XPG Xenia 14 review: The fresh PC brand proves it's here to compete with this incredibly light Ultrabook
Source: Windows Primal
Just last year I would have looked confused if I was asked my opinion on XPG — guided by the parent visitor ADATA — and its new line of laptops. Withal, I've at present had the chance to test and review both the XPG Xenia xv gaming laptop and the XPG Xenia Xe fifteen-inch Ultrabook. While these ii laptops were altogether solid, it appears XPG has hit a new level of confidence with its XPG Xenia xiv. The laptop is incredibly lightweight, it has a tall xvi:x display, and the touchpad is absolutely enormous. Inside, information technology has fast PCIe 4.0 storage and two upgradeable RAM slots. In that location's a lot more than to unpack here, and I've been using the Xenia xiv for a week to encounter whether or not it's worth the relatively reasonable cost.
Lightweight and affordable
XPG Xenia 14
Bottom line: The Xenia 14 is the best laptop so far from XPG. It's lighter than LG's gram, it has a solid brandish with xvi:10 aspect ratio, the keyboard and touchpad are comfortable, and there are plenty of ports. Despite its compact size it includes plenty of opportunities for internal hardware upgrades. There are some things missing, like a webcam shutter and a high-res brandish option, but this is otherwise an piece of cake recommendation for anyone who wants to travel lite and pay less.
Pros
- 16:x attribute ratio, slim bezel
- Enormous touchpad, comfy keyboard
- Lighter than LG's gram
- Thunderbolt four, IR camera, Wi-Fi half dozen
- SSD (PCIe four.0) and RAM upgradeable
Cons
- No webcam shutter
- Magnesium alloy not as rigid equally aluminum
- Stock RAM is unmarried-aqueduct
- Just one display option
XPG Xenia fourteen: Price, availability, and specs
Source: Windows Central
ADATA provided Windows Central a review unit of the XPG Xenia 14. This laptop is set to launch Aug. 20 on Amazon and Newegg, and at that place's a pre-guild campaign going on right at present until launch. You can get the Core i5 version of the laptop for about $i,100, which is about $100 less than the usual price. Nonetheless, in that location's a bundle attached to make the deal that much sweeter. At Amazon y'all'll get a free XPG gaming headset, haversack, and oversized mousepad. At Newegg, you get the same three bundled accessories, merely you also become a $50 Newegg gift bill of fare.
Intel Core i7 versions of the laptop — which I take for review — cost nigh $1,350 and are not included in the pre-order bundle promotion. Following are the exact specs as found in the review unit I tested.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Bone | Windows x Home |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Cadre i7-1165G7 four cores, viii threads Up to four.70GHz |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4-3200MHz Upgradeable |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Integrated |
| Storage | XPG Gammix S50 Lite SSD NVMe PCIe 4.0 512GB Upgradeable |
| Display | 14 inches 1920x1200 (FHD+) xvi:ten attribute ratio IPS, 400 nits |
| Ports | Thunderbolt four USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) Two USB-A iii.0 (Gen 1) HDMI 2.0b SD card reader (UHS-I) 3.5mm audio jack |
| Audio | Dual stereo speakers |
| Connectivity | Intel Wi-Fi six AX201 Bluetooth 5.ane |
| Camera | Front end-facing 720p IR camera |
| Keyboard | White backlight ane.2-1.3mm travel |
| Touchpad | Precision |
| Security | IR camera Kensington lock slot |
| Battery | 53Wh 65W Ac adapter |
| Dimensions | 12.sixteen x 8.46 x 0.59 inches (308.8mm x 215mm x 15mm) |
| Weight | 2.xiv pounds (970g) |
| Color | Black Magnesium blend |
Equally lite equally they come
XPG Xenia 14: Design and features
Source: Windows Central
The XPG Xenia fourteen is the lightest laptop I've e'er used.
Made upward entirely of a magnesium alloy, the XPG Xenia 14 is anything just heavy and beefy. Information technology weighs in at but two.14 pounds (970g) and measures less than 0.6 inches (15mm) thin. It's nigh comical how airy this laptop feels when you lot're carrying it effectually. Here's the caveat: Magnesium blend isn't as durable or rigid every bit full aluminum. If you're coming from something similar the XPS xiii similar I am, the Xenia 14 might feel a bit flimsy. I haven't used the laptop long enough to say for sure how well it stands up to everyday use, just I can say for sure that the laptop seems very carefully designed.
It'southward based on the same reference chassis every bit the Schenker Vision fourteen, which is available in European markets. Previous XPG laptops have also used reference design to skillful issue, and there's zippo dissimilar here. If yous're in search of a laptop that you can sideslip into a bag or under an arm, you're hardly going to observe this one is riding along with you lot.
