<?xml version="1.0" encoding="US-ASCII"?>
<!-- Generated by Broadridge Transform (tm) - http://www.broadridge.com -->
<!-- Created: Fri Jun 26 21:08:53 UTC 2026 -->
<linkbase xmlns="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/linkbase" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/linkbase http://www.xbrl.org/2003/xbrl-linkbase-2003-12-31.xsd">
  <roleRef xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="https://xbrl.sec.gov/vip/2026/vip-2026.xsd#N4" roleURI="http://xbrl.sec.gov/vip/role/N4"/>
  <presentationLink xlink:role="http://xbrl.sec.gov/vip/role/N4" xlink:type="extended">
    <loc xlink:type="locator" xlink:label="vip_AllPortfolioCompaniesMember" xlink:href="https://xbrl.sec.gov/vip/2026/vip-2026.xsd#vip_AllPortfolioCompaniesMember"/>
    <loc xlink:type="locator" xlink:label="PutnamVTUSResearchFundClassIBMember" xlink:href="ck0001093278-20260626.xsd#ck0001093278_PutnamVTUSResearchFundClassIBMember"/>
<!-- [WMV7][hQ34CiHteGw48f8KcAG7HBWl2r1fo9mVIeCeWjpAIo9c/7ntDlO3F6NevMIBFEm9F+MMKZHkMRuMFCRI0GueXO1qYju/+fcnWPyRJBHLuf1XD9Ei2JhJ5EY3F1PBaWuAT6rYcScedqqLx64R1m1M33PmQHVn9yWbKZg3dI6c/fC2Y85+CUQ3hMjBQDZ0aWK2Eo1gtQg9ePKljI1Au/BDEyV8NRW+JupiyKyIk5XNCc7fv9OduAdXxpjpxFYmAfy1ssMaB+zPaj6DtqmYx12RigWwsQNWLIHixXvQoR6FT61tbsnX9c9i9Cp03pyBl+Dr4/j/5KJpVxrFV5ApK4xpVYq4C4IIa9+9x26VcN2ypLrN82IMcg5kfW+yJWyS] CSR-->
    <presentationArc xlink:type="arc" xlink:arcrole="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/arcrole/parent-child" xlink:from="vip_AllPortfolioCompaniesMember" xlink:to="PutnamVTUSResearchFundClassIBMember" order="2.0" preferredLabel="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/terseLabel"/>
  </presentationLink>
</linkbase>
