SomeEdward

I checked the video, they start talking about the fan cut outs at the 8:41 time mark.
 
This ususally happens when the chassis tooling is already set in stone before any serious thermal testing or simulation could be done. They probably covered the fan cutouts to allow airflow to spread more widely inside the chassis. This is done very often in high-end laptop designs. Sometimes single cutouts are strategically covered, sometimes only partially.
 
This is usually done to provide cooling to areas that don't have their own temperature sensor, with the large battery being one of them. So beware: removing the fan covers might improve your CPU/GPU temperatures but could provide harzardous for the overall system life. In the worst case you might risk battery overheating with all its consequences (bloating and worse).
 
(Speaking only from personal experience. I'm not affiliated with Asus or their manufacturer in any way.)
 
// Tom

Here is another update, ladies and gentlemen:
 
BIOS options For the launch quite a lot of expert options in the BIOS were announced, with which among other things also Undervolting should be possible. A sneak peak was shown in the video of der8auer.
Unfortunately we have to admit that due to security/warranty concerns of our ODM we have not yet received approval for the release of such an expert BIOS. The now delivered BIOS is nevertheless an XMG-exclusive customization with the following, additional features:
Improved fan tables for Quiet, Power Saving and Entertainment
Performance profiles can be set in the BIOS (not only in Software)
Toggle of WLAN, Bluetooth, audio/microphone and webcam is possible
Wake on LAN optional
Deactivation of Boot Logo optional
For the release of a more generous expert BIOS (possibly under the condition that no guarantee is given) we have to renegotiate with the ODM. It may be necessary to consider a few options or set reasonable limits. The motherboard does have mechanisms for safety shutdown in case of overload. Nevertheless, we have to avoid that users who like to experiment drive their voltage converters and other components too hard at the limit in the long run and thus give us an increased RMA rate.
We have to ask for your patience at this point. For now, we want to get production running as smoothly as possible before we start to make further optimizations. Which brings us to the next point:
 
SO-DIMM DDR4 memory and AMD Ryzen on AM4 At the beginning of serial production of XMG APEX 15 with a larger number of RAM memory modules, we unfortunately still noticed incompatibilities not yet having been detected in sample testing.
This was due to the fact that due to logistical bottlenecks we only had a very limited number of samples available before serial production started. Although our ODM has been validated diligently in large quantities, the results of this validation could apparently not be transferred 1:1 to the serial production.
Standard tests like Furmark and Prime are not affected by this, at least not in default settings. The CPU stress test Prime95 must be set to the preset "Large FFT" in order to provoke errors on the memory controller. Another alternative to Prime95 is the stress test in AIDA64, which is also a particularly high load on the memory controller. In many cases, errors only appear when there is a fluctuating, high graphics load at the same time.
For desktop PC enthusiasts all this may not be particularly groundbreaking. However, we would like to point out here that with XMG APEX 15 we have to use SO-DIMM RAM. AM4 with Ryzen 3000 series and SO-DIMM is virtually uncharted territory. Unfortunately, the best practices and RAM recommendations from the desktop DIMM cannot be transferred 1:1 to the SO-DIMM modules available on the market.
All of these statements refer to dual channel operation. In single channel operation the system tolerance seems to be higher - but in terms of the performance of the AMD Ryzen CPU, Dual Channel is clearly recommended.
 
New RAM compatibility list After all these tests, we have now consolidated the list of compatible modules:
 
Module Capacity Speed Latency Comment Corsair Vengeance CMSX8GX4M1A2666C18 8 GB DDR4-2666 CL18   Kingston ValueRAM KVR26S19S8/8 8 GB DDR4-2666 CL19   Samsung M471A1K43CB1-CTD 8 GB DDR4-2666 CL19   Crucial CT8G4SFS832A 8 GB DDR4-3200 CL22   Samsung M471A2K43CB1-CTD 16 GB DDR4-2666 CL19   GoldKey GKE160SO102408-2666A 16 GB DDR4-2666 CL19   GoldKey GKE160SO102408-3200A 16 GB DDR4-3200 CL22 not available in EMEA Samsung M471A2K43DB1-CWE 16 GB DDR4-3200 CL19 validated by ODM, not tested by us yet Samsung M471A4G43MB1 32 GB DDR4-2666 CL19    
The list might be extended over time. The FAQ in the Megathread will be kept up-to-date accordingly.
Especially with the 8GB modules with max. 3200MHz we haven't had any problems so far. So you can assume that other (not listed here) 8GB modules with up to 3200MHz should also work properly, although it is not guaranteed.
However, caution is advised with modules from 16GB capacity. Modules which are not on this list might run, but under certain load conditions they might cause some crashes. These include:
Bluescreens
Windows reboot loops
Switching off the screen (Black Screen)
Anyone wishing to upgrade their XMG APEX 15 and exclude any instability should therefore exclusively use modules from the above list.
We will of course be glad to morally support operation with modules not listed here (higher clock rates, lower latencies), but we cannot give any guarantees.
 
Order changes for various memory options Some of the currently open pre-order customers will receive an info mail with some changes:
Orders with 16GB modules (2666) from Corsair Vengeance change to 16GB modules from Samsung (same price)
Orders of 16GB modules (2666) from Kingston ValueRAM also switch to 16GB Samsung (free upgrade)
Orders with 16GB modules (3200 CL22) from Crucial will have 4 alternatives to choose from, sorted by type and potential waiting time
The cases of advance orders in category 3 (with the module Crucial 16GB DDR4-3200) are represented numerically quite frequently. We plan to offer those customers the following option:
Option Type Waiting time A Upgrade to Samsung 16GB 3200 CL19 Still unclear, at least 2 weeks B Different memory brand, same specs up to 2 weeks C Switch to DDR4-2666 no wait D Switch to 2x 8GB DDR4-3200 no wait We are still working on the fine details and we hope to send out some e-mail to pre-order customers tomorrow.
 
Keyboard Stock and Shipping Update There has been serious logistical bottleneck for all keyboards with non-German print for this model. We will receive an express shipment of new keyboards by the end of next week. This should hopefully resolve the waiting time for all international pre-order customers. We will receive addtional supply in middle of May, so feel free to place your pre-order now.
Meanwhile, we have already been shipping units to German pre-order customers this week (of course only with validated and properly tested memory) and the first user reviews are trickling in. Here is one from this morning in the German forum of Computerbase.
We have also shipped review samples to multiple press outlets in U.S., UK and Germany.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we start ramping up XMG APEX 15. We are looking forward to your feedback!
// Tom