Playing the Uno reverse card, MSI has done something of a 180 with its latest gaming handheld, boasting performance figures that put the original Claw to shame. Comparing it with Asus ROG Ally X, the brand claims it’ll provide frame rates that are 20% better than the competition, with some caveats.
MSI paints a pretty picture with its internal graphs, showcased to attendees during an event. Limiting both portables to a 17W power budget and keeping settings to 1080p resolution, low graphics, and upscaling, Claw 8 AI+ either met ROG Ally X in a dead heat or left it in the dust. Granted, Metro 2033 is the exception rather than the rule with 113% more fps, but it’s a testament that MSI’s latest handheld goes 22 rounds without losing a single fight, even if these are entirely cherry-picked results. A little GPU optimisation could be all it needs to break the ties, too.
As usual for battery-powered PCs, the new Claw seems more comfortable with less demanding titles, such as Bioshock Infinite and Rainbow Six Siege, seeing lower gains in recent games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. At least, this shows that the CPU can push more frames if the GPU is able to follow. This is important, since CPU-limited games tend to be more stuttery when reaching the performance ceiling.
The 17W power target keeps things fair, much like a boxing weigh-in, but it does mean we don’t see the full might Intel’s Core Ultra 258V and AMD’s Z1 Extreme. Claw 8 AI+ will ship with three power modes: 8W for high efficiency, 17W for a balanced experience, and 30W for those wanting maximum performance. ETA Prime has indicated that MSI is also considering adding an over-boost mode that reaches higher performance at the expense of playtime. The latter will likely be better used when hooked to a power source.
Either one can change the outcome if Intel’s chip can’t scale up accordingly. For the time being, what we have looks promising, especially since power draw is paramount for handhelds. But, as usual, these are first-party numbers so take them with a grain of salt.
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | Asus ROG Ally X | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 258V | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme |
| GPU | Intel Arc 140V | AMD Radeon 780M |
| RAM | 32GB LPDDR5x-8533 | 24GB LPDDR5x-7467 |
| Display | 8in 1200p | 7in 1080p |
| Battery | 80Wh | 80Wh |
| Connectivity | Thunderbolt 4 x2 | USB 4 + USB 3.2 |
| Wireless | WiFi 7 | WiFi 6E |
Aside from the performance gains, the Claw 8 AI+ will also feature an updated CenterM with a more refined UI and settings. Most importantly, the quick setting menu is now integrated with Windows Game Bar, bringing it one step to a console-like experience.
Claw 8 AI+ looks great both from the inside and outside, but AMD’s upcoming competing chips may spoil the fun for MSI and Intel. Until then, this handheld is a worthy machine if you like to play on the go.
