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c0ppo

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 11, 2013
1,890
3,268
About 2 weeks ago I've ordered this laptop with following specs:

i7 9750h, 2.6GHz
32GB RAM
GTX 1660 Ti

I've used X1 Extreme for some time now. First gen. And was very pleased with it. But I was stupid. Left it in my bag in the garage. My wife ran over it with her car :)
But to my surprise, thing still works. Kind of.

But long story short, instead of new X1E, I've ordered XMG Fusion 15 (name for EU market, for US it's Mag-15).
I've been using it for a week or so. And this thing is great on so many levels that it really surprised me. I was expecting to test it out for a few days, and send it back then. But this one is a keeper for sure.

Screen is FHD 144Hz, and it's really bright. Battery life is way better then on my X1E. I can easily get 7-8 hours by just surfing the web and using office. Around 6h on Linux.

And to my surprise, this laptop isn't noisy at all. Actually, it's less noisy then my X1E. Great thing about this device is 'power mode' button. I came up with this name myself since I don't know if it has a name at all. Basically, this button is next to power button. By pressing it I can switch between 3 modes:
battery, normal, high performance. It works under Linux as well. So by just pressing one button I can greatly reduce noise, or put the fans to full speed if I'm working on something demanding and don't want any throttling.

Keyboard is great as well. It's a low travel mechanical keyboard. But it took me a day or two to get used to it. It's similar to butterfly keyboard on MBP. But with really nice clicks, deep travel (for a laptop), and the layout is simply great. Is it better then Thinkpad keyboard? Nope. At least not to me. But besides thinkpad keyboards, I've liked only Surface Book 2 keyboard. And this one feels better to me. Actually, best keyboard besides X1E that I've tried on any laptop. So it's more then good enough.

Trackpad is great. Better then on X1E. My screen has no backlight bleed at all. Finally I hit the jackpot on screens, since I always had issues with backlight bleeds. Except in macbooks.

Port selection is even better then on X1E, and X1E had great ports. This one has one less TB3 port, but 3 USB-A ports, full ethernet port, mic out and mic in ports, full SD card, and a HDMI port. And I especially like that TB3, HDMI and charging port are located on laptops rear end, so they remain mostly hidden behind the screen.

Opening laptop up, and everything is easily accessible. You can swap out RAM, wi-fi card, and you even get 2 nvme slots, just like on X1E.
Build quality is great as well. Chassis is made up from magnesium. It's matte, so no fingerprints so far. It feel really sturdy. I can even open up laptop with one finger without any issues.

I've went for 1660Ti because 2070 Max-Q model has only 10% better performance, but it's 300 euros more expensive. So that was an easy choice. This laptop is also very light. It's around 1.9Kg, so really light for what it offers. I've tested out a couple of games under Ubuntu and Windows 10, everything works like a charm (CS:GO, Withcer 3, Endless space, etc.).

So all in all, a light workhorse. I was thinking of trying out Razer Blade 15, but was too afraid to order one because of QC issues. On this one I've bought additional charger, 3 years of warranty + 1 year of expedited service. All for 1920 euros. And I had 2 weeks to try it out. So it was an easy choice for me. I really didn't expect this kind of quality, and everybody online is praising XMG for their customer service (they are located in germany).

For anyone interested, check out a few youtube reviews. I will leave one video here, since I think that this one does a great job. But there are even more out there. If anyone has any questions, please ask and I will try to answer them :)

 

jrichards1408

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2016
615
194
About 2 weeks ago I've ordered this laptop with following specs:

i7 9750h, 2.6GHz
32GB RAM
GTX 1660 Ti

I've used X1 Extreme for some time now. First gen. And was very pleased with it. But I was stupid. Left it in my bag in the garage. My wife ran over it with her car :)
But to my surprise, thing still works. Kind of.

