XMG NEO 17 with a Core i9-14900HX and graphics cards up to the GeForce RTX 4090
Leipzig, 9 January 2024 – At CES in Las Vegas, XMG is unveiling the new XMG NEO 17 and offering a preview of further new laptop models. The 17.0-inch flagship model, featuring graphics cards up to the GeForce RTX 4090, is not only being upgraded to Intel’s Core i9-14900HX, but also boasts a range of other improvements. These include, for example, a modified water flow path within the chassis for the XMG OASIS external laptop water cooling system, designed to squeeze even more performance out of this high-end device. Additional features such as a 240 Hz WQXGA display, an optional mechanical keyboard with CHERRY MX ULP Tactile switches, a 99 Wh battery, CPU undervolting and RAM overclocking remain unchanged.
XMG NEO 17 with upgrade to Core i9-14900HX
With Intel’s Core i9-14900HX, the XMG NEO 17 (E24) is set to claim its place among the uncompromisingly fastest gaming laptops of the latest generation. On the graphics card front, the selection remains the fastest laptop graphics cards available, up to the RTX 4080 and 4090 – with a maximum specified graphics power of up to 175 watts (150 watts plus 25 watts Dynamic Boost) and liquid metal (Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut) for cooling the CPU and GPU. Furthermore, XMG’s top-of-the-range model is still available in configurations featuring an RTX 4070 or RTX 4060, which now utilise phase-change Honeywell PTM7958 thermal compound to cool the processor and graphics card.
Powerful air cooling system and improvements for the optional laptop water cooling
It is not just the processor upgrade that gives the NEO 17 a performance boost; it is also equipped with a very powerful air cooling system to ensure the components can operate continuously at maximum power limits without temperature-induced throttling. The modified route of the water flow pipe on the heat pipes, compared to the 2023 version, now covers the CPU area in addition to the GPU, in order to dissipate the waste heat from Intel’s latest flagship more efficiently.
This applies only to laptops with an RTX 4090 or 4080: the XMG NEO 17 (E24) with an RTX 4070 or 4060 does not offer the option to connect external water cooling and features a slightly smaller air cooling system with four heat pipes instead of five. So, if you’re looking for a NEO 17 with an RTX 4060 or 4070 and OASIS support, you should still opt for the E23 version with a 13th-generation Intel Core processor rather than the 14th generation, which will remain available in the medium term.
In 3DMark Time Spy, the pre-production model of the XMG NEO 17 (E24) with air cooling achieves 21,565 (Total Score), 22,812 (Graphics Score) and 16,467 (CPU Score) respectively, and 5,917 points in 3DMark SpeedWay. When combined with a connected XMG OASIS liquid cooling system, the CPU score rises to 17,937 points (+9 per cent) – and surpasses the result of the predecessor model, the XMG NEO 17 (E23) with Core i9-13900HX and OASIS, by 14 per cent (CPU score: 15,731). The benchmarks show that Raptor Lake Refresh gains ground particularly in mixed CPU load scenarios typical of gaming.
RAM tuning options and CPU undervolting
The NEO 17’s BIOS features extensive options for tuning the RAM. It not only supports XMP profiles but also allows manual adjustments to clock speeds, timings and voltages. Achieving specific values cannot be guaranteed, but XMG maintains a from its own community.
Furthermore, the BIOS enables CPU undervolting. Through manual fine-tuning, the Core i9-14900HX reaches the defined temperature thresholds later and operates at a higher clock speed for longer.
The central hub for all other tuning options remains the comprehensive XMG Control Centre, which not only offers predefined performance profiles but also allows the creation of custom profiles – including power limits, CPU temperature targets and fan curves.
Additional charging via USB-C, WQXGA display in 16:10, 99 Wh battery and optional keyboard with CHERRY MX switches
The XMG NEO 17 (E24)’s chassis, measuring 381.7 x 272.8 x 27 mm and weighing 2.8 kg, remains identical to that of the 2023 model. The display lid and base are made of aluminium, and the laptop features two RGB lighting strips on the rear air vents, two M.2 SSD slots with PCIe 4.0 connectivity, and a 99 Wh battery. Depending on the configuration, there is still a 330-watt (with RTX 4090/80) or 280-watt (with RTX 4070/60) power supply. Compared to the 2023 model, however, the 280-watt power supply is more compact (160 x 69 x 25 mm) and lighter (682 / 861 g without or with C14 cable).
