Amazon has recently put up a listing for MSI’s new Claw 8 AI+ gaming handheld at a price of $899, revealing details about its CPU and RAM features, courtesy of a report from VideoCardz. This device is noteworthy for being the first gaming handheld to incorporate Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs. Alongside this, MSI plans to launch an updated version of the Claw 7 AI+, which will ship out sooner.
The Claw 8 AI+ will be equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, and it will also have a variant with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V. Users can choose between two LPDDR5X-8553 memory options, either 16GB or a more robust 32GB.
Under the hood, the Ultra 7 285V boasts a clock speed ranging from 2.2 GHz up to 4.8 GHz. Storage-wise, both versions come with a 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 SSD and offer a micro SDHC card slot for expansion. The CPU will feature Arc 14V graphics with eight Xe2 cores. As for its display, it’s a larger 8-inch touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, 500 nits of brightness, and a resolution of 1920 x 1200.
You can expect enhanced battery power with an 80 Wh unit, and when it comes to connectivity, there are two Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports that allow for charging and docking with additional devices or an external GPU. Running on Windows 11, the Claw 8 AI+ is set to hit the market on December 25th, with its top-tier configuration priced at $899.
The refreshed Claw 7 AI+ features the same Intel Ultra 7-258V CPU but pairs it with 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. This model sports a slightly smaller 7-inch 1080p display and a 53Wh battery, shipping out on December 1st. With a $100 price difference, the Claw 8 AI+ offers a bit more screen real estate, a larger battery, and twice the internal storage, making it slightly bulkier compared to the Claw 7 and its updated version.
Here’s a quick comparison of the MSI Claw handhelds:
| Feature | MSI Claw 8 AI+ | MSI Claw 7 AI+ | MSI Claw 7 |
|—————-|——————|——————|—————-|
| CPU | Intel Ultra 7 258V/256V | Intel Ultra 7 258V | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H/135H |
| RAM | 16GB/32GB LPDDR5X-8553 | 32GB LPDDR5X-8533 | 16GB LPDDR5-6400 |
| Storage | 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 2280 | 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 2280 | 512GB PCIe 4.0 2230 |
| Integrated GPU | Arc 14V Graphics | Arc 14V Graphics | Arc Graphics |
| Display | 8-Inch 1920×1200, 120Hz, 500 nits | 7-Inch 1920×1080, 120Hz, 500 nits, VRR | 7-Inch 1920×1080, 120Hz, 500 nits, VRR |
| Battery | 80 Wh | 53 Wh | 53 Wh |
| Dimensions | 29.9 x 12.26 x 2.4 cm | 29.4 x 11.7 x 2.1 cm | 29.4 x 11.7 x 2.1 cm |
| Weight | 794 g | 675 g | 675 g |
Initially slated for an early 2025 launch, the Claw 8 AI+ will now debut just days before CES in the same year.
In another development, the successors to devices like the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus Ally X may include an AMD Ryzen Z2 or Z2 Extreme CPU, expected in 2025. According to AMD, its Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, powered by Radeon 890M graphics, will outperform the Intel Core Ultra 7 285 by 75% in gaming, which might be worth waiting for. Current evaluations are assessing differences in performance and battery life.
As we blaze into the next few months, expect a surge in new handhelds, each leveraging either Intel’s Lunar Lake or AMD’s Z2 series APUs. For deeper insights into performance, battery endurance, and the overall user experience, we’ll need to wait for comprehensive reviews.