But long story short, instead of new X1E, I've ordered XMG Fusion 15 (name for EU market, for US it's Mag-15).
I've been using it for a week or so. And this thing is great on so many levels that it really surprised me. I was expecting to test it out for a few days, and send it back then. But this one is a keeper for sure.

Screen is FHD 144Hz, and it's really bright. Battery life is way better then on my X1E. I can easily get 7-8 hours by just surfing the web and using office. Around 6h on Linux.

And to my surprise, this laptop isn't noisy at all. Actually, it's less noisy then my X1E. Great thing about this device is 'power mode' button. I came up with this name myself since I don't know if it has a name at all. Basically, this button is next to power button. By pressing it I can switch between 3 modes:
battery, normal, high performance. It works under Linux as well. So by just pressing one button I can greatly reduce noise, or put the fans to full speed if I'm working on something demanding and don't want any throttling.

Keyboard is great as well. It's a low travel mechanical keyboard. But it took me a day or two to get used to it. It's similar to butterfly keyboard on MBP. But with really nice clicks, deep travel (for a laptop), and the layout is simply great. Is it better then Thinkpad keyboard? Nope. At least not to me. But besides thinkpad keyboards, I've liked only Surface Book 2 keyboard. And this one feels better to me. Actually, best keyboard besides X1E that I've tried on any laptop. So it's more then good enough.

Trackpad is great. Better then on X1E. My screen has no backlight bleed at all. Finally I hit the jackpot on screens, since I always had issues with backlight bleeds. Except in macbooks.

Port selection is even better then on X1E, and X1E had great ports. This one has one less TB3 port, but 3 USB-A ports, full ethernet port, mic out and mic in ports, full SD card, and a HDMI port. And I especially like that TB3, HDMI and charging port are located on laptops rear end, so they remain mostly hidden behind the screen.

Opening laptop up, and everything is easily accessible. You can swap out RAM, wi-fi card, and you even get 2 nvme slots, just like on X1E.
Build quality is great as well. Chassis is made up from magnesium. It's matte, so no fingerprints so far. It feel really sturdy. I can even open up laptop with one finger without any issues.

I've went for 1660Ti because 2070 Max-Q model has only 10% better performance, but it's 300 euros more expensive. So that was an easy choice. This laptop is also very light. It's around 1.9Kg, so really light for what it offers. I've tested out a couple of games under Ubuntu and Windows 10, everything works like a charm (CS:GO, Withcer 3, Endless space, etc.).

So all in all, a light workhorse. I was thinking of trying out Razer Blade 15, but was too afraid to order one because of QC issues. On this one I've bought additional charger, 3 years of warranty + 1 year of expedited service. All for 1920 euros. And I had 2 weeks to try it out. So it was an easy choice for me. I really didn't expect this kind of quality, and everybody online is praising XMG for their customer service (they are located in germany).

For anyone interested, check out a few youtube reviews. I will leave one video here, since I think that this one does a great job. But there are even more out there. If anyone has any questions, please ask and I will try to answer them :)

Sounds good
 

grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
Man this looks like a nice machine. I’m currently trying to find the right one for me, development, Linux, to replace my 15” MacBook Pro from 2019. If it only had a high res screen 😕
 

grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
Me again. All reviews state that it gets really loud. Like 50db or something, which would be a lot.

Did they fix that with a firmware update or something?
 

c0ppo

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 11, 2013
1,890
3,268
Did they fix that with a firmware update or something?

Yes, I saw that in reviews as well. Currently my device is connected to a TB3 dock, that has two external dell monitors connected to it. Both are running at 2560x1440. I have Vivaldi open, with many tab stacks and many tabs. Evolution email client, terminal, Godot Engine, and have multiple services running in the background.

I don't hear fans at all. Only time they do ramp up is when I'm either compiling, gaming, or doing some other heavy tasks. When compared to Aero 15 OLED, this device is way more silent than Aero 15 with the same GPU. And it doesn't get hot either.