The outside of the laptop is fairly plain, with but a triangular XPG logo on the side of the chapeau. The black paint does choice upwards fingerprints and smudges adequately easily, just they likewise wipe off without much effort. Information technology's certainly not every bit sticky as a ThinkPad's soft-touch finish. In that location'southward a scrap of a wedge shape along the bottom to make the laptop expect a chip thinner, though it really doesn't need it. Thick rubber anxiety keep the laptop from slipping effectually on a polish tabletop.
Source: Windows Key
Opening the laptop reveals an enormous Precision touchpad and sizable keyboard. The touchpad looks to exist about the aforementioned size equally what you'd find on an XPS 15, giving you plenty of space for Windows ten gestures. Its drinking glass surface is smoothen, it tracks well, and the click is snappy if just a bit hollow. A impact sensor in the corner allows for a quick toggle of touch pickup on the pad, probable to assistance deal with any adventitious touches if you're using an external mouse.
The keyboard makes expert use of the infinite available, stretching near from edge to edge. Keys are spaced well, and they seem to have just a scrap more travel than the XPS 13. That should hateful nearly 1.2 to one.3mm of key travel for the Xenia 14. In any case, there'south a nice soft lesser on the deck and plenty of bounce to the keys. I typed thousands of words and didn't have any problems. A white backlight (off, bright, and brighter) helps with working afterward hours. Do note that the up and downwards pointer keys are half size and the navigation keys — Pg Up, Pg Down, Home, and Cease — are doubled up and accessible with the Fn primal.
Source: Windows Cardinal
A common tendency with Ultrabooks as they slim downward is the removal of ports. Thunderbolt 4 has get the modern standard for thin and low-cal PCs, only it has also become the only port (save maybe a 3.5mm audio jack) on a lot of devices. Yep, you lot can connect one of the all-time Thunderbolt iv docks for even more than connectivity, but the Xenia 14 will keep you from entering dongle hell.
The left side includes USB-C 3.ii (Gen 2), one USB-A three.0 (Gen i), a UHS-I SD menu reader, 3.5mm audio combo jack, and a Kensington lock slot. The right side has a Thunderbolt iv, USB-A 3.0 (Gen 1), HDMI 2.0b, and a barrel power connector. You can as well use the USB-C or Thunderbolt 4 port for charging, though the laptop comes with the barrel AC adapter. This is a very generous selection of ports that should keep you connected to all your favorite accessories.
Source: Windows Central
Speakers are located on either side of the bottom of the laptop. They're non particularly impressive, just they're better than I was expecting from something that weighs so piddling. The XPG Prime Lite app doesn't include whatsoever audio tuning, and so you're stuck with the default sound. The mid and highs are expert, but don't look a whole lot of bass. For conference calls and listening to music while you work it will fare well.
The front-facing Hd photographic camera has decent colour and seems to bargain well with exposure. Like the sound, information technology's not the all-time simply it's also not the worst. For video chats information technology should suffice. There'due south unfortunately no camera shutter for added privacy, but the array does include an IR camera for Windows Hello. It works as it should for quick and piece of cake logins.
16:10 aspect ratio
XPG Xenia 14: Display
Source: Windows Central
We're big fans of seeing PC makers switch to taller screens, whether they're at a 16:10 or a 3:ii attribute ratio. The Xenia 14's display has the former, which means information technology has a slightly boosted 1920x1200 (FHD+) resolution. This is the only brandish selection available which is a bit of a letdown, but at least at 14 inches it looks fairly crisp. Cheers to the slim bezel around all sides, you're looking at a 92% screen-to-body ratio. It looks super modern and clean.
It's a non-touch brandish with a matte stop, and its 364 nits (as tested) maximum brightness does a good job of fending off glare. Though the bezel is slightly raised, it's tacked down well. The screen seems to dominate this laptop, and sitting open information technology looks similar it's all display, keyboard, and touchpad. I tested color reproduction and got dorsum 98% sRGB, 77% AdobeRGB, and 79% DCI-P3. These are all solid results, peculiarly at this cost indicate. Unless you're getting into truly specialized work where Adobe and P3 are critical, you lot shouldn't accept any issues here.
RAM and SSD upgradeable
XPG Xenia xiv: Functioning and battery
Source: Windows Central
Similar the other XPG laptops, the Xenia 14 doesn't come with whatever added bloatware. This is an uncommon practice with laptops that focus on value pricing. It ships with a clean install of Windows that you can prepare up, and the only proprietary software is the XPG Prime Light app. Information technology offers enough of tweaks, including fan speeds, bombardment charging options, display color, keyboard backlight idle timer, and more than.
A laptop this sparse and light with this many available hardware upgrades is certainly out of the ordinary.
