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Schenker XMG Neo 15 (i7-8750H, RTX 2070 Max-Q) Tongfang GK5CQ7Z Laptop Review

Compact gamer. Thanks to its Core i7-8750H CPU and its GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU all games should run smoothly on the Neo's matte 15.6-inch display. Other highlights include a mechanical keyboard, a fast SSD, and a 144 Hz panel. In return, the notebook lacks modern connectivity features such as Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 Gen 2.
Coffee Lake Gaming Geforce Laptop Windows

Thin and compact 15.6-inch gaming notebooks are growing increasingly popular, and accordingly there are plenty of devices available from various manufacturers. Schenker’s 15.6-inch gamer is called XMG Neo 15, and it is based on a Tongfang barebone. We have already had its predecessor in review in 2018.

As it was only updated internally the current XMG Neo 15’s case remained identical to its predecessor. This latest reincarnation features either a GeForce RTX 2060 or GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q Turing GPU. Our review unit was equipped with the latter. Its competitors are the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9, MSI GS65 8RF Stealth Thin, Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS, Acer Predator Triton 500, and Razer Blade 15.

Given the similarities with its predecessor we are not going to cover case, connectivity, input devices, and speakers in detail in this review. Instead, we would like to refer you to last year’s Neo 15 review.

SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing (XMG Neo 15 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 885 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, 256-bit GDDR6, ForceWare 419.35, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, Dual-Channel, two slots (both populated), 64 GB max
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, BOEhydis NV156FHM-N4G (BOE07AF), IPS, FHD, 144 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB, 1024 GB 
, 2x M.2-2280 (RAID 0/1 capable)
Soundcard
Realtek ALC269 @ Intel Cannon Point PCH
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: headphones, microphone, Card Reader: SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22 x 359 x 243 ( = 0.87 x 14.13 x 9.57 in)
Battery
62.3 Wh, 0 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 180 W power supply, Recovery DVD, large mouse pad, 16 GB thumb drive, manual, key chain, Bullgard Internet Security (1 year subscription), Control Center, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
2.032 kg ( = 71.68 oz / 4.48 pounds), Power Supply: 420 g ( = 14.82 oz / 0.93 pounds)
Price
2377 Euro
Links
SCHENKER homepage
SCHENKER notebook section
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

At a Glance: Modifications and Improvements

  • Predecessor used Pascal GPUs, current model features Turing GPUs.

  • 60 Hz display that was still offered with the predecessor is no longer available, and the only display available features a 144 Hz panel.

  • Keyboard features quieter switches and a more prominent accentuation force.

  • Improved battery capacity (62.3 Wh vs. 46.7 Wh).

  • 2.5-inch hard disk drive had to make room for larger battery. 

Size Comparison

❌
359 mm / 14.1 inch 243 mm / 9.57 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2 kg4.48 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2.1 kg4.73 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.8 kg4.07 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 268 mm / 10.6 inch 15.8 mm / 0.622 inch 2.1 kg4.62 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 2.1 kg4.67 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17.8 mm / 0.701 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
200 MB/s +153%
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=100, last 2 years)
98.4 MB/s +25%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
79 MB/s
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25 MB/s -68%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
242 MB/s +172%
Average of class Gaming
  (25.8 - 269, n=94, last 2 years)
121.3 MB/s +36%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
89 MB/s
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32 MB/s -64%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (885 - 1412, n=4, last 2 years)
1139 MBit/s +68%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
693 MBit/s +2%
Acer Predator Triton 500
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
683 MBit/s +1%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
680 MBit/s 0%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
677 MBit/s
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
665 MBit/s -2%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
662 MBit/s -2%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
655 MBit/s -3%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (881 - 1700, n=4, last 2 years)
1379 MBit/s +104%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
694 MBit/s +3%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
684 MBit/s +1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
683 MBit/s +1%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
678 MBit/s 0%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
676 MBit/s
Acer Predator Triton 500
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
671 MBit/s -1%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
660 MBit/s -2%

Display

The matte 144 Hz 15.6-inch display runs at a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 (FHD) and features very short response times. Its contrast ratio of 1,117:1 is very decent, however its maximum brightness of just 270 nits is not. We would have expected more of a notebook at the Neo 15’s price point of more than $2,000.

Unfortunately, the display also suffered from PWM flickering at brightness levels of 99 % and below. That said, the frequency of 1,000 Hz should be high enough for most users, and should not cause headaches or sore eyes even in more sensitive users.

