The Ultimate Gaming Collaboration: Tongfang, Intel, and XPG

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Collaboration of Companies: Tongfang, Intel, and XPG
   • Tongfang: The ODM
   • Intel: Involvement in Design and Software
   • XPG: Reselling with Branding
3. The Xenia 15: An Overview
   • Specifications and Options
   • Build Quality and Design
4. Display
   • 1440p 165Hz Screen
   • Color Gamut and Contrast
   • Response Time and Latency
5. Keyboard and Touchpad
   • Per-Key RGB Backlighting
   • Keyboard Customization
   • Touchpad Performance
6. Connectivity and Ports
   • Back Panel Ports
   • The Type-C Port
   • 180-Degree Hinge and Lid Design
7. Internal Components and Upgrades
   • Battery, Storage, and Memory Slots
   • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Performance
8. Audio and Camera
   • Speaker Quality and Sound
   • 720p Camera and Windows Hello
9. Performance and Thermals
   • CPU and GPU Performance Modes
   • Thermal Throttling and Cooling
   • Clock Speeds and Power Limits
10. Gaming Performance
    • Comparison with Other Laptops
    • Games Tested and Results
11. Creator Workloads and Battery Life
    • Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and DaVinci Resolve
    • Battery Life and Charging Limit
12. BIOS and Operating Systems
    • BIOS Features and Customization
    • Linux Compatibility
13. Pricing and Conclusion
    • Retail Price and Promotions
    • Pros and Cons
    • Final Recommendation and Wrap-Up

The Best Collaboration: Tongfang, Intel, and XPG

The Xenia 15, brought to us by XPG, is a remarkable gaming laptop that combines the expertise of three major players - Tongfang, Intel, and XPG. Each company contributes its unique strengths to create a high-performance machine that excels in both gaming and professional workloads.

1. Introduction

In the world of gaming laptops, the Xenia 15 stands out as one of the best options available. With its powerful hardware, sleek design, and cutting-edge features, it delivers an exceptional gaming experience for enthusiasts. In this article, we will explore the collaborative efforts of Tongfang, Intel, and XPG that have resulted in the creation of the Xenia 15. We will delve into its specifications, performance, and overall value to help you make an informed decision.

2. The Collaboration of Companies: Tongfang, Intel, and XPG

Tongfang: The ODM

Tongfang serves as the original design manufacturer (ODM) for the Xenia 15. Having a strong manufacturing and production capability, they provide the physical construction of the laptop. With Tongfang's expertise, the Xenia 15 boasts excellent build quality and durability.

Intel: Involvement in Design and Software

Intel plays a crucial role in the design process of the Xenia 15. They contribute their expertise in software development and BIOS optimization, ensuring seamless performance and compatibility. Additionally, Intel provides the latest 11th generation processors, such as the Intel i5 and i7, and graphics options like the Nvidia RTX 3060 and 3070.

XPG: Reselling with Branding

XPG, the gaming brand of ADATA, brings the Xenia 15 to the market as a reseller. They apply their branding to the laptop and include premium ADATA components, such as memory and SSD. XPG's involvement ensures high-quality components and a polished gaming experience.

3. The Xenia 15: An Overview

The Xenia 15 is a powerhouse when it comes to performance. It offers various configurations, allowing users to choose between the i5 or i7 11th gen processors and Nvidia RTX 3060 or 3070 graphics. The combination of these components delivers impressive gaming capabilities and smooth multitasking.

The design of the Xenia 15 is both sleek and Durable. The laptop features a magnesium alloy finish, providing a premium look and feel. Its all-black design and smooth surfaces create an elegant aesthetic. Despite its powerful hardware, the Xenia 15 remains relatively thin and portable, making it easy to carry around.

4. Display

The Xenia 15 boasts a 15.6-inch 1440p display with a refresh rate of 165Hz. Although there is no MUX switch, the laptop supports adaptive sync, ensuring smooth gameplay with reduced screen tearing. The color gamut is satisfactory for a gaming laptop, with average contrast and a brightness of around 350 nits.

The response time of the Xenia 15's display is approximately 7ms, providing swift transitions between frames. While it falls slightly short of the ideal 6.06ms response time for all transitions within the refresh window, it still outperforms many other 165Hz panels on the market. Overall, the display offers an immersive visual experience for gaming and multimedia consumption.

5. Keyboard and Touchpad

One of the standout features of the Xenia 15 is its optical mechanical keyboard. The per-key RGB backlighting enhances the visual appeal and allows for customization. The mechanical keys provide a tactile typing experience, although they may be louder than conventional options.

The touchpad on the Xenia 15 is precise and responsive. It offers a smooth surface for effortless navigation, and the Glass precision touchpad ensures accurate input. Additionally, the touchpad can be easily disabled using a dedicated button or by double-tapping the top left corner.