I'm currently running Ubuntu 19.10.
[automerge]1584393889[/automerge]
How's the speakers?

Forgot to write about those. Speakers aren't good. They are as on X1E. They sound OK when laptop is on table (they are down firing), but not good at all when laptop is on my lap.
 

jrichards1408

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2016
615
194
Yes, I saw that in reviews as well. Currently my device is connected to a TB3 dock, that has two external dell monitors connected to it. Both are running at 2560x1440. I have Vivaldi open, with many tab stacks and many tabs. Evolution email client, terminal, Godot Engine, and have multiple services running in the background.

I don't hear fans at all. Only time they do ramp up is when I'm either compiling, gaming, or doing some other heavy tasks. When compared to Aero 15 OLED, this device is way more silent than Aero 15 with the same GPU. And it doesn't get hot either.

I'm currently running Ubuntu 19.10.
[automerge]1584393889[/automerge]


Forgot to write about those. Speakers aren't good. They are as on X1E. They sound OK when laptop is on table (they are down firing), but not good at all when laptop is on my lap.
What about the thunderbolt 3 and hdmi port. Is it directly connected to the dedicated gpu like in the X1e?
 

grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
thanks! I had no idea an Intel reference design like this exists. And it’s fantastic, that it’s customizable and self upgradable. My MacBook Pro is running hot all the time with my normal workload of IDEs, chrome, Firefox, docker... I currently work on my desktop with a Ryzen on Pop OS as it simply drives me crazy.
My current favorite is Thinkpad P53, which would be bigger and heavier. I also considered a X1E but I’m afraid it would be the same thermal wise as my Mac.
It would also have a nicer display and Lenovo support. No idea how XMG does in that regard.
thanks for you impressions again
 

c0ppo

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 11, 2013
1,890
3,268
What about the thunderbolt 3 and hdmi port. Is it directly connected to the dedicated gpu like in the X1e?

Will have to check and get back to you on that one.

It would also have a nicer display and Lenovo support. No idea how XMG does in that regard.

Apparently, their CS is great. At least in europe.
In USA this laptop sells under Eluktronics brand. I have no idea how good or bad their CS is. But there are a lot of reviews on amazon.com, so maybe check in there.
 

grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
I’m from Germany so XMG it would be.

maybe a stupid question: do you notice the higher refresh rate anywhere else than gaming?
 

c0ppo

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 11, 2013
1,890
3,268
I’m from Germany so XMG it would be.

maybe a stupid question: do you notice the higher refresh rate anywhere else than gaming?

This is my first high refresh rate monitor ever. I've always opted for high resolution since I don't really game a lot.
But I do notice it while scrolling thru browser. But is it something I would desire? Nope.
 

c0ppo

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 11, 2013
1,890
3,268
About the fan noise, I think I found why some people were getting loud fans, while Dave 2D didn't have that issue. Me neither:


I've ordered my laptop without Windows. On first SSD drive I've installed PopOS (ubuntu based). On second one I've installed Windows 10. After installing both OS, I've updated everything. Their website has clear instructions on order of installs. After that I've installed BIOS update and finally, all of my apps and games.

It seems that first BIOS versions had firmware bug that caused the fans to really ramp up when in performance mode. And their Control Center now can finally control fans as expected.

P.S.
Their BIOS is really great. I can undervolt directly in BIOS for example. They give you a lot of control.
 
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grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
This machine gets more tempting the more I think about it. I don't really need the GPU power, but Civilization 6 on the go is always a good thing I guess ;)

Great to hear that Pop OS works, it's my distro of choice, too. Did you mess around with any tools in Linux to adjust the fan curves, undervolting etc? Or do you use it stock as it is after installing Pop?

Another question: does the laptop store the settings you select in the Windows control center thing when using Linux? Something like the RGB lighting for example?