The lesser comprehend is like shooting fish in a barrel to remove, and y'all get full access to the laptop's internal hardware for future upgrades. There are two 1000.ii SSD slots, one coming filled with the 512GB PCIe iv.0 drive. There are as well two SODIMM RAM slots, 1 filled with a 16GB stick of RAM. XPG shipped me an extra 16GB stick to install — it took nearly 5 minutes total time — for a full of 32GB. The real takeaway here is that you lot're only going to get dual-channel performance if you add together extra RAM. The performance difference isn't huge, but there'due south definitely a flake of a boost after the upgrade. The Wi-Fi half-dozen module is also socketed.
Having a laptop this thin and light with every bit many bachelor DIY upgrades is certainly out of the ordinary. And it too appears that a version with dedicated graphics could come up one day. There'south a big blank infinite next to the CPU for a GPU and 2d fan, but whether or not XPG jumps on the opportunity I can't say. This is a reference design that manufacturers can apply as they please, so information technology's a possibility that XPG just left it bare to keep the cost down.
Following is a await at how the Xenia xiv's performance compares to a bunch of other PCs we've recently tested.
Overall performance from the organisation is about boilerplate for most Ultrabooks. I had no problems going about daily work, including heavy spider web browsing, word processing, Excel spreadsheets, and photo editing. The Core i5 option won't be too far behind the Cadre i7 I tested here, and it costs a couple hundred dollars less. I was expecting a bit more out of the PCI 4.0 SSD, but information technology's still one of the faster drives we've tested in a laptop.
As for battery life, I tested with PCMark 10's Modernistic Office rundown with 50% screen brightness and Windows x's "Better Functioning" power profile. The 53Wh battery lasted just more than 10 hours on a charge. That'due south closer to about eight hours of bodily use, but still should be plenty to go you through about of a workday.
Lightweight bout
XPG Xenia 14: Contest
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal LG's gram 17 is too bachelor in smaller sizes.
When it comes to thin and light PCs, one of the first brands that comes to heed is LG's gram. It's available in 13-, fourteen-, 15-, 16-, and 17-inch sizes, which is quite impressive. We've reviewed the LG gram 17 to give you an idea of what to expect from this series of PCs. The 14-inch model is within the same price range as the Xenia 14, but its battery is larger and its build quality is just a scrap college with MIL-STD-810G durability testing. However, information technology'due south not equally upgradeable and not quite equally lite.
The Honor MagicBook 14 is another laptop that we're soon going to be taking a await at. It'due south a budget laptop primarily available in Europe, Latin America, and Russia, though yous can ofttimes notice it at third-party resellers in other regions. Information technology shares with the Xenia 14 enough of similar specs, though it has an aluminum body and 16:nine display. Information technology'southward even cheaper than the Xenia 14 if you're on a tighter budget.
If you'd rather have a laptop that can rotate around for tent, stand, and tablet modes, the HP Spectre x360 14 might be the right choice. Models commencement at about $1,200 for an 11th Gen Intel Cadre i5 CPU, xiii.5-inch 1920x1280 resolution display with 3:2 aspect ratio, and long battery life. You can fifty-fifty upgrade to a 3.5K resolution for the touch display. This is one of the all-time laptops you lot tin can buy right now, and information technology sits at the superlative of our list of the best Windows laptops.
Swell value
Should y'all buy the XPG Xenia 14?
Source: Windows Central
Who it's for
- Anyone who wants one of the lightest Ultrabooks around
- Anyone who wants to spend more than than $1,100
- Anyone who wants plenty of ports, comfortable keyboard, and huge touchpad
Who it isn't for
- Anyone who wants gaming performance
- Anyone who wants a 4K display
- Anyone who wants an aluminum build for extra rigidity
XPG has created an incredibly sparse and light Ultrabook that doesn't make virtually of the same concessions equally the competition. You all the same get great port selection, there's a bevy of possible post-buy upgrades, and information technology runs cool and serenity with good performance. The magnesium alloy chassis might not exist as rigid as aluminum, but the laptop certainly doesn't feel like it'due south at any risk of falling apart. The pattern is clean, the keyboard is comfortable, and the touchpad is authentic and enormous.
I like the screen a lot cheers to the sixteen:10 aspect ratio, accurate sRGB color, and slim bezel. Information technology looks virtually as modern as tin can be, and I just wish there was a 4K version. A scrap more brightness wouldn't hurt, but the matte end cuts down a lot on glare.
This is the all-time laptop XPG has so far released, and I'one thousand looking forward to what's to come in the time to come. If you demand a lightweight, meaty PC for schoolhouse, the office, or just to accept around for casual use, it should definitely be considered.
Lightweight and affordable
XPG Xenia 14
Want a well-rounded, thin, and calorie-free laptop that doesn't cost a fortune and doesn't deny yous opportunity for upgrades? The Xenia 14 is a surprising Ultrabook, and XPG is a company to continue an eye on in this space. Pre-social club before Aug. twenty, and greenbacks in on some bundled accessories and a Newegg souvenir carte du jour.
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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/xpg-xenia-14-review
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