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Tom's Guide
5 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme benchmarks revealed — here's how the MSI Claw A8 and ROG Xbox Ally X may perform
Gaming handhelds are about to see a major boost in gaming performance thanks to AMD's new flagship chip, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, and we now have a taste of what to expect thanks to new benchmarks. The first AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme benchmarks are in on Geekbench, as spotted by X user Olrak29_, showcasing the performance we can expect in the upcoming MSI Claw A8 — both in CPU and GPU performance. In the Geekbench 6 CPU results, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme-equipped MSI Claw A8 delivered a 2,748 single-core score, along with a 12,182 multi-core score. This is a strong improvement over its predecessor, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, with around a 27% boost overall compared to other Geekbench benchmarks (via Wccftech). We expected a major boost in performance, with AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme coming with 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 5 architecture for faster multitasking, 15W to 35W power output and 16 GPU cores from its Radeon 890M iGPU with AMD's RDNA 3.5 to deliver FSR and frame-gen tech to boost frame rates. Speaking of graphics, the GPU performance is also shown on Geekbench, with a Vulkan score of 45,064 and an OpenCL score of 37,970. As per the Geekbench results, this pushes past the AMD Ryzen 9 HX 370 (44,399/37,297) and crushes the Z1 Extreme (34,715/29,632). According to the results shown on Geekbench, here's how it measures up against the previous Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU in the Asus ROG Ally X, along with the laptop equivalent AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in the Asus TUF Gaming A14 in our testing. Devices Geekbench 6 Single core Geekbench 6 multi-core MSI Claw A8 (AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme) 2748 12182 Asus ROG Ally X (AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme) 2565 11085 Asus TUF Gaming A14 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) 2863 12729 As you can see, this shows a smaller boost in CPU performance (a 6-9% boost), but given the Z2 Extreme APU is made for handheld gaming, this is still a solid uplift, and the GPU power it appears to offer will make this chip a beast for gaming on the move. Plus, it isn't certain if this ran on 15W or 30W power, and the MSI Claw A8 tested appears to use 16GB of DDR5 RAM as opposed to the 24GB it can go up to. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Regardless, the improvements are clear, and this also gives us a look at what the ROG Xbox Ally X will deliver, seeing as Microsoft's upcoming handheld comes with the same Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU. Rumor has it that the ROG Xbox Ally X may be priced around $799 to $899, and recent reports indicate the MSI Claw A8 will be around $860. While the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme looks to offer significant boosts in gaming performance, it's set to come at a premium cost. Many of the best gaming handhelds don't come cheap, but considering consoles like the recently launched $599 Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS and $449 Nintendo Switch 2 are far less, it will be interesting to see how the latest handhelds with Z2 Extreme performance take off. For a better look at how well MSI's upcoming handheld performs, check out our hands-on with the MSI Claw A8. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
04-07-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
I love the MSI Claw A8, but its price proves PC handhelds are officially going off the rails — here's why
There's a very real chance that PC gaming handhelds could cost a thousand dollars as standard, and the pre-order pricing for the MSI Claw A8 with AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme proves it. As confirmed by MSI, the new handheld is launching this month, and preorders have started in Asia on MSI's store, and the price given is 6,999 RMB. There is a lower price, that's offered via the Chinese government's 15% subsidy on consumer tech, which means you could get it for 5,949 RMB. But when flipped to USD, that subsidized cost is just under $740, and without, that skyrockets to $860. Pop sales tax on top and we're talking a thousand bucks. Now I know gaming handhelds can be expensive, but if we're at a point where they could be vastly more expensive than vastly more powerful gaming laptops, something's gone wrong here. If you want my personal recommendations on what to get instead, tap here to jump on down to those (including some tasty Prime Day deals). But for those of you who want more context on what just got revealed, let's talk about it. Everything seems largely the same as what I tested at Computex — giant 80Wh battery, all the same ports, a 1200p display (which we now know has a 500-nit peak brightness). But seeing WiFi 7 is a surprise. Previously, MSI confirmed to me that this was rocking WiFi 6E, so for online gaming, this has now become an altogether stronger machine. I'm a big fan of that. