A Closer Look

The NEO 17 comes in the same out chassis design seen in the previous model I tested, although this time with far more horsepower under the hood. So much about it is familiar yet there's much here new that needs to be talked about.


The underside of the NEO 17 features a recessed area on the underside to improve airflow to the two fans, and those fans need that space to breathe for sure.


Everything here about the connectivity remains the same as it was in the previous model. You get a triplet of USB Type-A plugs, both a headphone and a mic jack, a SDXC slot, a USB Type-C plug, HDMI, LAN; its all here, including the ports for the optional OASIS watercooling; something I don't really see as optional myself. It is required.


The rear holds both the Ethernet and HDMI ports, along with the USB Type-C port and OASIS port. This connectivity for the OASIS cooler is very different this go around. Believe it or not, this one is magnetic, and it attaches only by those magnets, yet doesn't leak.



My XMG NEO 17 is outfitted with Cherry MX key switches, with some fairly decent appearing LED lighting that has different modes for you to choose from, like most RGB keyboards these days, although it is important to note that this keyboard offers per-key customizable lighting. We have a large trackpad here as well, with a fairly decent feel, although i personally prefer a slightly more textured surface.