es in many details. Powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 7840HS and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 or 4060, the laptop is aimed at the upper mid-range, but also adds features from the premium segment. These include, for example, an optional keyboard with CHERRY MX Ultra Low Profile Tactile switches, a 99 Wh battery and a liquid metal thermal compound for cooling the processor and graphics card. For the first time, there is also a configuration option for up to 96 GB DDR5 RAM.
The XMG CORE 16 (L23) is the first laptop in the CORE series to come in a 16-inch format and, alongside the APEX 15 and APEX 17, is now the third model to be based on an AMD Phoenix CPU featuring the Ryzen 7 7840HS with 8 cores and 16 threads. XMG offers the laptop with either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 or an RTX 4060, each with a graphics power of 140 watts (115 watts plus 25 watts Dynamic Boost). A composite cooling system with four heat pipes, separate heat sinks on all four air outlets and liquid metal for improved heat transfer from both the CPU and GPU is utilised to provide high continuous performance.
Already familiar from the XMG NEO series is the optional mechanical keyboard with precise CHERRY MX Ultra Low Profile switches, freely configurable per-key RGB backlighting and advanced features such as n-key rollover and anti-ghosting. Alternatively, the XMG CORE 16 is also available with a quiet membrane keyboard, which, like the mechanical version, has a dedicated numeric keypad and large arrow keys, but makes do with single-zone RGB lighting. In addition, there is a 114.5 x 70 mm Microsoft Precision touchpad with an automatic detection of palm rests and a quick (de)activation function by double-tapping in the upper left area.
Weighing 2.35 kg, the 358,4 x 266,8 x 26,1 mm laptop integrates a generously dimensioned 99-Wh battery with three selectable profiles for adjusting the maximum charging capacity and speed. Depending on the individual usage – such as a predominantly stationary power supply via a mains socket or mainly mobile use on the go – these allow particularly battery-conserving operation in terms of improved longevity. In light workloads such as streaming videos, the CORE 16 offers more than 8 hours of battery life with the display in 60 Hz mode. While the display lid of the chassis is made of aluminium, the robustly constructed base unit (upper and lower shell) makes use of ABS polymer.
A 240 Hz IPS panel in 16:10 format and with WQXGA resolution (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) offers a smooth gaming experience. The colour-calibrated display of the CORE 16, whose individual profile can be downloaded via the XMG Control Center, is 350 nits bright, covers 95 percent of the sRGB colour space and is connected via a MUX switch: For maximum performance in games, it is thus possible to directly link the panel to the powerful NVIDIA dGPU without automatic switching via NVIDIA Optimus.
Up to 96 GB DDR5 RAM and good connectivity
The XMG CORE 16 has two SO-DIMM sockets for a maximum of 96 (2x 48) GB RAM with a clock speed of up to 5600 MHz as well as two M.2 SSD slots outfitted with thermal pads and a PCI Express 4.0 connection. As usual with XMG, the interior of the laptop is easily accessible via a screw mounted bottom shell.
In terms of external connectivity, the laptop includes three USB-A ports (2x 3.2 Gen 1; 1x 2.0), USB-C 3.2 Gen2x1, HDMI 2.1 and a Mini DisplayPort 1.4. Both ports for external monitors support NVIDIA G-SYNC and are directly attached to the NVIDIA dGPU. In addition, the XMG CORE 16 integrates an SD card reader for full-size memory cards, separate audio jacks for a headphone (headset compatible) and a dedicated microphone, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a Wi-Fi 6 module.
XMG Control Center with individual tuning options
Thanks to the extended version of the XMG Control Center, the XMG CORE 16 offers identical setting options as the current XMG APEX series. Besides the predefined performance profiles, this also includes numerous manual tuning options such as creating individual performance profiles. Not only can the power limits and the temperature target of the CPU (for AMD SPL, sPPT and fPPT analogous to Intel’s PL1, PL2 and PL4) be adjusted, but also the power limits of the GPU or the fan curves can be modified to find the best possible balance of high performance and low operating noise depending on individual preferences.
Pricing and availability
The base configuration of the XMG CORE 16 (L23), which can be freely configured on bestware.com and is available with immediate effect, includes AMD’s Ryzen 7 7840HS, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 16 (2×8) GB DDR5 4800 RAM, a 500 GB Samsung 980 SSD and a WQXGA IPS display with 240 Hz. The starting price is € 1,579 including 19% VAT. An upgrade to the GeForce RTX 4070 (€ 295) or an upgrade from the silent membrane keyboard to a mechanical keyboard with CHERRY MX ULP switches (€ 95) is available at additional cost.
Up to 96 GB DDR5 RAM and good connectivity
The XMG CORE 16 has two SO-DIMM sockets for a maximum of 96 (2x 48) GB RAM with a clock speed of up to 5600 MHz as well as two M.2 SSD slots outfitted with thermal pads and a PCI Express 4.0 connection. As usual with XMG, the interior of the laptop is easily accessible via a screw mounted bottom shell.
In terms of external connectivity, the laptop includes three USB-A ports (2x 3.2 Gen 1; 1x 2.0), USB-C 3.2 Gen2x1, HDMI 2.1 and a Mini DisplayPort 1.4. Both ports for external monitors support NVIDIA G-SYNC and are directly attached to the NVIDIA dGPU. In addition, the XMG CORE 16 integrates an SD card reader for full-size memory cards, separate audio jacks for a headphone (headset compatible) and a dedicated microphone, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a Wi-Fi 6 module.
XMG Control Center with individual tuning options
Thanks to the extended version of the XMG Control Center, the XMG CORE 16 offers identical setting options as the current XMG APEX series. Besides the predefined performance profiles, this also includes numerous manual tuning options such as creating individual performance profiles. Not only can the power limits and the temperature target of the CPU (for AMD SPL, sPPT and fPPT analogous to Intel’s PL1, PL2 and PL4) be adjusted, but also the power limits of the GPU or the fan curves can be modified to find the best possible balance of high performance and low operating noise depending on individual preferences.
Pricing and availability
The base configuration of the XMG CORE 16 (L23), which can be freely configured on bestware.com and is available with immediate effect, includes AMD’s Ryzen 7 7840HS, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 16 (2×8) GB DDR5 4800 RAM, a 500 GB Samsung 980 SSD and a WQXGA IPS display with 240 Hz. The starting price is € 1,579 including 19% VAT. An upgrade to the GeForce RTX 4070 (€ 295) or an upgrade from the silent membrane keyboard to a mechanical keyboard with CHERRY MX ULP switches (€ 95) is available at additional cost.
