Instead of waiting for CES 2025 and getting caught in the flood of new technology, MSI has debuted its Claw 8 AI+ and 7 AI+ handhelds just in time for the holiday rush. Stuck somewhere between a refresh and a successor to Claw A1M, both pack Intel’s latest Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processors, larger batteries, and Microsoft Copilot+ compatibility.
We’ve already had eyes on many of the specs thanks to leaks, which match most the official hardware here. The only discrepancies come from Claw 7 AI+ featuring a slightly beefier 54.5Wh battery rather than the same one its predecessor, and a curious switch in connectivity. While MSI Claw A1M houses WiFi 7, the new model swaps it out for WiFi 6E for some reason. It shouldn’t make a difference to most people, as wireless connections are dependent on your router and are only as fast as the slowest device in the chain.
| Claw 8 AI+ | Claw 7 AI+ | MSI Claw A1M | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Ultra 7 258V | Ultra 7 258V | Ultra 7 155H |
| 4 P + 4 E cores | 4 P + 4 E cores | 6 P + 8 E cores | |
| GPU | Arc 140V | Arc 140V | Arc Graphics |
| Xe2-LPG | Xe2-LPG | Xe | |
| 8 Xe2 cores | 8 Xe2 cores | 8 Xe cores | |
| I/O | 2x Thunderbolt 4 | 2x Thunderbolt 4 | 1x Thunderbolt 4 |
| RAM | 32GB LPDDR5X-8533 | 32GB LPDDR5X-8533 | 16GB LPDDR5-6400 |
| Storage | Up to 1TB | 512GB | 512GB |
| Display | 8in 1920×1200 120Hz | 7in 1920×1080 120Hz | 7in 1920×1080 120Hz |
| Wireless | WiFi 7 + BT 5.4 | WiFi 6E + BT 5.4 | WiFi 7 + BT 5.4 |
| Battery | 80Wh | 54.5Wh | 53Wh |
| Weight | 794g | 675g | 675g |
| Dimensions | 299 x 122,6 x 24mm | 294 x 117 x 21mm | 294 x 117 x 21mm |
| Approx. launch price | $899 | $799 | $749 |
Something we haven’t seen too much of is innovations in the cooling department. MSI’s announcement draws attention to the rather wordy Cooler Boost HyperFlow technology keeping Intel Core Ultra 7 258V and its 32GB LPDDR5x-8533 RAM chilled. This contains a dual-fan, dual-heat-pipe system designed so thermals won’t be a reason you stop gaming.
The brand doesn’t showcase its newly updated MSI Center M software, but says it features in both handhelds. Going off a sneak preview I had of the beta back at IFA 2024, I can safely say it’s a step up from its predecessor. Admittedly, most Windows handhelds still struggle to compare with Steam Deck’s intuitive interface but this goes some way to bridging the gap with a more streamlined approach.
Since MSI’s original handheld gained a rather bleak reputation thanks to lukewarm performance and a lofty price, Claw 8 AI+ and 7 AI+ both have a lot to prove. Testing the device at 17W, MSI states you’ll get 113% higher peak frame rates and an average of 20% more fps than the competition under identical power conditions. Take these internal figures with a grain of salt, particularly because we don’t know the conditions of these tests.
As you might expect, performance will differ depending on which handheld participated in the test. MSI Claw 8 AI+ has an 8in 1,920 x 1,200 display, while Claw 7 AI+ trims it down to a 7in 1,920 x 1,080 screen that’ll eke out more frames. The games, their settings, and whether upscaling was involved also play a big part in performance. All we know for certain is that MSI guarantees 150 AAA titles will work and XeSS is a selling point.
Although MSI says the handhelds are available now, pricing is still in the wind. Estimates from earlier this week pin the 8in model at $899 and the 7in version at $799 – each costing a premium over the first attempt. Fortunately, both go some way to justify it. There’s a 120Hz screen pushing 500nits of brightness, redesigned sticks and hall-effect triggers, and a new, ergonomic chassis that’s a joy to hold despite the increase in weight. Whether it’s worth the cost is another question entirely, but things are looking up.
