared to the original announcement, the laptops even come with DDR5-5600 instead of DDR5-4800 in the base configuration, yet the price remains unchanged. The slower RAM is still available as an optional downgrade.
For a starting price of €2,199 (NEO 16) or €2,249 (NEO 17) including 19 per cent VAT, you get Intel’s Core i9-13900HX, a GeForce RTX 4060, 16 (2×8) GB DDR5-5600 RAM, a 500 GB Samsung 980 SSD, a 240 Hz WQXGA IPS display and a silent keyboard with membrane technology. The faster GeForce RTX 4070 (€375), RTX 4080 (€1,050) and RTX 4090 (€1,687), as well as the mechanical keyboard with CHERRY MX ULP Tactile switches (€125), are available at an additional cost.
