XMG Neo 16 2025 Preview - The fastest gaming notebook now with AMD, RTX 5000 and 300 Hz Mini-LED
Full power with optional water cooling.
The XMG Neo 16 2025 is now also available with an AMD processor and a mini LED panel. The fast 175-watt RTX 5080/5090 laptop GPUs are also used. We received two engineering samples, providing us a preview before conducting the full test.Andreas Osthoff, 👁 Andreas Osthoff, ✓ Anton Avdyushkin (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
The XMG Neo 16 is traditionally one of the fastest gaming notebooks on the market and doesn't have to hide behind its larger competitors. This claim remains valid for 2025, and for the first time, it is also available with an AMD processor and a mini LED panel (300 Hz). The designation differs depending on the processor; the AMD model is the Neo 16 A25 (from €2,649), and the Intel model is the Neo 16 E25 (from €2,699). Both are equipped with the RTX 5070 Ti. The devices are already available for pre-order and should be available in mid-April, with the AMD model based on the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D to follow a month later. All variants are compatible with the new version of the Oasis water cooling system.
For the launch of the new RTX 5000 GPUs from Nvidia, we tested two engineering samples of the Neo 16 A25 in advance, each equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX. In addition, the GeForce RTX 5080 laptop and the GeForce RTX 5090 laptop were installed; both are the fastest variants with 175 watts (150 watts TGP + 25 watts Dynamic Boost). The RTX 5070 Ti is the variant with 140 watts (115 watts TGP + 25 watts Dynamic Boost).
Differences to the XMG Neo 16 E24
Not much has changed about the design of the Neo 16 for the 2025 model year, so it is still a reasonably restrained gaming laptop with relatively dirt-sensitive aluminum surfaces. Stability and workmanship are still very good, but the significant changes are on the inside. The cooling has been revised again, and the system has been optimized for the optional Oasis water cooling. We will also test the corresponding Oasis V2 unit in our full device test. There are still two slots for M.2 2280 SSDs (1x PCIe 5.0, 1x PCIe 4.0) and two SO-DIMM slots (max. 96 GB) available.
Due to the change in cooling, the port distribution has also been revised slightly. This is where we come to the only difference between the two variants, because while the Intel model has a Thunderbolt 4 port on the back, the AMD model only has USB-C 3.2 Gen.2, i.e. no USB 4.0. Nevertheless, both models support charging via USB-C with 140 watts. This is helpful if you don't always want to take the 420-watt power supply unit with you when you're on the go.
Display - Mini LED with 300 Hz
The new XMG Neo 16 is equipped with a matte 300 Hz IPS panel as standard, which covers the sRGB color space. For a surcharge of 175 euros, however, a matte mini LED panel with up to 1,000 nits, extremely fast 300 Hz, and full P3 coverage is now available. According to the technical data, there will be factory-calibrated profiles, and the local dimming of the mini LED panel can be deactivated, which is particularly helpful for image/video editing.
We were not yet able to test all the features of the mini LED panel in the engineering samples, and the factory calibration was also missing, but the maximum SDR brightness was more than 800 cd/m² in a quick test. The black level was 0 cd/m², which results in an enormous contrast ratio. In addition, the P3 color space is fully covered. The subjective impression during gaming was excellent, and the movements were absolutely smooth.
Performance - Full power with AMD and RTX 5090 laptop
We can also take a look at the performance, and the Neo 16 A25 makes no compromises here. We have already presented the CPU results in our CPU analysis: the values are good overall, even if the Core Ultra 9 275HX is slightly faster in the synthetic tests.
The new PCIe 5.0 slot is fully utilized in our engineering sample, and the built-in Samsung SSD 9100 Pro with a storage capacity of 2 TB offers enormous transfer rates of more than 14 GB/s, which previously required RAID 0 systems in laptops. The Neo 16 A25 is also able to keep the performance of the fast SSD completely stable even under a constant load.
