XMG NEO 16: Sales start with Intel and AMD CPUs including Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Following the unveiling of the XMG NEO 16 at CES, XMG has announced further configurations: In addition to the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, the Leipzig-based company will also offer its flagship model with AMD's Ryzen 9 9955HX and 9955HX3D. All three CPUs can be paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, 5080, or 5070 Ti. Besides design changes to the aluminum chassis and a completely redesigned internal layout, the NEO 16 features an improved air cooling system, support for PCIe 5.0 SSDs, an optional 1000-nit, 300Hz Mini-LED display, and CSO-DIMM compatibility on the Intel-based model.

XMG NEO 16 with free choice between high-end CPUs from AMD or Intel

Pre-orders for the XMG NEO 16 start today with three processor and three graphics card options. In addition to the Intel Core Ultra 275HX, already announced at CES, with 8 performance and 16 efficiency cores (model version E25), there is a choice between AMD's Ryzen 9 9955HX and the Ryzen 9955HX3D (model version A25), which is even faster in games thanks to its 3D-V cache, each with 16 performance cores and 32 threads.

In terms of graphics cards, XMG offers the three top GPUs from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 series – each in the maximum TGP configuration of 175 (RTX 5090, RTX 5080) and 140 watts (RTX 5070 Ti) including Dynamic Boost and with 24, 16 and 12 GB of GDDR7 VRAM.

Revised air cooling system and improved XMG OASIS

The composite cooling system with copper heat pipes and larger copper heat sinks is a new development. The two primary system fans have increased in diameter from 60 to 80 mm, and a new, third 47 mm fan cools the RAM. Two air outlets, instead of four, are now focused exclusively on the rear, thus preventing warm air from being directed towards the mouse hand, allowing for higher airflow and pressure. The additional fresh air intake via the keyboard remains.

The optional XMG OASIS (Mk2-V4) laptop water cooling system also receives two upgrades. In addition to a quieter pump, XMG has replaced the previously purely magnetic connection between the water cooling hose and the laptop with a snap-in mounting solution, while the connections remain self-sealing. While the air cooling of the compact 16-inch laptop already enables continuous operation with very high overall system performance, the XMG OASIS, by removing the usual thermal limitations, delivers even higher performance with simultaneously reduced operating noise. Once the internal power limit tests are complete, XMG will publish the results on its product website.

The Intel-based version of the XMG NEO 16 offers additional scope for performance improvements – such as RAM tuning, support for XMP profiles and CPU undervolting.

IPS or Mini-LED display, tighter display hinge

XMG offers all NEO 16 configurations with two 16:10 display options. The base configuration uses a 300 Hz IPS panel with 2560 x 1600 pixels, G-SYNC and Advanced Optimus support, and 500 nits of brightness. A 1000 nit (HDR) or 750 nit (SDR) Mini-LED panel, also supporting G-SYNC and Advanced Optimus and currently the only one in its class with a 300 Hz refresh rate, is available as an optional upgrade. It offers 1000 lighting zones and allows local dimming to be disabled.

This highlights the dual nature of the NEO 16, which XMG markets simultaneously as a high-end gaming laptop and content creation workstation. Accordingly, both panels boast 100% sRGB color gamut coverage, with the Mini-LED version also covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color space – pre-calibrated color profiles are available in the Control Center. A minor upgrade is the more firmly mounted 180-degree display hinge, minimizing wobble while still allowing for one-handed opening of the laptop.

Slightly modified case design and new 420-watt power supply

The choice of display affects, among other things, the weight of the all-aluminum laptop, measuring 356.7 x 259.9 x 27.9 mm and equipped with a 99.8 Wh battery: While the model with an IPS panel is lighter at approximately 2.65 kg and offers longer battery life, the NEO 16 with the more energy-intensive mini-IPS panel weighs in at approximately 2.8 kg. The chassis design is largely based on its predecessor, but it is even more torsionally rigid. The front now features a larger RGB LED light bar, which can be deactivated if desired.

Starting with the RTX 5080 configuration, the external power supply is a more powerful 420-watt unit, which, thanks to SiC (silicon carbide semiconductor) technology, is lighter than its predecessor's 330-watt model, measuring 179 x 81 x 27 mm and weighing 834 g including the cable. The new 330-watt power supply for the RTX 5070 Ti configuration is even more compact and lighter, measuring 165 x 75 x 25 mm and weighing 751 g.

PCIe 5.0 for the primary M.2 SSD and currently up to 96 GB of RAM.

With two M.2 SSD slots, one of which features a PCI Express 5.0 interface, the XMG NEO 16 is equipped for extensive storage expansion with up to two 8 TB drives. The same applies to the RAM: up to 96 GB can be configured using the laptop configurator from partner shop bestware. XMG is currently evaluating up to 128 GB, but internal testing is not yet complete. As an exclusive feature of the Arrow Lake platform, the Intel-based NEO 16 supports 6400 MT/s CSO-DIMM RAM, while the model version with AMD Fire Range CPUs uses SO-DIMM with speeds up to 5600 MT/s. All memory components are therefore socketed and not soldered.

Increased connectivity through an additional Mini DisplayPort 2.1, improved keyboard

Due to a redesigned internal layout, the port placement on the E25 and A25 models differs from that of their predecessor. However, the addition of a Mini DisplayPort 2.1 (DP80) improves the port selection, while the larger ports remain on the rear of the laptop. A key difference between the AMD and Intel versions in terms of connectivity is as follows: The NEO 16 with a Core Ultra 9 processor features Thunderbolt 4 with an integrated DisplayPort 2.1 (DP80) on the rear, while the AMD Ryzen 9 offers USB-C 3.2 Gen2 with DisplayPort 1.4a – both of which allow charging via USB-C travel power adapters with up to 140 watts. The additional USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port located on the left side supports DisplayPort 1.4a and 100-watt Power Delivery. In addition to a faster full-size SD card reader with SD Express compatibility, the NEO 16 offers three USB-A ports, 2.5 Gigabit LAN, HDMI 2.1 and a 2-in-1 audio port.

While the Mini DisplayPort and HDMI ports are directly connected to the dedicated NVIDIA graphics card, both USB-C ports (including Thunderbolt 4 on the Intel model) are connected via the processor's integrated graphics. In addition to its internal display, the NEO 16 supports the native connection of up to four external monitors.

In addition to a generously sized glass touchpad (123 x 77.5 mm), XMG uses a keyboard with slightly firmer scissor-switch mechanisms for improved typing feel, concave keycaps, a full-size numeric keypad, and separate full-size arrow keys. It features per-key RGB backlighting, anti-ghosting, and N-key rollover.

Prices and availability

The basic equipment of the freely configurable [product/service] on bestware.com  and  It includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX or AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 32 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, a 1 TB Kingston Fury Renegade SSD, and a 300 Hz 1600p IPS display. The starting price is €2,699 (Intel) or €2,649 (AMD). An RTX 5080 (€595), an RTX 5090 (€1,450), a 300 Hz Mini-LED display (€175), and various SSDs and RAM upgrades are available for an additional cost. For the AMD-based NEO 16, an upgrade to the Ryzen 9 995HX3D (215 euros) is also available, while for the Intel version, faster CSO DIMM RAM with up to 6400 MT/s is optionally available in the laptop configurator at bestware.com.