MSI's Claw 7 handheld may abandon Intel for AMD — along with everything that made it unique
MSI appears to have a new Claw 7 handheld coming.
Since January, there have been rumors of a third seven-inch MSI gaming handheld. This time, powered by an AMD chip.
Notebook Check has that rumor rundown, but the question is: Should we even care about this new Claw 7?
The original 7-inch MSI Claw broke our hearts because of inconsistent performance and poor build quality. This then made the MSI Claw 8 AI+ such a good redemption story.
In fact, I enjoyed playing with the eight-inch Claw 8 so much that I bought the Claw 7 AI+ (A2VM) — an upgraded version of the original with better triggers, joysticks, and Intel's Lunar Lake chipset — with my own, hard-earned cash.
MSI's Claw handhelds have been the flagship Intel-powered handhelds, for better or worse. With the strength of Intel's ultra-efficient Lunar Lake chipset, the Claw 7 AI+ and Claw 8 AI+ offer impressive battery life and strong graphics power.
But this new Claw handheld could swap out an Intel Core Ultra chip for AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme. MSI is expected to announce new hardware at Computex in Taipei next week, which could include this new handheld.
While the Ryzen Z-series chips have been a favorite of gaming handhelds since the first Ryzen Z1 hit the Steam Deck in 2022, the Claw's Intel chipset helped differentiate it in a sea filled with AMD-powered handhelds that just felt like a cheap palette-swap.
But what do we know about the Claw 7 A2HM so far? Let's take a look.
Specs: 2.2 GHz Intel Core Ultra 7 258V 8-Core, 32GB LPDDR5x of RAM | 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD hard drive, a 7-inch FHD 1920x1080 120 Hz IPS touchscreen, an integrated Intel Arc 140V Graphics card, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, a microSD card reader, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.4, a built-in controller, Mystic Light RGB lighting, integrated Stereo Speakers, and Windows 11 Home.View Deal
The current MSI Claw 7 AI+ (A2VM) features Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V Lunar Lake chipset, with the Arc 140V integrated graphics tile, plus 32GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 7-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz IPS touchscreen display.
Intel's Arc 140V graphics chip offers solid gaming performance at 1080p resolution and Medium graphics settings, which has only gotten smoother with recent Intel graphics driver updates for the Arc platform.
MSI's newest Claw 7 A2HM leaked thanks to a listing spotted on the EU version of MSI's virtual storefront and the Hi-Res Audio log. Neither listings include details on specs.
What we do know is simple: this handheld lacks the "AI+" tagline in the official model name. MSI's current naming convention includes "AI" if the chipset has an NPU, and "AI+" if that chipset includes a Copilot+ level NPU.
The lack of any AI branding has lent credence to the rumor that the new Claw 7 will ditch Intel's Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake platforms. Both Intel chips include an NPU, while AMD's Ryzen Z2 generation does not.
So far, all we know about the new Claw 7 A2HM is that it exists and will likely be announced at Computex next week.
Of course, the Claw 7 A2HM could be an Intel handheld using the Core Ultra 200H Arrow Lake chipset. Intel has hinted at Arrow Lake handhelds arriving this summer, and the MSI product page doesn't give us much other than a screen size.
But if the MSI Claw 7 A2HM is an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme handheld like the Lenovo Legion Go 2, Asus ROG Ally 2/ Xbox handheld, and rumored Steam Deck 2, things could get a bit too crowded on the AMD side of the handheld pool.
Of course, AMD's chips have been popular for handhelds for a variety of reasons, and there are definitely folks who want an AMD-powered Claw. But personally, I think the Claw would just become a slightly more dragon-themed version of the Asus ROG Ally X or Legion Go 2 if we get a Ryzen Z2 Claw.
If the Claw 7 A2HM is an Arrow Lake device, it makes more sense considering MSI's close partnership with Intel on previous handhelds. The Intel Arc 140T integrated graphics chip boasts some serious gaming power and battery life and has a stronger CPU than the Lunar Lake variant, which would come in handy for your next RTS session.
And it's not like MSI has abandoned Intel for handhelds. The Claw 8 AI+ is reportedly getting a new black-and-white color scheme, as demand remains high for the second-generation Claw.
If the Claw 7 A2HM is an Arrow Lake handheld, it maintains the sense of individuality that has kept the Claw brand separate from all the other handhelds. Conversely, if it is a Ryzen Z2 handheld, it will be lost in the sauce.
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