300
cd/m²		287
cd/m²		285
cd/m²
269
cd/m²		268
cd/m²		259
cd/m²
251
cd/m²		256
cd/m²		257
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOEhydis NV156FHM-N4G (BOE07AF) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 300 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 270.2 cd/m² Minimum: 11 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 268 cd/m²
Contrast: 1117:1 (Black: 0.24 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.51 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.57
ΔE Greyscale 5.36 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
92% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
92.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.51
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
BOEhydis NV156FHM-N4G (BOE07AF), IPS, 1920x1080		SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
LGD05C0, IPS, 1920x1080		Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
LGD05C0, IPS, 1920x1080		Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
LG Philips LGD05C0, IPS, 1920x1080		Acer Predator Triton 500
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2 (AUO82ED), IPS, 1920x1080		MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED), IPS, 1920x1080		Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2 (AUO82ED), IPS, 1920x1080
Display
1%
0%
3%
1%
2%
2%
Display P3 Coverage
63.5
64.3
1%
63.5
0%
65.3
3%
64.2
1%
66.2
4%
66.7
5%
sRGB Coverage
92.3
94.1
2%
93.1
1%
94.9
3%
92.6
0%
92.1
0%
91.2
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65
65.3
0%
64.5
-1%
66.3
2%
65.7
1%
67.2
3%
66.7
3%
Response Times
-39%
-61%
-54%
-2%
-64%
8%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
16 ?(8.4, 7.6)
-82%
16.4 ?(8.8, 7.6)
-86%
16.8 ?(9.2, 7.6)
-91%
8 ?(4, 4)
9%
17.6 ?(9.2, 8.4)
-100%
7.4 ?(3.8, 3.6)
16%
Response Time Black / White *
10 ?(6, 4)
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
4%
13.6 ?(8.4, 5.2)
-36%
11.6 ?(7.2, 4.4)
-16%
11.2 ?(6, 5.2)
-12%
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
-28%
10 ?(4.4, 5.6)
-0%
PWM Frequency
1000 ?(99)
Screen
14%
16%
7%
0%
15%
12%
Brightness middle
268
325
21%
250
-7%
314.7
17%
304
13%
254
-5%
294
10%
Brightness
270
303
12%
235
-13%
312
16%
299
11%
262
-3%
275
2%
Brightness Distribution
84
90
7%
85
1%
90
7%
89
6%
89
6%
84
0%
Black Level *
0.24
0.33
-38%
0.29
-21%
0.38
-58%
0.27
-13%
0.22
8%
0.24
-0%
Contrast
1117
985
-12%
862
-23%
828
-26%
1126
1%
1155
3%
1225
10%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.51
2.69
40%
1.46
68%
2.56
43%
4.66
-3%
2.37
47%
2.57
43%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
9.58
4.91
49%
2.47
74%
4.89
49%
9.65
-1%
4.71
51%
4.88
49%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.57
1.27
19%
1.71
-9%
1.72
-10%
1.84
-17%
2.14
-36%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.36
2.34
56%
1.27
76%
3.4
37%
5.53
-3%
1.58
71%
2.41
55%
Gamma
2.51 88%
2.38 92%
2.4 92%
2.3 96%
2.5 88%
2.48 89%
2.5 88%
CCT
7826 83%
6872 95%
6749 96%
6435 101%
8028 81%
6785 96%
6370 102%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59
60
2%
60
2%
60.7
3%
60
2%
60
2%
59
0%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
92
94
2%
93
1%
94.6
3%
93
1%
92
0%
91
-1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-8% / 5%
-15% / 2%
-15% / -1%
-0% / 0%
-16% / 3%
7% / 10%

* ... smaller is better

With a DeltaE 2000 deviation of just 4.51, color accuracy was fairly decent out of the box. Ideally, you would be aiming at a DeltaE of less than 3. The display did however suffer from a minor blue tint. We were able to improve upon accuracy through calibration and subsequently managed to reduce DeltaE to 1.57 and improve overall grayscale balance. The display failed to cover sRGB and AdobeRGB completely and stopped short at just 92% and 59%, respectively.

As always, you can improve color accuracy with the ICC profile resulting from our calibration attempts. Make sure that your particular device is equipped with the same display (make and model) as ours, otherwise you might inadvertently make things worse rather than better. Many OEMs source their panels from different manufacturers.

