Tag: XMG Apex 17

  • XMG Apex 17 Review: Stunning QHD Display with Accurate Colors

    XMG Apex 17 Review: Stunning QHD Display with Accurate Colors

    Key Takeaways

    1. The XMG Apex 17 offers strong performance with the RTX 5060 and operates quietly in entertainment mode, making it suitable for gamers and content creators alike.
    2. It features a matte QHD display (2560 × 1440 pixels) with a refresh rate of up to 240 Hz, but average brightness levels at 325 nits and color accuracy need improvement.
    3. Manual calibration significantly enhances display quality, achieving low DeltaE values (0.62 in grayscale and 0.81 in ColorChecker), confirming full DCI-P3 color space coverage.
    4. The laptop’s design is sleek and simple, though it comes with a high price starting at 2,049 Euro.
    5. Despite average brightness, the Apex 17’s low color deviations post-calibration and capable performance make it a strong choice for content creation beyond gaming.

    We’ve discussed how the XMG Apex 17 (check out our review) is a strong—though pricey—option for gamers wanting to maximize their frame rates with the RTX 5060. Additionally, we noted that the laptop operates significantly quieter than many rivals in entertainment mode, while still providing solid performance.

    Performance and Value

    Strong performance, quiet functioning when required, and a sleek, simple design? Added to its high price (starting at 2,049 Euro on bestware), this might be a potential candidate for content creation tasks. But how does the display perform in practice?

    Display Quality

    The Apex 17 boasts a matte QHD display with a resolution of 2,560 × 1,440 pixels. Its 17.3-inch screen can refresh at rates up to 240 Hz, and according to the maker, it covers the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. But what do our tests reveal?

    Brightness levels are quite average, measuring at 325 nits, which isn’t exactly breathtaking. The factory color accuracy also shows some room for enhancement, with average DeltaE deviations of 3.16 in grayscale and 4.35 in the ColorChecker test—numbers that are too high for serious photo or video editing.

    Calibration Improvements

    Nonetheless, the display has significant potential, as shown by our manual calibration findings. Post-calibration, DeltaE values plummet to an impressive 0.62 in grayscale and 0.81 in the ColorChecker test. This drops deviations below 1—a really strong outcome. We also were able to confirm it covers the full DCI-P3 color space.

    The display doesn’t rely on PWM for brightness adjustments, and backlight bleeding is hardly noticeable, even in dark scenes. The only downside is a slightly higher black level, which diminishes overall contrast a bit.

    In conclusion, even with its average brightness, the XMG Apex 17 remains an attractive option for content creators. With its complete DCI-P3 coverage, remarkably low color and grayscale deviations post-calibration, neat design, high performance, and quiet operation when it’s needed, it proves to be a surprisingly competent choice beyond just gaming.

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  • RTX 5060 Laptop: 60% Quieter in Entertainment Mode, 12% Loss

    RTX 5060 Laptop: 60% Quieter in Entertainment Mode, 12% Loss

    Key Takeaways

    1. The Apex 17 is the top-performing RTX 5060 laptop in 3D benchmarks and gaming, thanks to its strong AMD processor.
    2. The laptop’s cooling system is effective but leads to higher noise levels, especially in Performance mode.
    3. Different modes (Performance, Entertainment, Silent) affect performance; Entertainment mode reduces CPU performance by about 15% but remains competitive.
    4. Despite a performance drop in Entertainment mode, the Apex 17 still outperforms many competitors in various tests.
    5. Switching to Entertainment mode significantly reduces fan noise by approximately 60%, while maintaining a good balance between performance and sound levels.

    In synthetic 3D performance, the Apex 17 (our review) leads among all RTX 5060 laptops we’ve tested, based on our 3DMark benchmarks. Its superiority is even more evident in actual gaming, where the advanced CPU significantly influences results. With a strong AMD processor, the Apex 17 stands unrivaled in CPU performance within its category.

    Cooling System Challenges

    To achieve such high performance, a robust cooling system is essential. However, powerful cooling often leads to increased noise levels. While the laptop remains cool during intense tasks, it also ranks among the loudest RTX-5060 laptops when set to Performance mode.

    Testing Different Modes

    Besides Performance mode, the Apex 17 has two other preset options: Entertainment and Silent. We examined these modes to see how much performance might be sacrificed for quieter operation—specifically, how much speed you give up for a more serene experience.

    Using Cinebench R15 Multi Core, Fire Strike Graphics, and Cyberpunk 2077, we assessed the various profiles. In Cinebench, the CPU performance dropped about 15 percent in Entertainment mode. Nevertheless, the score of 4,921 points (down from 5,739) still equates to the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX found in devices like the Lenovo Legion 7 16 and other Intel processors.

    Performance Comparison

    In the Fire Strike Graphics test, we noticed a decline of roughly 10 percent in Entertainment mode. Despite this drop, the Apex 17 outperformed competitors such as the Tulpar T6, the Alienware 16 Aurora, and the MSI Cyborg 17. However, models like Omen 16 and Legion 7 had a slight edge in this quieter setting.

    When it comes to gaming, the results follow a similar trend. In Cyberpunk 2077, the average frame rates decreased from 84.4 FPS to 74.4 FPS, marking a drop of around 12 percent. This benchmark was never the Apex 17’s strongest suit, and it already lagged behind the Legion 7 in Performance mode. Yet, in Entertainment mode, it still outpaced the MSI Cyborg 17, even if other rivals surpassed it slightly.

