XMG NEO 17: GAMING LAPTOPS WITH CHERRY MX ULTRA LOW PROFILE TACTILE

08/2022 by FRIEDRICH STIEMER - Back to overview

With the XMG NEO 17, Schenker's gaming brand releases a premium high-end laptop for gamers and content creators who always want to access the maximum in performance and reliability. Since this also includes the keyboard, XMG relies on the brand new MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile switches to offer users the experience of a fully mechanical keyboard, even on a laptop. Learn more in this blog post.

XMG: SALTY SINCE 09

XMG is the gaming brand of Schenker Technologies, which has been selling PCs and notebooks for 20 years and is based in Leipzig, Germany. Since 2009, XMG has been selling freely configurable high-end laptops and desktop PCs to meet the high demands of gamers, content creators, and other power users. To stay up-to-date, XMG is also involved in eSports and is always in a lively exchange with the hardware enthusiast community. Another highlight is that all devices are finally assembled in Germany.

ENTIRELY NEW DEVELOPMENT: XMG NEO 17 (M22)

The new XMG NEO 17 is in a class of its own: It already impresses from the outside with a highly sturdy case with clear lines, which underlines the robust elegance of this high-end laptop.

The 17-inch screen uses a high-contrast, color-intensive IPS panel that resolves with 2,560 x 1,600 pixels in a 16-to-10 format and impresses with a fast 240-hertz refresh rate with Nvidia's synchronization technology G-Sync. This puts the mobile PC on the eSports level, with exceptionally high demands.

The laptop is equipped with AMD's Ryzen 9 6900HX, an octa-core processor with a boost clock of up to 4.9 GHz. Graphics work is handled by an Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 Ti, 3080, or 3080 Ti, depending on the selected configuration, all three of which offer more than enough gaming performance. Especially the last two GPUs are available from XMG in full configuration with a whopping 16 gigabytes of video memory - perfect for content creators!

POWERFUL COOLING ALLOWS MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

Thanks to a powerful, integrated cooling system, the CPU and GPU can also be fully utilized: XMG reports that an RTX 3080 Ti inside the NEO 17 manages 175 watts sustainably during internal tests in the Time Spy benchmark while staying below 85 degrees Celsius at all times. This is very impressive for a laptop with air cooling! If users want to go a bit further, they can also connect XMG's external notebook water cooling OASIS, which ensures even lower temperatures and lower operating noise of the NEO 17. The connection itself is also straightforward and quick - just plug it into the back, and you're done without needing screws or anything else.

The memory can be increased to up to 64 GB DDR5, and it is possible to integrate up to two PCI Express 4.0 SSDs for fast data processing. The storage can also be upgraded by the buyer afterward. The integrated battery has a highly generous capacity of 99 Wh. In combination with the efficient AMD platform, users benefit from a battery life that can easily last a day - depending on the workload.

NVIDIA ADVANCED OPTIMUS SUPPORT

Speaking of battery, the XMG NEO 17 also supports Nvidia's "Advanced Optimus" technology, which allows for flexible switching between the graphics unit inside the processor and between the discrete Geforce RTX graphics card without annoying reboots of the display connection to save as much battery as possible or to tease out the maximum FPS from games.

XMG CONTROL CENTER FOR PERFORMANCE TUNING

When it comes to software, XMG also allows users to tune the NEO 17's performance even further with the Control Center: The interface allows activating various modes with different fan curves or higher power levels, for example. Alternatively, users can create their own profiles to flexibly set their own fan curves, clock rates, power targets, or other performance options.

EQUIPPED WITH CHERRY MX ULTRA LOW PROFILE TACTILE

Let's now move on to the key switches: The MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile switches (ULP) were just introduced in June 2022. This means that the MX Ultra Low Profile family, which was first unveiled in March 2021, was expanded to include a variant without an audible click but with noticeable feedback. Thus, this version is more similar to the famous CHERRY MX Brown, with which CHERRY MX has responded to numerous requests from partners and the community.

Moving on to more details regarding switching characteristics, both ULP switches are characterized by a total travel of 1.8 mm. However, the tactile switching point is already at 0.8 mm, which results in an ergonomic overtravel of 1 mm. The actuating force at the tactile point is 65 centinewtons for both versions.

EXCLUSIVE, UNRIVALED GOLD CROSSPOINT CONTACT SYSTEM

As with standard MX switches, the unrivaled, long-lasting Gold Crosspoint contact system is at the heart of each MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile, providing superior durability with consistent triggering quality. That's why ULP is guaranteed to last many times longer than comparable technologies.

Other advantages of the MX Ultra Low Profile switches: Since they are SMD key switches, they can be soldered directly onto the PCB, which saves space and is easier to handle during manufacturing, as this allows a high degree of automation. In addition, the special design allows the SMD LED to be placed directly under the switch. Together with the translucent polymer components within the ULP, this provides luminous and homogeneous RGB illumination.

DEVELOPMENT, MANUFACTURING, AND TESTING IN GERMANY

Like all MX switches, the MX Ultra Low Profile is developed, tested, and manufactured exclusively at CHERRY's German headquarters. This ensures that all MX switches are always highly reliable and precise.

INNOVATIVE WITH THE MX ULTRA LOW PROFILE

The sophisticated mechanics of the MX Ultra Low Profile switches have even earned CHERRY MX the 2022 German Innovation Award in Gold in the "Excellence in Business to Business" competition class of the "Office Solutions" category. The jury justified the award by the first-class typing feel, the fantastic development performance of CHERRY MX, and the new standard set by the MX Ultra Low Profile in the keyboard segment, which creates entirely new technical and design possibilities. So CHERRY MX is also an awarded innovation bearer.

CONCLUSION: THE MOST POWERFUL XMG LAPTOP OF ALL TIME

The sophisticated CHERRY MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile fits perfectly into the overall picture of the high-end XMG NEO 17 laptop: Striking design, extremely powerful components, a terrific screen, and a fully mechanical keyboard - what more could you ask for?