With the MSI Claw 7 and 8 AI+, two new gaming handhelds are waiting for you next year. (Image source: MSI)
Last March, MSI also debuted the device called “Claw” in a rapidly growing gaming handheld market.
In contrast to numerous other manufacturers, the company relies on Intel as its SoC – and with this decision it left the competition behind, as we also found out in our test of the MSI Claw. Not only was the performance unconvincing, but the 7-inch display was also too small for our taste to properly operate the Windows underneath.
- With the MSI Claw 8 AI+ Both points of criticism should be a thing of the past. True to its name, the company has given the second generation of its handheld an eight-inch screen.
- The smaller format doesn't disappear from the scene because MSI brings it with it Claw 7 AI+ Another handheld that doesn't change anything from its predecessor in terms of size and “only” polishes up the inner values.
The two different screens are associated with three main differences between the two models, such as: company in a press release explained. So is the Claw 7 AI+ with a classic FHD resolution of 1.920 × 1.080 Pixel at work, while the larger model with 1.920 × 1.200 Pixel awaits. The typical brightness should be 500 cd/m²; VRR with up to 120 Hertz is supported.
The larger display also requires a larger battery, which MSI offers 54,5 Wh with the Claw 7 AI+ respectively 80 Wh with the Claw 8 AI+. The weight also differs between the two models at 675 and 795 grams respectively.
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MSI shows the advantages of Hall effect joysticks using its own handheld
Intel again as the driver – this time with Lunar Lake and Battlemage
Almost other internal values, which are also primarily important when it comes to technology, do not differ between the two models. Just like its predecessor, there is an SoC from Intel in the Claw handhelds.
- Specifically, MSI is installing it Intel Core Ultra 7 258V with eight computing cores, which comes from the Lunar Lake generation introduced a few months ago.
- Such mobile devices were also the chip manufacturer's stated goal, where they wanted to score points with greatly improved battery life – one of the notorious weak points of gaming handhelds.
- The internal graphics unit is the Arc 140V again one of the first Battlemage iGPUs in the Claw handhelds.
The first gaming benchmarks specific to this SoC were extremely promising compared to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme and AI HX 9 370.
However, it should be noted that the competition is not sleeping either and AMD wants to come up with three new chips for handhelds at CES 2025, which of course also promise a performance boost. It's not for nothing that our handheld expert Linh thinks the second generation of mobile consoles is much more exciting than the first:
In terms of memory, MSI uses soldered 32 GB LPDDR5X RAM with a speed of 8,533 MT/s in the new handhelds.
Only the internal capacity is different between the two models: While the MSI Claw 7 AI+ is equipped with 512 GB, the larger handheld has twice that amount. As an M.2 2230 SSD, the memory should be easy to replace.
- Finally, we look at the connections: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports with Power Delivery 3.0 at 65 watts, a combo jack socket and a MicroSD card reader are available.
- When it comes to wireless standards, MSI relies on Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
| MSI Claw | MSI Claw 7 AI+ | MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions and weight | 294 × 117 × 21,2 Millimeter 675 Gramm |
290 × 117 × 21,2 Millimeter 675 Gramm |
299 × 126 × 24 Millimeter 795Gramm |
| Display | 7 inches 1.920 × 1.080 Pixel 120 Hz 500 cd/m² |
7 inches 1.920 × 1.080 Pixel 120 Hz 500 cd/m² |
8 inches 1.920 × 1.200 Pixel 120 Hz 500 cd/m² |
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H od. Core Ultra 5 135H | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V |
| Graphics unit | Intel Arc Graphics | Intel Arc 140V | Intel Arc 140V |
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR5 6.400 MT/s |
32 GB LPDDR5X 8.533 MT/s |
32 GB LPDDR5X 8.533 MT/s |
| Internal capacity | 512 GB or 1 TB | 512 GB | 1 TByte |
| Connections | 1x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) | 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) | 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) |
| Battery capacity | 53 Wh | 54,5 Wh | 80 Wh |
| buttons | Hall effect joysticks and triggers | Hall effect joysticks and triggers | Hall effect joysticks and triggers |
MSI is paying dearly for the new generation in the USA
In the USA, the price and release of the two new MSI handhelds have already been determined. From December 25th, the mobile consoles will be available there for the following RRPs before tax kaufen:
- MSI Claw 7 AI+: 799 US-Dollar
- MSI Claw 8 AI+: 899 US-Dollar
This means that the prices of the new generation will increase by $100. A similar price increase for the European market, for which the RRP of the Claw handhelds has not yet been communicated, is therefore extremely likely.
As a reminder: The first generation of the MSI Claw started in this country for 849 dollars in the 512 GB version, and 949 dollars were due for double the memory. A release date for Europe has not yet been announced.
