MSI has revealed that it's moving away from its Intel-exclusive lineup of gaming handhelds and will now offer models powered by AMD chips. The MSI Claw A8 is powered by the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, but fear not, as Intel-powered Claw models are sticking around, as seen in the new Polar Tempest design.
Ryzen Z2 Extreme powers the Claw A8.
The MSI Claw A8 only comes with a few notable differences when compared to the 8AI+ Polar Tempest edition, based on the specs that MSI has provided. The first is the obvious change to the U, where the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V has been replaced with the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme. The storage space on each console is also different, with the Polar Tempest (see image below) having 2TB of SSD storage, whereas the A8 comes with 1TB.
There is also a minor change to the RAM used. The Claw 8AI+ Polar Tempest uses 32GB of LPDDR5x-8533 memory, whereas the A8 is listed as using up to 24GB of LPDDR5x-8000 memory in a dual-channel configuration.
Other minor differences include a difference in the console dimensions of the Claw A8, with the length and height being increased by 5mm and 2mm, respectively. This is likely down to the Claw A8 adopting a more angular design (see top image) compared to the 8AI+
The Claw A8 also uses Wi-Fi 6E as opposed to Intel Wi-Fi 7 being used on the Polar Tempest. Finally, there is an estimated weight difference of 30g, with the Polar Tempest expected to be the heavier of the handhelds.
We're keen to see benchmarks from the AMD-powered Claw handheld, as at first glance, there is a chance it could fall short of the 8AI+ performance. The Ryzen Z2 Extreme is set to use the same Radeon 890M graphics as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 featured in handhelds such as the Ayaneo 3 and AOKZOE A1X. Taking some of our Cyberpunk 2o77 benchmarks from these devices and comparing them to the MSI Claw 8AI+, there is a very minor difference.
| Cyberpunk 2077 | MSI Claw 8AI+ | Ayaneo 3 | AOKZOE A1X |
| Low 30W | 72fps | 68fps | 79fps |
| Medium 30W | 65fps | 62fps | 70fps |
| High 30W | 53fps | 52fps | 57fps |
| Ultra 30W | 50fps | 47fps | 53fps |
The best-case scenario is that the Ryzen Z2 Extreme comes out on the higher end of this scale, being close to the performance of the A1X, but only time will tell.
It's also not yet confirmed whether the AI Engine featured on the Claw 8AI+ will be absent, as this will be a huge miss given its usefulness on the Intel-powered handhelds, especially for extending battery life.
If you're looking for some handhelds you can compare to MSI's latest releases, check out our ROG Ally X review for in-depth analysis and benchmarks.
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