6. Connectivity and Ports

The Xenia 15 offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options to meet various needs. The back panel houses a Kensington lock, a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack. On the right side, you will find a full-size SD card slot and two more USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports. Additionally, there is an additional air exhaust on the right side for improved ventilation.

The most notable ports are located at the back of the laptop. These include a Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI 2.1 output, a 2.5 gigabit ethernet port, and the power input. The presence of Thunderbolt 4 ensures fast data transfer and supports external displays, while the HDMI port allows for convenient connection to monitors or TVs.

7. Internal Components and Upgrades

The Xenia 15 boasts impressive internal components that contribute to its exceptional performance. The laptop features two M.2 slots for storage upgrades, allowing users to expand their storage capacity. The memory slots support ADATA's high-quality x8 DDR4 memory, providing reliable and fast performance.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Xenia 15 incorporates Wi-Fi 6, ensuring fast and stable internet speeds. Although it is not the latest Wi-Fi 6e standard, it still offers reliable connectivity for most users. The laptop's upgradability and compatibility with future technologies make it a well-rounded choice.

8. Audio and Camera

Audio quality is an important aspect of any gaming laptop. While the Xenia 15's speakers deliver average performance, they may sound muffled at higher volumes. However, there is no noticeable vibration on the Palm rest, even at maximum volume. The latencymon results indicate decent audio performance, ensuring an immersive gaming experience.

The Xenia 15 features a 720p camera located above the screen, making video calls and streaming convenient. The camera also incorporates IR technology for Windows Hello face unlock, offering an additional layer of security. The audio and video quality of the Xenia 15 allow for seamless communication during gaming and professional tasks.

9. Performance and Thermals

The Xenia 15 offers various performance modes to cater to different needs. These modes can be customized to optimize power consumption and fan speeds. By default, the laptop provides battery saver, balanced, and performance modes, each with distinct power and fan control settings. For maximum performance, the benchmark mode can be enabled to unlock the full capabilities of the system.

Despite its powerful components, the Xenia 15 maintains excellent thermal management. The combination of three heat pipes, two fans, and liquid metal application ensures efficient cooling. The laptop's thermal limits prevent excessive heating, leading to a stable and consistent performance even during demanding tasks. The inclusion of a cooling pad can further improve thermals and remove thermal throttling.

10. Gaming Performance

The Xenia 15 excels in gaming performance, surpassing the expectations set by similar laptops in its category. Thanks to its high CPU and GPU power limits, the Xenia 15 delivers exceptional frame rates and smooth gameplay. While lacking a MUX switch, the laptop still manages to compete with other laptops that offer this feature.

In games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2, the Xenia 15 performs admirably, demonstrating its ability to handle graphically demanding titles. Although it falls slightly behind some laptops with MUX switches, its overall performance remains impressive. The option to connect an external display bypasses optimus and provides a notable boost in gaming performance.

11. Creator Workloads and Battery Life

The Xenia 15 is not limited to gaming alone; it also performs exceptionally well in creator workloads. Applications like Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and DaVinci Resolve run smoothly, thanks to the high-power components and efficient cooling. This makes the Xenia 15 an excellent choice for content creators and professionals who require powerful computing capabilities.

Battery life is a consideration for any laptop, and the Xenia 15 offers decent performance in this area. While not exceptional in comparison to some Ryzen-based alternatives, the Xenia 15 manages to provide a respectable battery life for an Intel laptop. The ability to customize the battery charging limit contributes to prolonging the overall battery lifespan.

12. BIOS and Operating Systems

The Xenia 15 boasts an exceptional BIOS with a wide array of customization options. Intel's involvement ensures a comprehensive selection of settings and features, offering an excellent user experience. The ability to undervolt the laptop through the BIOS provides additional flexibility for fine-tuning performance and power consumption.

In terms of operating systems, the Xenia 15 supports both Windows and Linux. While Windows provides a seamless experience with full compatibility, Ubuntu 21 Live CD testing revealed the need for minor adjustments. The touchpad requires further compatibility improvements, but other components, such as the keyboard and Wi-Fi, work flawlessly out of the box.

13. Pricing and Conclusion

The Xenia 15 is available for pre-order at a retail price of $2500 USD, with a promotional price of $2300 USD being offered. While this price may seem steep, the Xenia 15 justifies its cost with exceptional performance and premium features. Its collaboration between industry leaders guarantees a reliable and high-quality gaming experience.

In conclusion, the Xenia 15 stands as a remarkable gaming laptop that combines superior hardware, sleek design, and cutting-edge features. It brings together the expertise of Tongfang, Intel, and XPG to deliver an exceptional gaming experience. While the price may be on the higher side, the Xenia 15 offers great value for its premium components and outstanding performance.