And finally, even if you have used it only for two weeks: how does it compare to your X1E? Because the X1E/P1 or as I said P53 were my favorites until you created this thread, lol
 

c0ppo

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 11, 2013
1,890
3,268
Great to hear that Pop OS works, it's my distro of choice, too. Did you mess around with any tools in Linux to adjust the fan curves, undervolting etc? Or do you use it stock as it is after installing Pop?

Nope. But my SSD with PopOS install was just transferred from X1E to this one. Everything just worked. Windows 10 SSD from X1E didn't survive, so I had to reinstall Windows 10. I had tlp and some undervolting done on X1E. I've removed undervolting, since I still haven't tested this CPU for undervolt. But kept the TLP settings in place.

Another question: does the laptop store the settings you select in the Windows control center thing when using Linux? Something like the RGB lighting for example?

It does keep all the settings from Windows. When I first powered on this laptop, keyboard was in light blue color. I'm fine with that, since I'm not a big fan of RGB. But just tested it out, changed KB color under Win10, and those settings work under PopOS as well.

And finally, even if you have used it only for two weeks: how does it compare to your X1E? Because the X1E/P1 or as I said P53 were my favorites until you created this thread, lol

I've used it just for a week. It took them 1 week to build my configuration and deliver it to me.
Honestly, if you don't need the GPU, go for X1E 2nd Gen, but get the 400HDR FHD screen. My coworker has one. It's way more silent then first gen, it's more silent than XMG as well. X1E has better keyboard, XMG has better port selection, and battery life.

So pick your poison. But I have yet to see a mainstream laptop that has good support for Linux as thinkpads do. Everything can be updated thru terminal or update center if you don't like terminal.

But also, I highly doubt you will hate XMG. It's probably the cleanest laptop ever. On Windows side that is. No stickers at all. nVidia and Intel stickers are there, but they are in the box. So put them on if that suits you. It's simply a slab of matte black magnesium. And I love it.
 
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grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
Thanks a lot again for your help.

Yeah, I love how it looks. I don't mind the RGB keyboard. Since I got a new mechanical keyboard for my desk that has RGB, it somewhat grew on me :)
Is the X1E quieter overall or is it just not as loud on full steam? I'll probably never push the machine to it's limit on normal use for long, but it's under constant pressure. Something the MacBook Pro can't handle for example.

BTW: I would probably go with the 4K option if possible, it's just not ideal to mix monitors with different scaling. All kind of issues, and I don't even know if it would be a problem with NVIDIA and Pop.
 

jrichards1408

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2016
615
194
Thanks a lot again for your help.

Yeah, I love how it looks. I don't mind the RGB keyboard. Since I got a new mechanical keyboard for my desk that has RGB, it somewhat grew on me :)
Is the X1E quieter overall or is it just not as loud on full steam? I'll probably never push the machine to it's limit on normal use for long, but it's under constant pressure. Something the MacBook Pro can't handle for example.

BTW: I would probably go with the 4K option if possible, it's just not ideal to mix monitors with different scaling. All kind of issues, and I don't even know if it would be a problem with NVIDIA and Pop.
It is a problem with pop. Wait until the new Ubuntu 20 appears that finally fixes multi monitor scaling
 
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grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
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777
It is a problem with pop. Wait until the new Ubuntu 20 appears that finally fixes multi monitor scaling
well, Pop is the only distro I tried where I could get it to work at all. I have to change the display settings after every cold start, but I can use a 24"4k and 24"1920x1200 side by side.
I had no such success with Fedora and multiple different desktop environments

Edit: that's with an AMD GPU
 

c0ppo

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 11, 2013
1,890
3,268
Is the X1E quieter overall or is it just not as loud on full steam? I'll probably never push the machine to it's limit on normal use for long, but it's under constant pressure. Something the MacBook Pro can't handle for example.

X1E 2nd gen is quieter for sure. I mean, XMG is silent under normal load. You can hear the fans, but barely. X1E 2nd gen is dead silent. Under load, they are both noisy, just like any other laptop when pushed.