    Noise Levels

    Despite the moderate drop in performance, the reduction in noise is significant. Fan noise decreases from about 55 dB to just 40.5–43.5 dB, making it approximately two and a half times quieter. In other titles—especially those heavy on CPU—the laptop remains quiet while still benefiting from the powerful Ryzen 9 processor, which aids in keeping performance high.

    The Apex 17 is among the most potent RTX-5060 gaming laptops on the market, though it can be quite noisy in Performance mode. Switching to Entertainment mode makes it around 60 percent quieter, with 3D and gaming performance only dipping by 10 to 12 percent. Even in this quieter profile, the Apex 17 stays very competitive, providing a great balance between performance and sound levels.

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  • XMG Launches 17-Inch Apex Laptop with Ryzen 9 9955HX and RTX 5060

    XMG Launches 17-Inch Apex Laptop with Ryzen 9 9955HX and RTX 5060

    Key Takeaways

    1. Powerful AMD Processor: The Apex 17 M25 features the Ryzen 9 9955HX APU with 16 cores, 32 threads, and speeds up to 5.4 GHz, offering significant performance improvements over Intel’s older processors.

    2. Budget-Friendly Choice: It comes with the RTX 5060 dGPU, making it a more affordable option for gamers, with plans to introduce the RTX 5070 in early 2026.

    3. Excellent Display and Connectivity: The laptop features a 2,560 x 1,440 IPS display with a 240 Hz refresh rate and full RGB coverage, plus multiple high-speed ports for connectivity.

    4. Compact and Lightweight Design: The chassis is smaller than the Focus 17, made of aluminum, weighing about 2.8 kg, and includes a full-size RGB keyboard and spacious touchpad.

    5. Starting Price and Availability: The Apex 17 M25 starts at €1,699 for the base configuration and is available for pre-order, with discounts available until December 2nd.

    XMG is refreshing its Apex gaming laptop series with a new 17-inch model that shares similarities with this year’s Focus 17 but is equipped with AMD’s newest mobile APUs. For now, this model will feature only the RTX 5060 dGPU, although XMG plans to introduce an RTX 5070 option in Q1 2026.

    Powerful AMD Processor

    The new Apex 17 M25 distinguishes itself from the earlier Focus 17, which came with Intel’s older Raptor Lake/-Refresh processors. Instead, it uses AMD’s high-end Ryzen 9 9955HX APU. This chip has 16 Zen 5 cores and 32 threads, along with a 64 MB L3 cache, and can reach speeds up to 5.4 GHz. While it resembles the desktop Ryzen 9000 series, it comes with a Radeon 610M iGPU, and the TDP is capped at a maximum of 75 W. Users can also upgrade to a whopping 128 GB DDR5-5600 RAM and have up to 16 TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage through two M.2 slots.

    Budget-Friendly Choice

    The RTX 5060 dGPU, which has a maximum TGP of 115 W and features a MUX switch, is a step down from the RTX 5070 Ti found in the Focus 17. Nevertheless, this makes the model a more appealing option for gamers on a budget. XMG has also promised to offer the RTX 5070 option in the near future.

    Excellent Display and Connectivity

    In terms of display, it boasts the same panel as the Focus 17, featuring a 2,560 x 1,440 IPS screen with a 240 Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 300 nits, and full 100% DCI-P3/sRGB coverage. Additionally, XMG has integrated an FHD webcam with temporal noise reduction and a physical shutter above the screen.

    As is common with XMG laptops, the Apex 17 M25 offers high-speed ports located on its rear side, including Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps), USB-C 3.2 Gen2 with DisplayPort 1.4a, and the power supply connector. On the sides, you’ll find additional ports like USB-A 3.2 Gen2 and Gen1, a combo audio jack for headsets and microphones, plus another USB-C 3.2 Gen2 with DisplayPort 2.1 (DP40) and 100 W Power Delivery. Wireless capabilities are provided through a Wi-Fi 6E + BT 5.3 card.

    Compact and Lightweight Design

    The chassis has a slightly smaller footprint compared to the Focus 17, measuring 402 x 265 x 28.6 mm. The display lid is made of aluminum, and the laptop weighs approximately 2.8 kg. The battery capacity remains steady at 73 Wh. The larger chassis allows for a full-size RGB keyboard featuring arrow keys and a numpad, along with a more spacious 150 x 90 mm touchpad.

    XMG has set the starting price for the Apex 17 M25 at €1,699, which includes a base configuration of 16 (2 x 8) GB DDR5-5600 RAM and a 1 TB SSD. This model is currently available for pre-order and is expected to be in stock by the end of November. As part of the ongoing BLACK DEALS promotion, bestware.com is offering a 5 percent discount on the Apex 17 until December 2nd, bringing the price down to €1,614.05.

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    XMG Launches 17-Inch Apex Laptop with Ryzen 9 9955HX and RTX 5060XMG Launches 17-Inch Apex Laptop with Ryzen 9 9955HX and RTX 5060XMG Launches 17-Inch Apex Laptop with Ryzen 9 9955HX and RTX 5060XMG Launches 17-Inch Apex Laptop with Ryzen 9 9955HX and RTX 5060XMG Launches 17-Inch Apex Laptop with Ryzen 9 9955HX and RTX 5060

     

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