CalMAN: grayscale
CalMAN: grayscale
CalMAN: saturation
CalMAN: saturation
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
Schenker XMG Neo 15 vs. sRGB (92%)
Schenker XMG Neo 15 vs. sRGB (92%)
Subpixel
Subpixel
Schenker XMG Neo 15 vs. AdobeRGB (59%)
Schenker XMG Neo 15 vs. AdobeRGB (59%)

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
10 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
8.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 4.4 ms rise
↘ 4.4 ms fall
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 17 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 1000 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 1000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 1000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The IPS panel featured fairly wide viewing angles, and thus remained readable from all positions and angles. The display was clearly intended with indoor use in mind, and can only be used outdoors on overcast days or in the shade.

direct light (photo taken under overcast sky)
direct light (photo taken under overcast sky)
indirect light (photo taken under overcast sky)
indirect light (photo taken under overcast sky)
viewing angles
viewing angles

Performance

The XMG Neo 15 is a compact and thin 15.6-inch gaming notebook. It can be individually configured and customized to your liking, and should be capable of running all current games smoothly. Our particular review unit clocked in at around 2,400 Euros (~$2707) including tax, and it performed very admirably overall. Prices start at 1,750 Euros (~$1974).

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon
Intel XTU

Test Setup

The included Control Center software allows you to select a fan profile. Choices include Balanced and Enthusiast. For the sake of our benchmarks and tests, we chose the Balanced profile. Nevertheless, a few benchmarks were also conducted with the Enthusiast profile selected and fan turbo activated. The results can be found in the tables below.

Processor

The Core i7-8750H (Coffee Lake) CPU can be found in many modern gaming notebooks. This mobile CPU is specified with a TDP of 45 W, runs at a base clock speed of 2.2 GHz, and can turbo boost up to 3.9 GHz on all six cores, 4 GHz on four cores, or 4.1 GHz on up to two cores.

During our Cinebench multi-thread test the CPU ran at between 2.5 and 3.9 GHz (3.9 GHz with fan turbo activated). The single thread benchmarks were performed at between 3.9 and 4.1 GHz regardless of fan turbo setting. On battery, the CPU ran at 2.8-2.9 GHz (multi-thread) and 2.7-4.1 GHz (single thread).

single-core
single-core
multi-core
multi-core
GPU load
GPU load

We run Cinebench R15 multi-thread in a 30-minute loop in order to determine long-term turbo boost frequencies on mains. The scores dropped continuously between the first and fourth iteration but remained consistent afterwards, and settled at around 960-1,000 points. CPU turbo was applied throughout the test albeit only slightly. As such, the XMG Neo performed worse than its own predecessor that was equipped with the same CPU.

With fan turbo activated the CPU ran at higher clock speeds, and the results were much more akin to the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9. 

065130195260325390455520585650715780845910975104011051170Tooltip
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø994 (961.98-1074.38)
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1095 (1087.31-1156.25)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø922 (913.2-999)
Acer Predator Triton 500 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø980 (961.82-1019.05)
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø981 (927.26-1023.23)
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1004 (937.73-1119.73)
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1104 (1087.93-1138.69)
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H; Lüfter-Turbo: Ø1192 (1181.61-1224.14)
CPU clock speeds during our CB15 loop
CPU clock speeds during our CB15 loop
CPU clock speeds during our CB15 loop (fan turbo enabled)
CPU clock speeds during our CB15 loop (fan turbo enabled)
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6645
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
31800
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7971
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
174 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1079 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
109.2 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help
Cinebench R15 | Cinebench R10 | Cinebench R20 | Geekbench 3 | Geekbench 4.4 | Mozilla Kraken 1.1 | Octane V2 | JetStream 1.1
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=234, last 2 years)
268 Points +54%
Acer Predator Triton 500
Intel Core i7-8750H
176 Points +1%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points +1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
174 Points 0%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
174 Points
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H (Lüfter-Turbo)
174 Points 0%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
172 Points -1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points -5%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points -5%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=235, last 2 years)
3101 Points +187%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H (Lüfter-Turbo)
1224 Points +13%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
1156 Points +7%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
1154 Points +7%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
Intel Core i7-8750H
1120 Points +4%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
1079 Points
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Intel Core i7-8750H
1053 Points -2%
Acer Predator Triton 500
Intel Core i7-8750H
1019 Points -6%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
999 Points -7%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5719 - 15819, n=25, last 2 years)
9139 Points +38%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
6645 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
6351 Points -4%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (32456 - 112749, n=25, last 2 years)
59291 Points +86%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
33923 Points +7%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
31800 Points
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (169 - 855, n=230, last 2 years)
699 Points +67%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
418 Points
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (930 - 13769, n=230, last 2 years)
7442 Points +218%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
2340 Points
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
21659 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
21358 Points -1%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
4139 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
3741 Points -10%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (31241 - 71700, n=27, last 2 years)
49563 Points +141%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
20592 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
18716 Points -9%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5986 - 8945, n=27, last 2 years)
7630 Points +49%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H
5123 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
4810 Points -6%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
1138 ms * -1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
1126 ms * -0%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
1122 ms *
Average of class Gaming
  (421 - 824, n=211, last 2 years)
519 ms * +54%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (69893 - 111243, n=53, last 2 years)
92532 Points +163%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
35120 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
33659 Points -4%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
30594 Points -13%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (357 - 650, n=28, last 2 years)
499 Points +95%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
255.9 Points 0%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
255.5 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
245.4 Points -4%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