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. That doesn't take away from the inflationary pressure being felt by this potential price. Of course, there will be a variation . We're talking about the price in China here, with one version coming with the government's 15% subsidy, and the higher price including sales tax. But with the current global climate, I dare say that we could see that price go up. For example, the Intel-based MSI Claw 8 AI+ is priced the same as this AMD counterpart in China. The MSRP over here is $999, and when you take into account just what kind of gaming hardware you could get for a thousand bucks, that's where I start to fear that PC gaming handhelds are going off the rails. And it makes me especially nervous about the ROG Xbox Ally X. The simple answer is get a gaming laptop. But allow me to go into both scenarios here: Don't let that 0.9-inch thinness deceive you — the MSI Thin is a powerful beast with AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS, RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of super fast DDR5 RAM and a spacious 1TB SSD. Pair that with a 15-inch 1080p 144Hz display for fluid gaming and you've got a stellar system at its cheapest ever price. Inside, you get an Intel Core i5-13420H CPU, RTX 4050, 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD. This is enough to run AAA games at 1080p medium settings and squeeze 60 FPS out of them. In my hands-on time with the MSI Claw A8, I talked about how pricing being unknown makes me a bit nervous. Looking at the decent performance gains with AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme in a bubble of not thinking about cost was impressive, but the price tag has to be fair. And put simply, if this pricing translates the way I'm thinking over to the U.S. and U.K., this ain't it. Handheld gaming does come with a premium, I get that. But not this kind of premium. If the Steam Deck proved anything, it's that you can get surprisingly impressive gaming performance from lower power (and lower cost) internals. And I can only cross my fingers and hope that $1,000 doesn't become the new defacto standard for handhelds.
Tom's Guide
24-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
The MSI Claw A8 could be a game-changer for PC handhelds — 3 reasons why I'm stoked
The MSI Claw 7 distinguished itself from the best handheld gaming consoles by featuring an Intel Core Ultra chip instead of an AMD processor. While that aspect made it unique, Intel's silicon largely kept the device from hitting its potential. Thankfully, we'll soon get an MSI handheld powered by an AMD chip with the MSI Claw A8. Revealed during Computex 2025, the MSI Claw A8 will be the first gaming handheld to utilize an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor. This could make it one of the most powerful Windows 11 handhelds yet. On top of that, the Claw A8 features a more ergonomic design and even comes in a bold new color. It has all of that with that same 80Wh battery, up to 24GB of RAM and an 8-inch 1080p 120Hz display. Though I wish the MSI Claw A8 used SteamOS instead of Windows 11 as its operating system, I'm still excited about this potential Steam Deck OLED rival. Here are 3 reasons why. Let's start with the big one: the MSI Claw packs an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip. While AMD announced this new mobile processor at CES 2025, it was up in the air as to which handheld would utilize it first. Now we have an answer, and I couldn't be more excited. In his MSI Claw A8 hands-on preview, Jason England said he was floored by the handheld's gaming performance. When playing Lies of P on his Asus ROG Ally, he sets the game to medium graphical settings and turns on resolution scaling to achieve 60 frames per second. With these same settings, Lies of P ran at an astonishing 100 fps on the MSI Claw A8! We'll need to test the handheld outside of MSI's controlled environment to truly gauge its gaming performance. But if what Jason experienced at Computex is an indication, the Z2 Extreme chip is going to be a monster for gaming performance on handhelds. I liked the design of the previous MSI Claw handhelds since they looked and felt great. MSI could have kept the same design as the Claw 8+ AI, and I would have been happy. However, the company chose to give its new handheld a bit of a facelift that should make it easier to use and more fun to look at. Per Jason's preview, the Claw A8 has squared-off grips that make it easier to hold. The two analog sticks feel smoother and more accurate, and the four face buttons now have a more tactile click. Lastly, the MSI Claw A8 sports a colorful front shell that immediately sets it apart from the typical black, white or gray