Continuous read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
In our GPU analysis of the new RTX 5000 laptop series, we have already published plenty of results from synthetic and gaming benchmarks. The two GPUs in the Neo 16 A25 run at 175 watts, and the benchmark results are also very good, especially the RTX 5080 laptop makes a lot of sense in combination with the WQHD panel, while the RTX 5090 laptop can show its strengths in 4K. In our CPU analysis, we also checked the performance of the 5090 laptop in combination with the Ryzen 9 9955HX and the Core Ultra 9 275HX: the AMD model was faster in every gaming benchmark. The Ryzen 9 9955HX3D should have an even greater advantage here.
| GFXBench | |
| 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| SCHENKER Neo 16 A25 5090 Engineering Sample | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G733PYV-LL053X | |
| SCHENKER XMG Neo 16 A25 5080 Engineering Sample | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max | |
| Razer Blade 17 Early 2022 | |
| 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| SCHENKER Neo 16 A25 5090 Engineering Sample | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G733PYV-LL053X | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max | |
| SCHENKER XMG Neo 16 A25 5080 Engineering Sample | |
| Razer Blade 17 Early 2022 | |
| Assassin's Creed Shadows - 2560x1440 Ultra High | |
| SCHENKER Neo 16 A25 5090 Engineering Sample | |
| Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
| SCHENKER XMG Neo 16 A25 5080 Engineering Sample | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G733PYV-LL053X | |
| Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - 2560x1440 Very Ultra Preset | |
| SCHENKER Neo 16 A25 5090 Engineering Sample | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G733PYV-LL053X | |
| SCHENKER XMG Neo 16 A25 5080 Engineering Sample | |
| Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
| Monster Hunter Wilds - 2560x1440 ultra, RT: high, no upscaling | |
| SCHENKER Neo 16 A25 5090 Engineering Sample | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G733PYV-LL053X | |
| SCHENKER XMG Neo 16 A25 5080 Engineering Sample | |
| Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD DLSS | QHD | 4K DLSS | 4K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 218.5 | |||||||
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 251 | 214 | 208 | 186.1 | 176.8 | |||
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 192.6 | 161.8 | 99 | |||||
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 172.3 | 133 | 129.8 | 102.4 | ||||
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 652 | 526 | 499 | 464 | 343 | 182.2 | ||
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 202 | 150.5 | 129 | 84.3 | ||||
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty (2023) | 208 | 202 | 177.1 | 157 | 125.3 | 110.6 | 80.6 | 52.9 |
| Alan Wake 2 (2023) | 124.7 | 88.3 | 47.7 | |||||
| F1 24 (2024) | 158.3 | 105.5 | 90.2 | 54.2 | ||||
| Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (2024) | 147 | 131 | 123 | 81 | 82 | |||
| Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (2024) | 130.6 | 122.4 | 105 | 66.6 | ||||
| Monster Hunter Wilds (2025) | 89 | 86.4 | 75 | 64.5 | 48.5 | |||
| Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025) | 74 | 69 | 59 | 55 | 39 |
Initial verdict - Neo 16 with maximum performance and massive display upgrade
The new XMG Neo 16 is still clearly focused on performance, and the new AMD variant (Ryzen 9 9955HX) leaves a very good impression in combination with the GeForce RTX 5090 laptop and the RTX 5080 laptop GPUs. The 5080 laptop is particularly well suited to the WQHD resolution. When it comes to the panel, the manufacturer has also listened to the criticism and, in addition to a matte IPS display with 300 Hz and sRGB coverage, now also offers a mini LED panel with 300 Hz and P3 coverage, which should achieve a brightness of 1,000 nits. Our first measurements are promising (more than 800 nits in SDR mode, full P3 coverage), and if the finished product fits (factory profiles for P3 and sRGB, local dimming can be deactivated), the Neo 16 with the mini LED panel will also be a great option for creative users.
For all other measurements, we will have to wait for the final test devices, which should arrive shortly.
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The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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