Overall system performance was very smooth, and we did not encounter any problems. The 15.6-inch notebook was very fast, and its Core i7-8750H should run applications other than games perfectly fine for many years to come. The dedicated GPU allows you to run games. The PCMark benchmark results were very good.

PC Mark 10
PC Mark 10
PCMark 7 Score
6802 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4582 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5288 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5679 points
PCMark 10 Score
5651 points
Help
PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5235 - 9852, n=200, last 2 years)
7592 Points +34%
Acer Predator Triton 500
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 2x WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-256G-1014 (RAID 0)
5883 Points +4%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
5651 Points
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5416 Points -4%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
5353 Points -5%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 1TB
5191 Points -8%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5170 Points -9%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5095 Points -10%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4166 - 6653, n=34, last 2 years)
5222 Points +14%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4665 Points +2%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4620 Points +1%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 1TB
4585 Points 0%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
4582 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
4338 Points -5%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4150 Points -9%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=32, last 2 years)
6048 Points +6%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5706 Points 0%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
5679 Points
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 1TB
5669 Points 0%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
5645 Points -1%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5621 Points -1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5607 Points -1%

Storage Devices

The 1 TB M.2-2280 NVMe SSD was made by Samsung. Thanks to its PCIe 3.0 x4 connection it was very fast. 896 GB were available to the user after first boot. The rest is taken up by the Windows installation and the recovery partition.

Storage can be expanded. A second M.2-2280 slot can be found on the inside. Both M.2 slots support RAID 0/1. The predecessor also featured a single 2.5-inch hard disk drive bay, which the current model lacks. Instead, this space is taken up by the larger internal battery.

CrystalDiskMark 3.0
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
hddimg
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB
Sequential Read: 1180 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1411 MB/s
512K Read: 609 MB/s
512K Write: 728 MB/s
4K Read: 58.3 MB/s
4K Write: 115.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 568 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 505 MB/s
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB		Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8		Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ		Acer Predator Triton 500
2x WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-256G-1014 (RAID 0)		MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ		Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G		SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
Samsung SSD 970 Pro 1TB
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
9%
4%
25%
4%
-11%
8%
Write 4K
92.5
97.1
5%
93.9
2%
93.6
1%
95.3
3%
98.2
6%
100.5
9%
Read 4K
40.45
53.7
33%
40.56
0%
38.82
-4%
40.13
-1%
39.43
-3%
48.64
20%
Write Seq
1197
1526
27%
1468
23%
2455
105%
1883
57%
1386
16%
1456
22%
Read Seq
1018
2020
98%
1540
51%
2107
107%
1322
30%
1100
8%
1278
26%
Write 4K Q32T1
288.6
285.6
-1%
293.5
2%
298.7
3%
309.9
7%
270.3
-6%
298.1
3%
Read 4K Q32T1
332
321.8
-3%
346
4%
338.7
2%
353.7
7%
340.3
3%
348.7
5%
Write Seq Q32T1
3317
1533
-54%
1941
-41%
2902
-13%
1919
-42%
1454
-56%
2742
-17%
Read Seq Q32T1
3515
2351
-33%
3266
-7%
3536
1%
2466
-30%
1681
-52%
3389
-4%

GPU Performance

The XMG Neo 15 features a GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q. This more energy efficient version of the regular RTX 2070 is primarily aimed at thin and light notebooks. Our particular review unit ran at short burst clocks speeds of up to 1,770 MHz, and an average long-term clock speed of 1,335 MHz. The GPU has access to 8 GB of fast GDDR6 VRAM.