handhelds. Though I'm boring and prefer all-black electronics, I always appreciate it when companies at least offer more colorful options. And since this is a gaming device, having a striking color just makes sense! Though I wish the MSI Claw A8 offered an OLED option, I won't complain too much since it seemingly keeps the same display as the MSI Claw 8+ AI. Like that handheld, the Claw A8 has an 8-inch 1200p IPS touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate. In our MSI Claw 8+ AI review, we said that colors pop and details are crisp in games like Red Dead Redemption and Cyberpunk 2077. The 8-inch screen also makes it easier to read small text, which can be an issue on smaller 7-inch screens. With more games that can potentially run at over 100 frames per second, the Claw A8's 120Hz refresh rate should ensure they run buttery smooth. The original MSI Claw 7 was a disappointment, but the company made a market improvement with the MSI Claw 8+ AI. Now that MSI is using an AMD chip for the Claw A8, we could see the strongest Steam Deck competitor yet. I'll need to check out the MSI Claw A8 for myself to see if it can live up to the hype. But based on what we've reported so far, this is definitely the handheld to keep an eye on.
Euronews
23-05-2025
- Euronews
The top 5 tech that caught our eye at Computex in Taiwan
The Computex tech fair in Taiwan's capital closes its doors on Friday after a week filled with weird and wonderful product announcements. Euronews Next spent the week trawling the exhibition to find the most practical, beautiful, and frankly, the oddest tech announcements. Here is what caught our eye on the showfloor. Gaming is a massive part of Computex, so as you would expect, there was plenty on display. One bit of tech generating a lot of buzz was MSI's upgraded Windows PC handheld device, the Claw A8 with AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme. It comes in a variety of bright colours and has a built-in front-facing camera and mic, allowing gamers the freedom not to have to use a headset. It also has a massive 80Wh battery and has a roomy screen. It also looks to be the first handheld to use the high-end chip Z2 Extreme, and it boasts plenty of RAM. No release date has been set for its launch, but it comes as the Nintendo Switch 2 is about to be released. Though split keyboards are not exactly new, one designed specifically for gamers is. Asus displayed its ROG Falcata, a wireless keyboard that connects or disconnects magnetically, at the show in Taipei. The exact point of the design is so that gamers can have more space for the mouse. The right side of the keyboard is less interesting for gamers, as the keys that are mainly used are W, A, S, and D. Or, if not used for gaming, you can just detach the two sides for a more ergonomic keyboard. A release date has been set for the summer, but the price is so far unknown. While smart rings can be on the pricey side (think Samsung's Galaxy ring, which retails around €449, or Ultrahuman's luxury 18-carat gold ring, at around €2,000), Acer has a more humble offering. The company showed off a titanium smart ring, which has a $199 (€175) price point. It also, unlike many other companies, has no subscription. The ring comes in black or rose gold, has four days of battery life. It shows health data such as heart rate, sleep quality, and blood oxygen levels. It will be available for purchase this summer. Tech giant MSI showed off a beautiful laptop lid that looks like it had been hand-painted. MSI partnered with Japanese art studio Okadayo to create a limited edition lacquered print laptop. The art can also be placed on a computer mouse. The first design is Hokusai's iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa. MSI will only produce a few hundred per month for the moment, as applying the art requires extra steps in manufacturing. One of the main highlights at Computex was the level of creativity on show - and the number of beautiful and strange PC cases was certainly one of the focal points. Many of them were colourful and themed; others also had a beer and wine tap built in. It all comes down to personal preference. EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné has asked member states to agree among themselves on whether to support the Commission's intention to ditch a proposal on standard essential patents (SEP). The French commissioner for the internal market has said he wants to hear back from governments in the next three weeks. Member states are divided about the way forward after the Commission said in February it intended to withdraw a plan on SEPs which it presented in 2023, arguing that it couldn't see an agreement being reached. SEPs are patents that protect the technology deemed essential in a technical standard or specification and are used in the automotive, smart energy, and payment industry. Which means that if a company wants to make a product that complies with technical standards (such as 5G or wifi), it needs to use the technology