In addition to a 240 Hz 16:10 IPS panel with 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, G-SYNC, 380 cd/m², 99% sRGB colour gamut coverage and the option to switch the display via Advanced Optimus (automatic) or MUX switch (manual), the NEO 17 offers a choice between two keyboards: a silent membrane keyboard with four-zone RGB lighting or a mechanical keyboard with CHERRY MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile switches and individual RGB key lighting. Both options feature N-key rollover, anti-ghosting, a dedicated numeric keypad and large arrow keys. The 150 x 95 mm glass touchpad meets the Microsoft Precision standard.
A new addition to the connectivity features is the ability to charge the laptop on the go at 100 watts via the Thunderbolt 4 port, whose DisplayPort stream is directly connected to the NVIDIA dGPU and supports external G-SYNC monitors – as does the HDMI 2.1 port. In addition, there are three USB-A 3.2 ports, a card reader for full-size SD cards, separate ports for microphone and headphones (compatible with combo-jack headsets), 2.5 Gigabit LAN and Wi-Fi 6E. XMG provides an overview of the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 standard in a separate post on xmg.gg.
XMG NEO 16 (E24) and XMG FUSION 15 (E24) coming soon
At CES, XMG is showcasing further gaming laptops that will be officially unveiled during the first and second quarters of this year.
These include the XMG NEO 16 (E24) with a completely new all-aluminium chassis (display lid, top and bottom shells). In addition to the improvements to the NEO 17 (E24), including the upgrade to Intel’s Core i9-14900HX, the 16-inch model features a 500 cd/m² bright and 240 Hz 16:10 display, an additional USB-C port, an improved connection for the XMG OASIS with guide pins for an even better grip on the laptop, a larger touchpad and an optimised keyboard layout (4-row numeric keypad, large Enter key, offset arrow keys).
XMG is also showcasing its first 15.3-inch laptop in 16:10 format: the XMG FUSION 15 (E24). With this laptop, which is 21.9 mm thin and weighs around 2.0 kg, the first two models, the L19 and M22 – originally developed in collaboration with Intel – finally have a successor; this time, however, in a full aluminium rather than magnesium chassis. The keyboard is a full-size model with membrane switches; like the NEO 16, it features an improved layout and sits almost flush with the chassis frame, ensuring no compromise on functionality despite the compact chassis. The XMG FUSION 15 also uses a 500 cd/m² IPS panel with a 240 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels.
Both the XMG NEO 16 and the XMG FUSION 15 share many features with the XMG NEO 17 – including the ability to charge the laptop on the go via a 100-watt USB-C power adapter, as well as RAM tuning and CPU undervolting.
According to the 2024 roadmap, further updates and laptops are already in the pipeline. At CES, the company is showcasing a yet-to-be-named, thin and lightweight model with an Intel Core Ultra processor, which is the first XMG notebook to forgo a dedicated graphics unit, relying instead on the powerful integrated graphics unit of Meteor Lake.
In a recent and very detailed article, XMG also discusses the current state of development and potential stumbling blocks regarding AI functions in laptops – a topic that could become significantly more important given current trends.
Configure and buy the XMG NEO 17
The base configuration of the model, which can be freely configured on bestware.com and is available for pre-order now, includes an Intel Core i9-14900HX, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 16 (2x 8) GB DDR5-5600 RAM, a 500 GB SSD, a WQXGA IPS display with 240 Hz refresh rate and a silent membrane keyboard. The starting price, including 19 per cent VAT, is €1,949.
Upgrades to an RTX 4070 (€295), RTX 4080 (€975), RTX 4090 (€1,597) or a keyboard with CHERRY MX ULP Tactile switches (€95) are available at an additional cost. The XMG OASIS (Mk2) continues to cost €199 when selected as an optional accessory in the laptop configurator when ordering an XMG NEO 17. Delivery is expected from early February (with RTX 4090 and 4080) and late March (with RTX 4070 and 4060).