In 3DMark, the results were at a level expected of this GPU. The XMG Neo performed almost identically to its direct competitors, the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 and the Razer Blade 15. The performance gains with activated fan turbo mode were negligible and not worth mentioning.

Thanks to support for Nvidia Optimus, the laptop also utilizes Intel's integrated UHD Graphics 630 GPU to save energy.

Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Time Spy
Time Spy
Port Royal
Port Royal
3DMark 06 Standard Score
35375 points
3DMark 11 Performance
17617 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
110428 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
35086 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
15180 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
6338 points
Help
3DMark | 3DMark 11
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=236, last 2 years)
29457 Points +73%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
18153 Points +7%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
17598 Points +4%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q (Lüfter-Turbo)
17293 Points +2%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
16989 Points
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
14780 Points -13%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
11558 Points -32%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=234, last 2 years)
12066 Points +89%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6728 Points +6%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6562 Points +3%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q (Lüfter-Turbo)
6547 Points +3%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6368 Points
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=232, last 2 years)
40487 Points +86%
Acer Predator Triton 500
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
28083 Points +29%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
22723 Points +5%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
22089 Points +2%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q (Lüfter-Turbo)
22017 Points +1%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
21723 Points
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
18687 Points -14%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
18296 Points -16%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
14367 Points -34%

Gaming Performance

We did not experience any problems running games. This particular combination of CPU and GPU was more than capable of running all games from our database. All current games ran smoothly in FHD with high or even maximum details. Resolutions higher than FHD are supported on external displays, however they will require reduced details.

Just like in 3DMark, the XMG Neo 15 was outperformed slightly by the Razer Blade 15. The reason why the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 performed worse than the other two can be found in its single channel RAM interface. Adding a second RAM module to the Aero 15 would almost certainly improve performance to a level akin to its competitors. 

The Witcher 3 | BioShock Infinite
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=227, last 2 years)
117.1 fps +84%
Acer Predator Triton 500
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H
76.5 (63min) fps +20%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
68.9 fps +8%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
63.8 fps
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
58.3 (48min) fps -9%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
52.7 fps -17%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
49.2 fps -23%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
38.6 fps -39%
BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
152.5 fps +3%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
148.5 fps
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
127.7 fps -14%

We run Witcher 3 in a 60-minute loop in FHD with maximum details in order to determine the effects of long-term gaming load on frame rates. The avatar remains stationary throughout the entire test. Frame rates dropped slightly over time but remained well within a more than acceptable scope. We found no evidence of frame drops.

05101520253035404550556065707580Tooltip
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB: Ø63.9 (59-68)
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8: Ø51.3 (44-61)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ: Ø62.2 (57-70)
Acer Predator Triton 500 GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 2x WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-256G-1014 (RAID 0): Ø76.1 (70-81)
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ: Ø49.5 (46-53)
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G: Ø50.3 (45-54)
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 1TB: Ø39.8 (37-43)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 299.4 248.7 248 148.5
The Witcher 3 (2015) 269.2 200.6 121.7 63.8
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 97.2 84.6 72.7
Apex Legends (2019) 143.7 143 115.9 115.8
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 108 92 88 79
Metro Exodus (2019) 123.2 77.2 57.3 46.6
Anthem (2019) 100.8 87.8 77.9 73.6
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 221.2 150.8 126.7 72.3
The Division 2 (2019) 146 107 88 70

Emissions

System Noise

In theory, the XMG Neo can be completely silent when idle. However, this rarely ever happened, and the fans were running at their lowest speed setting producing an acceptable level of noise most of the time. Things go awry under load very quickly, though. With up to 55 dB(A) during our stress test and around 53 dB(A) while running our Witcher 3 test the device was very loud. Thus, a headset is an absolute must when gaming. With fan turbo activated the fan ran at full speed.

