Eluktronics Hydroc 16 G2
The Eluktronics Hydroc 16, a replacement for the Eluktronics Mech-16 GP (both models were known as the XMG Neo 16 in the EU) in 2024, has recieved a big number of upgrades in 2025. It is refreshed with the Intel (Arrow Lake) Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and AMD Ryzen (Fire Range) 9950HX3D CPUs, RTX 5070 Ti and higher GPUs running at the full power limits, improvements to the internal cooling and the optional liquid cooling via the Eluktronics Liquid Propulsion Package (also known as the XMG Oasis) external cooling solution, as well as two new screens: Both are matte 2560x1600 300 hz screens with 100 sRGB color gamut and a MUX Switch. One screen is a 500 nits IPS screen with Nvidia G-Sync and Advanced Optimus support. The other screen is a Mini-LED screen that supports HDR, has local dimming, and can go up to 1000 nits of brightness. However, due to issues with the display firmware on the early Mini-LED screens that were unable to be resolved in time, the Mini-LED screens used on these laptops do not support G-Sync when Optimus is disabled (Intel Adaptive Sync is still available with Optimus on) and do not support Nvidia Advanced Optimus for switching the output of the internal display. While this screen still has a MUX switch, it must be toggled in the UEFI before booting or in the control center software; both need a reboot to apply, unlike the IPS screen, which can also be toggled via the Nvidia app without needing to reboot the system to apply the switch. The Hydroc 16 performs similar to other high powered gaming laptops without the water cooler. With the water cooler it is more powerful than the competitors, it feels cooler to the touch, and its fan noise is noticeably better. With the water cooler it even beats larger 18 inch laptops like the Titan 18 HX and Alienware 18 Area 51! It also gets the other laptop basics right. The keyboard and touchpad are great with full-sized arrow keys that aren't squished together, upradability is very solid for a 16 inch powerful gaming laptop, the port selection and layout on the Intel model is very good, with a full-sized SD card slot, 5 Gbps ethernet standard, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI that go directly to the Nvidia dGPU while the Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C 3.2 10 Gbps port go via the iGPU, and many of the bigger ports are on the back of the laptop to keep the bigger cables out of the way of the sides for using a gaming mouse. The AMD model, on the other hand, has a few negatives. First, while gaming performance is slightly better when CPU limited such as at 1920x1200 at higher refresh rates, we do not think that this difference is not enough to matter in most use cases. In addtion, battery life on the AMD model is worse than on a similarly specced Intel model. Second, it's not available in all markets that the Intel model is available. XMG has the AMD model as an option on all dGPU options from the RTX 5070 Ti and higher, while Eluktronics only has it as an option for the RTX 5090 model for an additional $100, which we do not is worth it for the other drawbacks. Third, and most importantly, despite the premium pricing and otherwise premium components of these laptops, the AMD model does not have Thunderbolt or even USB4 at all, being limited to 10 Gbps on both USB-C ports, which we think is a miss for such an expensive laptop in 2026. There are a few other negatives to this laptop. The speakers are not very good, similar to many other gaming laptops from a few years ago. The Eluktronics model originally was to have a custom UEFI from PremaMod, however, this has not materialized as of June 2026. Finally, the keyboard layout and even certain configurations may be limited depending on what reseller you go with in your region. In Europe, the sellers of their version of the laptop, XMG and Tuxedo, only ship their models with ISO keyboards, used only in the UK and most of the EU, while Eluktronics, the US seller of the same laptop, only ships with ANSI keyboards, used everywhere else (including in the Netherlands). Aftershock sells this laptop in Australia and parts of Asia as the X-16 Pro, but without any AMD options. If you choose to buy this laptop, you should do so from whatever company is based out of your region. We recommend this laptop for enthusiast gamers or content creators who need the most gaming or content creation performance they can get out of a 16 inch laptop or want a premium 16 inch high performance laptop with premium features that in some cases are unique to this laptop.