covered by SEPs. Disputes over the value of SEPs licenses are proliferating as their use increases. The Commission proposal intended to make the process of licensing SEPs more transparent, which was welcomed by patent lobby organisations who called for modernisation of the rules to make the bloc more competitive. A group of eight countries – Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain – called for other EU member states to support continued work on the file during a meeting of industry ministers in Brussels on Thursday, arguing that the rules are crucial for industry. The Spanish representative said that SEPs will be beneficial for Europe's automotive industry. Italy added that: 'We need to ensure the value chains are resilient in the current geopolitical situation.' Ireland, Finland and Sweden, by contrast, backed the Commission's assessment that since no deal is within reach it should be dropped. The Swedish representative said that the proposal had created 'major divisions in the business community', adding that 'any initiative in this field needs to encourage innovation and not create undue regulatory burden.' Finland added that the decision to withdraw is in line with the Commission's simplification plan. 'We think there are fundamental problems in the proposal, they cannot be amended with this draft.' Séjourné told lawmakers of the European Parliament's Legal Affairs (JURI) in April that the Commission scrapped the SEP proposal in a bid to reach a broader agreement on the topic. Some argue however, that the incoming US administration and the EU Commission's current strategy for deregulation killed the proposal. While the majority of the member states do not see the need to continue with the topic, lawmakers want it kept on the table. The proposed rules on SEPs were agreed by the Parliament in February 2024 - with 454 votes for, 83 against and 78 abstentions - before the Commission announced its intention to withdraw the file. German MEP Bernd Lange (EPP), who chairs the heads of the Parliamentary committees, is expected to discuss the issue with Parliament President Roberta Metsola in June. A letter signed by Lange and seen by Euronews, said that the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) – which is leading on the file – 'objects, by a large majority, to the proposed withdrawal.' 'The proposal remains highly relevant due to its impact on competitiveness, transparency, and innovation, particularly for SMEs,' the letter said. The Commission has until August to decide whether to go ahead with its intention to withdraw the plan.
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Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Business Standard
MSI unveils AMD Ryzen-powered Claw A8 gaming handheld at Computex 2025
Taiwanese electronics brand MSI has officially unveiled a new variant of its Claw A8 handheld gaming device at Computex 2025, this time powered by AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor. The new model will offer up to 24GB of DDR5 RAM, slightly less than the 32GB available on the Intel-powered version. The AMD-powered Claw A8 BZ2EM marks MSI's entry into offering dual chipset options for its gaming handheld line-up. While the Intel version is already on the market, the AMD edition expands the line-up to give consumers more hardware flexibility. MSI has not yet disclosed pricing details or the expected launch date for the AMD version of the Claw A8. MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM: Details The MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM is a handheld gaming device equipped with some powerful hardware under the hood. According to a report by The Verge, MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM's core is the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, paired with an AMD Radeon 890M GPU. The system reportedly supports up to 24GB of RAM. The device is likely to feature an 8-inch full HD (1080p) display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support. Storage options will reportedly include a single M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 slot along with a microSD card reader, providing flexibility for expanding game libraries and media. According to the report, MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM will be shipped with a 80Wh battery and will run on Windows 11 Home, giving users access to a full desktop operating environment. Despite its performance capabilities, the device will reportedly be relatively compact and portable, measuring 299.5 x 126.2 x 24mm and weighing in at 765 grams. MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM: Expected specifications Display: 8-inch, 1080p, 120Hz, VRR Processor: AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme GPU: AMD Radeon 890M RAM: Up to 24GB Storage: 1x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4) and 1x microSD card reader Battery: 80Wh Operating System: Windows 11 Home Dimensions: 299.5 x 126.2 x 24mm Weight: 765g