Despite its high level of noise the Neo 15 was slightly less obtrusive than its predecessor. On the other hand, the Aero 15-X9 - which features the same CPU and GPU - is living proof that a more quiet gaming experience is possible. 

system noise when idle
system noise when idle
system noise under load
system noise under load
speakers
speakers

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 32 / 35 dB(A)
Load
47 / 55 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
  
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Acer Predator Triton 500
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H		MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
Noise
4%
14%
6%
8%
-3%
-4%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
28.8
4%
29
3%
30
-0%
29
3%
29
3%
Idle Minimum *
30
32
-7%
28.8
4%
30
-0%
30
-0%
33
-10%
29
3%
Idle Average *
32
34
-6%
28.8
10%
32
-0%
31
3%
34
-6%
35
-9%
Idle Maximum *
35
36
-3%
29.4
16%
34
3%
34
3%
40
-14%
40
-14%
Load Average *
47
42
11%
35.7
24%
44
6%
43
9%
47
-0%
50
-6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
53
44
17%
42.5
20%
46
13%
42
21%
51
4%
53
-0%
Load Maximum *
55
48
13%
45
18%
47
15%
44
20%
53
4%
58
-5%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark running simultaneously for at least one hour) was completed differently on mains and on battery. When connected to power, the CPU and GPU ran at 2.6-2.7 GHz and 1,065 MHz, respectively. On battery, the CPU ran at just 2.3 GHz while the GPU was throttled to its base clock speed of just 300 MHz.

Temperatures were very high under load, and we found several spots of more than 60 °C (140 °F). They were somewhat lower when running Witcher 3 for a full hour in FHD with maximum details but still significantly too high to be used on the lap. When idle, temperatures were hardly perceptible and low.

Keep in mind that our stress test is an extreme load scenario that is rarely ever encountered in the real world. We use this test in order to test for potential stability issues.

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Maximum load top
Maximum load top
Maximum load bottom
Maximum load bottom
Max. Load
 58 °C
136 F		57 °C
135 F		50 °C
122 F		 
 43 °C
109 F		47 °C
117 F		39 °C
102 F		 
 41 °C
106 F		41 °C
106 F		37 °C
99 F		 
Maximum: 58 °C = 136 F
Average: 45.9 °C = 115 F
66 °C
151 F		66 °C
151 F		56 °C
133 F
68 °C
154 F		67 °C
153 F		41 °C
106 F
34 °C
93 F		34 °C
93 F		27 °C
81 F
Maximum: 68 °C = 154 F
Average: 51 °C = 124 F
Power Supply (max.)  49 °C = 120 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 45.9 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 58 °C / 136 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 68 °C / 154 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.7 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 43.8 °C / 111 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 42 °C / 107.6 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-13.1 °C / -23.6 F).
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Acer Predator Triton 500
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H		MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
Heat
7%
18%
4%
16%
6%
4%
Maximum Upper Side *
58
56
3%
49
16%
49
16%
49
16%
54
7%
56
3%
Maximum Bottom *
68
66
3%
49
28%
58
15%
63
7%
60
12%
68
-0%
Idle Upper Side *
30
27
10%
25.4
15%
33
-10%
24
20%
30
-0%
28
7%
Idle Bottom *
31
27
13%
27.2
12%
33
-6%
25
19%
30
3%
29
6%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.546.52540.6433134.332.84038.238.85029.629.86326.729.88029.429.81002730.912525.130.316022.326.620022.835.825023.450.231520.859.840019.962.950018.861.563017.965.180017.865.1100017.766125018.565.3160017.763.4200017.664250017.657315017.457.7400017.656.8500017.652630017.356.8800017.459.21000017.460.1125001857.91600017.555.2SPL30.273.9N1.433.2median 17.8median 57.9Delta1.57.943.440.338.437.2293035.23628.527.525.626.226.225.926.430.323.234.42348.124.258.823.761.72063.21962.318.860196818.273.818.270.819.57418.170.217.368.717.666.817.471.217.469.717.56117.357.217.462.717.367.317.266.917.363.430.381.41.451median 18.2median 63.41.65.7hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSCHENKER XMG Neo 15 TuringGigabyte Aero 15-X9
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.6% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (16% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.2% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 77% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 60% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 43% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 28% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 63% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Maximum power consumption when idle was 21 W, and thus at the same level as other competitors such as the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9. The Razer Blade 15, equipped with the same CPU and GPU, was more efficient. Power consumption peaked at 183 W during our stress test, and dropped to just 135 W when running Witcher 3. The power supply is rated at 180 W.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 13 / 16 / 21 Watt
Load midlight 84 / 183 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Acer Predator Triton 500
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H		MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H		SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
Power Consumption
-5%
5%
-21%
11%
-26%
10%
Idle Minimum *
13
16
-23%
10.4
20%
16
-23%
7
46%
17
-31%
10
23%
Idle Average *
16
18
-13%
14.6
9%
22
-38%
11
31%
20
-25%
13
19%
Idle Maximum *
21
23
-10%
16.3
22%
32
-52%
20
5%
29
-38%
18
14%
Load Average *
84
88
-5%
88.5
-5%
89
-6%
98
-17%
112
-33%
95
-13%
Witcher 3 ultra *
135
120
11%
155.4
-15%
147
-9%
132
2%
152
-13%
114
16%
Load Maximum *
183
167
9%
182.4
-0%
173
5%
182
1%
211
-15%
179
2%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our real-world Wi-Fi test, the XMG Neo 15 ran for 5:04 hours. In this test, we simulate a load scenario typical for browsing the web. The power plan is set to Balanced and display brightness normalized to 150 nits. In our video test, the notebook powered off after just 4:52 hours. In this test, we run the Big Buck Bunny short film (H.264, FHD) in a loop with the power plan set to Power Saver, all wireless communication modules disabled, and display brightness once again normalized to 150 nits.