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Screen Size:16 Inches
GPU Options:Up to RTX 5090
Storage Options:1 TB
RAM Options:32 GB
Eluktronics Hydroc 16 G2
The Eluktronics Hydroc 16, a replacement for the Eluktronics Mech-16 GP (both models were known as the XMG Neo 16 in the EU) in 2024, has recieved a big number of upgrades in 2025. It is refreshed with the Intel (Arrow Lake) Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and AMD Ryzen (Fire Range) 9950HX3D CPUs, RTX 5070 Ti and higher GPUs running at the full power limits, improvements to the internal cooling and the optional liquid cooling via the Eluktronics Liquid Propulsion Package (also known as the XMG Oasis) external cooling solution, as well as two new screens: Both are matte 2560x1600 300 hz screens with 100 sRGB color gamut and a MUX Switch. One screen is a 500 nits IPS screen with Nvidia G-Sync and Advanced Optimus support. The other screen is a Mini-LED screen that supports HDR, has local dimming, and can go up to 1000 nits of brightness. However, due to issues with the display firmware on the early Mini-LED screens that were unable to be resolved in time, the Mini-LED screens used on these laptops do not support G-Sync when Optimus is disabled (Intel Adaptive Sync is still available with Optimus on) and do not support Nvidia Advanced Optimus for switching the output of the internal display. While this screen still has a MUX switch, it must be toggled in the UEFI before booting or in the control center software; both need a reboot to apply, unlike the IPS screen, which can also be toggled via the Nvidia app without needing to reboot the system to apply the switch. The Hydroc 16 performs similar to other high powered gaming laptops without the water cooler. With the water cooler it is more powerful than the competitors, it feels cooler to the touch, and its fan noise is noticeably better. With the water cooler it even beats larger 18 inch laptops like the Titan 18 HX and Alienware 18 Area 51! It also gets the other laptop basics right. The keyboard and touchpad are great with full-sized arrow keys that aren't squished together, upradability is very solid for a 16 inch powerful gaming laptop, the port selection and layout on the Intel model is very good, with a full-sized SD card slot, 5 Gbps ethernet standard, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI that go directly to the Nvidia dGPU while the Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C 3.2 10 Gbps port go via the iGPU, and many of the bigger ports are on the back of the laptop to keep the bigger cables out of the way of the sides for using a gaming mouse. The AMD model, on the other hand, has a few negatives. First, while gaming performance is slightly better when CPU limited such as at 1920x1200 at higher refresh rates, we do not think that this difference is not enough to matter in most use cases. In addtion, battery life on the AMD model is worse than on a similarly specced Intel model. Second, it's not available in all markets that the Intel model is available. XMG has the AMD model as an option on all dGPU options from the RTX 5070 Ti and higher, while Eluktronics only has it as an option for the RTX 5090 model for an additional $100, which we do not is worth it for the other drawbacks. Third, and most importantly, despite the premium pricing and otherwise premium components of these laptops, the AMD model does not have Thunderbolt or even USB4 at all, being limited to 10 Gbps on both USB-C ports, which we think is a miss for such an expensive laptop in 2026. There are a few other negatives to this laptop. The speakers are not very good, similar to many other gaming laptops from a few years ago. The Eluktronics model originally was to have a custom UEFI from PremaMod, however, this has not materialized as of June 2026. Finally, the keyboard layout and even certain configurations may be limited depending on what reseller you go with in your region. In Europe, the sellers of their version of the laptop, XMG and Tuxedo, only ship their models with ISO keyboards, used only in the UK and most of the EU, while Eluktronics, the US seller of the same laptop, only ships with ANSI keyboards, used everywhere else (including in the Netherlands). Aftershock sells this laptop in Australia and parts of Asia as the X-16 Pro, but without any AMD options. If you choose to buy this laptop, you should do so from whatever company is based out of your region. We recommend this laptop for enthusiast gamers or content creators who need the most gaming or content creation performance they can get out of a 16 inch laptop or want a premium 16 inch high performance laptop with premium features that in some cases are unique to this laptop.
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Screen Size16 Inches
Storage Options1 TB
GPU OptionsUp to RTX 5090
RAM Options32 GB
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