BTW: I would probably go with the 4K option if possible, it's just not ideal to mix monitors with different scaling. All kind of issues, and I don't even know if it would be a problem with NVIDIA and Pop.

I gave up on 4K. Windows 10 scales terribly, and it's laggy under Windows 10 when compared to FHD. Linux doesn't lag as much, but scaling is worse then on Windows 10.

It is a problem with pop. Wait until the new Ubuntu 20 appears that finally fixes multi monitor scaling

Actually, I like the PopOS shell extension that is enabled by default. If I connect 4K screen to regular screen, PopOS will automatically switch 4K to FHD, so everything is scaled properly. But on the other hand, that means that 4K is wasted money.
 

jrichards1408

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2016
615
194
well, Pop is the only distro I tried where I could get it to work at all. I have to change the display settings after every cold start, but I can use a 24"4k and 24"1920x1200 side by side.
I had no such success with Fedora and multiple different desktop environments

Edit: that's with an AMD GPU
It's not the gpu that's the problem. It's Linux itself..

So you can use custom scaling settings on individual monitors?

Say 125 percent scaling on your monitor and 150 percent on your laptop?

Its widely known it doesn't work mate so no idea how u got yours working.

Its why it's on the Ubuntu 20 release notes as a big feature
 

grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
X1E 2nd gen is quieter for sure. I mean, XMG is silent under normal load. You can hear the fans, but barely. X1E 2nd gen is dead silent. Under load, they are both noisy, just like any other laptop when pushed.



I gave up on 4K. Windows 10 scales terribly, and it's laggy under Windows 10 when compared to FHD. Linux doesn't lag as much, but scaling is worse then on Windows 10.



Actually, I like the PopOS shell extension that is enabled by default. If I connect 4K screen to regular screen, PopOS will automatically switch 4K to FHD, so everything is scaled properly. But on the other hand, that means that 4K is wasted money.
I don't know, but I can't go back to low res screens for work anymore. Especially the big ones on my desk. I don't have the best eyes anymore and I don't see a difference between my Xr and the 11 Pro of my wife wearing my glasses (shortsighted), but on a bigger screen? It's night and day.

It's not the gpu that's the problem. It's Linux itself..

So you can use custom scaling settings on individual monitors?

Say 125 percent scaling on your monitor and 150 percent on your laptop?

Its widely known it doesn't work mate so no idea how u got yours working.

Its why it's on the Ubuntu 20 release notes as a big feature
I know it's not supposed to work, but it does 🤪

It's 19.10 and just works, after I disabled the Pop HDPI service. I also activated fractional scaling. There are glitches after standby and as I said it does not remember the settings after a cold boot, but otherwise it works just fine. I don't complain.

screen1.png

screen2.png
 

grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
@c0ppo I decided to sit the lockdown without a new laptop out for now. I don't really need one as I'm working at home anyway for the foreseeable future, and can wait and see what the new AMD mobile Ryzens bring to the table.

I would love to hear what you think about your machine after a while, though. :)
 

jrichards1408

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2016
615
194
I don't know, but I can't go back to low res screens for work anymore. Especially the big ones on my desk. I don't have the best eyes anymore and I don't see a difference between my Xr and the 11 Pro of my wife wearing my glasses (shortsighted), but on a bigger screen? It's night and day.


I know it's not supposed to work, but it does

It's 19.10 and just works, after I disabled the Pop HDPI service. I also activated fractional scaling. There are glitches after standby and as I said it does not remember the settings after a cold boot, but otherwise it works just fine. I don't complain.

View attachment 899529
View attachment 899531
Where did you activate fraction scaling?
 

grmlin

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2015
1,110
777
depends on your environment


I use the Pop_OS default Xorg and the following worked.

Bash:
gsettings set org.gnome.mutter experimental-features "['x11-randr-fractional-scaling']"
 
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