Overall, the XMG Neo 15 ran a bit longer than its predecessor thanks to its larger battery (62.3 Wh vs. 46.7 Wh). In order to fit this larger battery, the 2.5-inch hard disk drive slot had to be sacrificed, and a hard disk can thus no longer be installed in the notebook.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
6h 52min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44)
5h 04min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
4h 52min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 33min
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 62.3 Wh		Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 94.24 Wh		Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 80 Wh		Acer Predator Triton 500
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 82 Wh		MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 82 Wh		Asus Zephyrus S GX531GS
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, 50 Wh		SCHENKER XMG Neo 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, 46.7 Wh
Battery Runtime
43%
29%
-23%
13%
-50%
0%
Reader / Idle
412
549
33%
682
66%
335
-19%
507
23%
213
-48%
400
-3%
H.264
292
364
25%
356
22%
288
-1%
WiFi v1.3
304
382
26%
387
27%
190
-37%
362
19%
157
-48%
262
-14%
Load
93
174
87%
88
-5%
81
-13%
81
-13%
42
-55%
111
19%

Pros

+ decent IPS panel
+ 144 Hz
+ RGB backlit mechanical keyboard
+ lightweight, slim and robust case
+ narrow display bezels
+ individually customizable

Cons

- high temperatures
- no Thunderbolt 3
- sound quality could be better

Verdict

Schenker XMG Neo 15. Review unit courtesy of Schenker Technologies.
Schenker XMG Neo 15. Review unit courtesy of Schenker Technologies.

The Schenker XMG Neo 15 remains a fairly compact 15.6-inch gaming notebook and is thus a direct competitor to the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 and the Razer Blade 15. It ticks all the boxes for a gaming notebook. All current games can be enjoyed smoothly on its matte FHD display in high or even maximum details.

Schenker’s XMG Neo 15 is a well-made thin gaming notebook. However, it cannot keep up with its direct competitors, the Aero 15-X9 and the Blade 15.

It also features an RGB-backlit mechanical keyboard as well as a 144 Hz IPS panel with wide viewing angles, short response times, a high contrast ratio, and a decent color accuracy out of the box. That said, display brightness should be higher, especially considering the Neo’s price.

The system ran very smoothly and fast thanks to its blazingly fast NVMe SSD. The SSD can be swapped if necessary. A secondary M.2-2280 slot is available, however the 2.5-inch HDD slot is missing due to the larger internal battery. In return, battery life is slightly longer than before. Battery life was okay for a gaming notebook.

There are a few noteworthy drawbacks, though. For example, its very high temperatures and the wall of noise under load. That said, its competitors are not necessarily much better in these regards. Wi-Fi performance was sub-optimal, and the notebook lacked modern connectivity features such as Thunderbolt 3.

SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 Turing - 04/09/2019 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
63 / 81 → 78%
Weight
63 / 10-66 → 94%
Battery
80%
Display
86%
Games Performance
97%
Application Performance
95%
Temperature
70 / 95 → 74%
Noise
69 / 90 → 76%
Audio
60%
Average
78%
86%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Schenker XMG Neo 15 (i7-8750H, RTX 2070 Max-Q) Tongfang GK5CQ7Z Laptop Review
Sascha Mölck, 2019-03-27 (Update: 2019-03-28)