Introduction

Laptops with claims to be able to game are aplenty. Then you unplug them from the wall and are left with a different experience than you have with it tethered to the wall. That's not the case in every situation, and given the power draw of some of these units, it is understandable, but also rather annoying.

ADATA came to the rescue for me in this regard with their latest XPG XENIA 14. This ultrabook is quite capable and offers exactly the same performance when you are on the bus as it does at your desk. Equipped with the Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, it has enough computational heft for your daily needs, and thanks to the 96 EUs of the Intel Iris Xe onboard GPU, it is capable of some modest gaming too. At the same time, this unit weighs in at less than a kilogram, making it easy to carry around everywhere.



The "ultrabook" thing belongs to Intel; their CPU, a certain size, and an SSD. The XPG XENIA 14 is XPG's take on Intel's reference coupled with their expertise on memory and SSDs and their access to higher-bin parts, which makes the most out of Intel's design and improves on it.

Packaging and Contents

Let me tell you, I was excited to get this box in my hands and start opening it. ADATA does a fantastic job of making that experience of first opening your brand-new goodies truly important, and the attention to detail shows. The "Game to the Extreme" slogan on the sticker sealing the Xenia 14 shut really sets some expectations.


Inside is another box that clearly contains the ultrabook itself. Pictures don't tell you how this packaging feels in your hands, and it feels good. I found another black box in the bottom along with a bag of papers.


Little touches, like things that appear as you open everything up, really stand out. I mean… I don't think I need to say much more here.


The Xenia 14 is further contained within a soft, light fabric bag. Oh, and those papers? Manuals and such, of course, and also STICKERS! I'm so glad these are here and not on the unit itself, leaving it nice and clean, and you can stick them wherever you want. A full list of the box contents is below:

• Laptop
• User guides
• Battery charger and cable
• Stickers

The adapter is a smaller unit from FSP. Rated at 65 W, it is nice and small, but can get warm when charging the laptop.

A Closer Look

The XPG XENIA 14 is clad in a magnesium alloy shell with a textured finish. The top and bottom match in texture, and you'll find a cloth in between keeping the keyboard fresh.


Several pieces of plastic all over also keep everything free of scratches and fingerprints. I removed them quickly, as you do.


If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the pattern of the textured finish underneath. You'll also note that you can click "off" the trackpad easily. The trackpad is huge, really, measuring in at 5 1/8 inches.


For connectivity, we find USB 3 Type-C and Type-A, a card reader, and a combo audio port. On the other side, we find Thunderbolt 4, USB 3 Type-A, HDMI, and the power plug.


The hinge of the XPG XENIA 14 is almost one complete, large unit going from end to end. I know the cabling for the screen is in there somewhere!


The bottom grille is wide and goes from edge to edge to aid airflow. The rear vents, however, are partially blocked by the hinge, so the heat from the system does heat up the screen on the right side.

A look Inside

The first thing I did to the XPG XENIA 14 was to pull it apart. Ah, the pleasure of doing reviews. ADATA included a second memory module for me to test out, as well as a screwdriver to install it. Naturally, I didn't hesitate. ADATA did indicate that they think this upgrade is worthwhile for most users, something they expect those buying the XENIA 14 to go with as well. Some users will be happy with the XENIA 14 as it comes out of the box, and due to the global chip shortage, ADATA decided to refrain from using two 8 GB modules while making the upgrade to 32 GB really easy.


With only seven screws holding the back panel on the chassis, that upgrade was pretty simple, really. Remove the screws, lift the panel from the hinge side, and the rear magnesium alloy panel comes off nicely.


I laughed when I saw the many fins on the cooling fan here. This fan will move a lot of air for sure. I also noticed a couple of magnets along the edge. Not only do these help the XENIA 14 stay closed—these also help balance out how the unit sits on your hand or lap.


The pre-installed memory is a 3200 MHz C22 module from ADATA. The Wi-Fi card is an Intel AX201NGW.


It just so happens that I had an older version of the ADATA GAMMIX S50 sitting on my desk, so I installed it into the open bay pictured above.


Tip the backplate back on in reverse from how it came off, replace the screws, and hit the power button. Success!