MSI has entered the new battlefield of handheld gaming consoles following the popular Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. The most surprising aspect of MSI Claw is its use of an Intel Core Ultra processor.
All the other consoles use AMD Ryzen processors which has proved to be great for such mobile devices. It remains to be seen how Intel Core Ultra in this regard. Here is a breakdown of the specifications of the MSI Claw.
We’re proud to partner with MSI to deliver unparalleled experiences for users around the globe. The new MSI Claw is an exciting new gaming handheld powered by an Intel Core Ultra processor that provides an unparalleled gaming experience to be enjoyed anywhere, anytime.
Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Executive Vice President and GM, Client Computing Group, Intel
MSI Claw Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model Name | Claw A1M |
| Processor | Up to Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor 155H |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home (MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business) / Windows 11 Pro |
| Chipset | Integrated SoC |
| Memory | LPDDR5 onboard, 16GB, dual channel |
| Display | 7″ FHD (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz Refresh Rate, Touch Screen, 100% sRGB (Typical), 500nits (Typical), IPS-Level panel |
| Graphics | Intel® Arc Graphics |
| Storage Slot | 1 x NVMe M.2 2230 SSD by PCIe Gen 4 x4 |
| Sensor | 6-Axis IMU, Vibration Motor |
| Communication | Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 7 BE1750, Bluetooth v5.4 |
| Audio | 2 × 2W Speakers / 1× Audio combo jack / Hi-Res Audio ready |
| I/O Port | 1 x Thunderbolt™ 4 / DP/ USB Type-C (w/ PD 3.0 Charging), 1 x microSD Card Reader, 1 x Audio combo jack, 1x Power button with Finger Print Sensor |
| Battery/Adapter | 6-Cell, Li-Polymer, 53Whr / 65W USB Type-C PD 3.0 |
| Dimension | 294 (W) x 117(D) x 21.2(H) mm |
| Weight | 675 g |
| Color | Black |
The Claw is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor with fully utilized Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics. The 155H boasts 8 Xe cores, totaling 128 EU (1,024 unified shaders).
The Core Ultra 7 155H has higher peak performance compared to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme but lags in terms of power efficiency which is important for handhelds. However, the bigger battery of 53WHr in MSI Claw can offset that efficiency problem and provide an overall better experience compared to Asus ROG Ally.
The MSI Claw shares a similar form factor to the ASUS ROG Ally, featuring a 16:9 1080p, 120 Hz touchscreen at its centre, flanked by two halves of the main controller. Running on Windows 11, it utilizes the MSI Center M as its primary user interface.
MSI Claw Pricing and Availability
The Claw offers two variants: a $749 model powered by the Core Ultra 7 155U and a more affordable $699 variant with the Core Ultra 5 135H (featuring a 4P+8E CPU). Both models boast a larger 53 Wh battery compared to the 40 Wh on the ROG Ally.
The $749 model, equipped with the 155H, demonstrated smooth gameplay, running “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” with XeSS enabled. The Claw stands as a significant endorsement for the Arc Graphics team, showcasing their capabilities and instilling confidence in their technology.
MSI Claw in Action
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.