Specs
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H |
| Memory | 1TB nVMe SSD (upgradeable), 1 extra slot, m.2 type 2280 (Max 4TB) 32GB LPDDRX 6400 Mhz RAM (Soldered) |
| Display | 14″ Infinivision OLED Display 120Hz, 10-bit Color Depth 2880×1800 (3K) |
| Material | Anodized Aluminum Back and Front, Plastics |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3, USB 3.0 x2 , WiFi 6e Thunderbolt 4 x 1 USB Type C x 1 HDMI, Full sized x 1 LAN RJ45 x 1 Kensington Lock x 1 microSD card slot x 1 |
| Graphics | Intel® Arc® 8-Core iGPU Graphics |
| Charging | 100W Type-C Charging |
| Weight Dimensions | 1.3kg | 18.1mm |
| Retail Price | Listed Configuration : RM 5198 |
Review Video
Today on Quick-ones I’m covering quite the hidden gem, the Illegear Neo 14+ OLED, a productivity focused laptop that’s fixated to being a great choice for those with a mid-range budget of RM 5000
Portable Form Factor
As the name implies, the Neo 14+ OLED is a 14 incher, a size which is strangely synonimous with high-specs in the industry (think MacBook Pro 14). That being said, the design is pretty run-off-the-mill, leaning towards minimalistic, with the Illegear logo placed at the center-back of the laptop cover, while a little white “Neo” wording finds home on your right wrist rest. ILLEGEAR can also be seen on the bezel of the screen.
Apart from that, the keyboard itself is actually quite done up nicely. They’re sharp square chiclets that light up in white. It’s relatively silent, but definitely not low-profile. It actually has a nice travel that’s decent and provides a good typing experience that feels and sounds good. The finish is also good, and doesn’t particularly smudge from oily fingers that much (unlike my Huawei Matebook Pro 2024, that I wipe after every single time I use it).
The laptop itself is lightweight, barely a burden at 1.3KG, with a relative thinness of 18.1mm, making it ideal for travel and moving about. It’s also worth noting that the top and bottom covers are anodized aluminium, with the rest of the externals being plastic, which is in line with current industry practice.
Top-Shelf Screen
As mentioned in the video, the screen is actually one of the many aspects of the laptop that I quite enjoyed. It’s a 14″ OLED panel with gorgeous colors, full of depth and inky blacks all around, partially thanks to a 10-bit color depth. The color accuracy on this thing makes it quite ideal for media work that demands precision in color. While it’s no Calmann calibration, it will do for the most of us. It also goes up to 120Hz, which makes things extremely smooth and for sure ideal for some gaming.
Comprehensive Choice of Hardware
Starting off strong with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, the Neo 14+ OLED is able to both hit hard and last long. With those kinds of speeds from such a chipset, you can get up to 32GB of LPDDR5x memory, which does make extreme quick work of any non-AAA gaming task you throw at it. Battery life depends on your usage as always, with my light days bagging me a realistic 7 hours while the busier and heavier days knocks that number down to 5. Juicing it back up is a 100W Type-C Charger in the box which I found quite pleasing, as the charger head and cable are detachable and independent, making it easier to replace or upgrade to a longer cable should that be your wish.
Port selection is also a point of praise here, coming on strong with 2 USB 3.0, a Thundebolt 4 and a type-C port, making it suitable to even display out to a monitor and while delivering a charge on one cable. If you’re on an older monitor, there’s a full-sized HDMI port that’ll take care of things for you.
Conclusion
The Illegear Neo 14+ OLED isn’t the company’s first foray into creator-centric laptops. Its older, more powerful brother, the ARTE, offers even more customization, right up dedicated video cards like the RTX 4070, which proves to be a more competent solution for people seeking even more power for work and high-intensity gaming. It also a slim form factor, though not as thin and light as the Neo.
The Neo 14+ OLED, in this configuration, is an easy to recommend choice for people not looking to spend time heavily customizing their systems, or aren’t simply tech competent to know just what is going to suit their needs. The Neo 14+ OLED is powerful and long-lasting enough in terms of battery to satisfy just the majority.
