Latest news with #MSIClaw8AI+
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
MSI Claw 8 AI+ review – the best performing gaming handheld you can buy
If you're looking for a ripping fast gaming handheld, there's not many better than MSI's latest. The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is one of the most premium gaming handhelds you can buy, but it comes with a premium price tag. So, does it provide a premium experience? And how do Intel graphics impact performance? The MSI Claw 8 AI+ replaces the original MSI Claw, and it's better in every way, but that's also reflected in the cost. The price for MSI' s new and shiny model is £899 / $999 / AU$1799. In terms of comparisons, one of the closest devices in terms of specs is the Asus ROG Ally X, which is priced at £799 / $799 / AU$1599. But that's not really fair, because the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has 8GB more RAM, a bigger screen, Wi-Fi 7, and a newer Intel Core Ultra 7 (series 2) APU, as opposed to the AMD Z1 extreme, which first debuted in May 2023. In truth, in terms of pure specs, this device is at the raggedy edge. MSI Claw 8 AI+ design and features The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is rocking some beefy specs and is one of the very first handhelds to feature Intel Arc graphics under the hood. The key specs you need to know are that it's got an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, a huge 80-watt-hour battery, 1TB of storage, 32GB of LPDDR5x memory, WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Basically, everything you'd ever need. If you're wondering what the AI+ thing is all about, it technically has a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that delivers 47 TOPS, which is on par with the latest Copilot+ PC s, for those pesky AI workloads. While we're on the subject of AI, MSI says that the Claw 8 AI+ can be used as a mini-PC, thanks to its powerful NPU, using the built-in Copilot to work and create. But I won't be testing that functionality in this review and will instead focus specifically on its gameplay capabilities. Let's talk about the colour first, which MSI calls Sandstorm. Seeing it in pictures and in other videos, I wasn't a fan. But having spent a bit of time with it in person, I actually really like it. It's got a matte, vintage, retro Dell PC vibe, and is kind of similar to the 50th Anniversary limited edition colour scheme that PlayStation launched for its PS5 consoles earlier this year. In a market that is dominated by black or white, fair play for MSI for going for something a bit different. It stands out, that's for sure. Onto the specifics: You get a 1920 x 1200 screen at a 16:10 ratio. It's also 120Hz, VRR capable, 500 nits, and IPS. It's a pretty nice display and is obviously slightly higher resolution than the 1920 x 1080 resolution on handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally X. But, for this price, I would have liked to see an OLED or AMOLED display, or at least an IPS display with proper HDR support. It's got excellent hall-effect joysticks and triggers, with RGB, that are precise and, more importantly, durable, unlike the Nintendo Switch 2, which, as I spoke about in my review, is very likely to experience stick drift, but there are no such problems here. The ABXY buttons also have RGB, which is nice, and they're pretty standard, Xbox controller-like, as are the D-Pad and the bumpers. As is the case with most handhelds right now, this handheld features four menu-style buttons: a View button, a Menu button, an MSI Centre button, and a Quick Settings button. The back also has two M1/M2 Marco buttons. On MSI Centre specifically, this is the software you use to customise the performance of the device, and I found it to be a bit strange to use. I mean, it's fine for the majority of settings, and offers a similar experience to customisation programs you'd find on other handhelds, like the ability to change joystick deadzones, etc, but in regards to changing the performance of the device, it's not great. It's got this AI Engine mode, which essentially decides what performance the device will produce at any given time. In my testing, it was a bit inconsistent, and I just ended up putting it on manual or endurance for the most part. Even in manual mode, the customisation is very, very basic. You get two sliders to set the TDP, and you can change the fan curves, and that's it. That's your lot. There's zero customisation of the other performance modes, and that's just downright strange for a device that is capable of so much. This handheld is beefy in size, thanks to the bigger screen, but it weighs just over 800g, which is almost 300g more than the Switch 2, about 120g heavier than the Asus ROG Ally X and 100g more than the Zotac Zone. Now you'd think that this weight would impact the ergonomics, but it genuinely doesn't; the ergonomics are excellent, and I particularly like these finger channels (a phrase I've coined myself) on the back that feel really satisfying to slip into. Despite its weight and size, I had zero issues holding it for long periods, and I have no complaints about the ergonomics. In terms of other features, it's got two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which can support DisplayPort and power delivery, and you can connect two monitors simultaneously. It's also got a Micro SD card slot, an audio combo jack, a power button with a fingerprint reader, a volume rocker, and two front-facing speakers. MSI Claw 8 AI+ performance As mentioned, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has a Intel Core Ultra 7 (series 2), boasting 8 cores, with four efficiency cores and four performance cores, with the latter able to turbo up to 4.8GHz, and it's also able to deliver a max TDP of 37W, and a min of 8W in the endurance mode. So, to put the MSI Claw 8's Intel performance to the test, we put it in manual mode and cranked the sliders to maximum TDP and maximum fan speeds, doing the same with the Asus ROG Ally X, and here are the results, just below this paragraph. Bear in mind that the MSI Claw is running at the slightly higher resolution of 1920 x 1200 versus the ROG Ally X's 1920 x 1080. Despite running at a slightly higher resolution, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ outperformed the ASUS ROG Ally in most of the benchmarking tests we ran, showing once and for all that if you're looking for pure performance and the best frame rates possible, the Claw 8 AI+ is probably the best gaming handheld you can buy right now. It also showcased its performance with Intel's AI upscaling technology, Intel XeSS, with the benchmarks showing an up to 52% increase in frames compared to running natively. The battery life is also clearly a major selling point for this device, managing just over 2 hours in Cyberpunk 2077 in performance mode, and three and a half hours in the F1 25 looped benchmark in endurance mode, although this does seriously impact performance, going from a 50 average FPS to low 30s in that particular game. This is market-leading battery life, or at least market-matching battery life, as I found I got a similar level of battery from the Asus ROG Ally X, which has the same 80Wh battery, but the MSI Claw 8 AI+ also has a bigger screen, so it does an outstanding job, in regards to the efficiency of it's processing unit but also with it's battery size. MSI Claw 8 AI+ overall thoughts The MSI Claw 8 AI+ has pretty much everything you'd want from a gaming handheld right now, offering superb performance, good ergonomics, strong battery life and cutting-edge features. It's one of, if not the, best gaming handheld on the market right now, and it's priced that way too. It's a high price to pay, so whether you decide to buy one or not will depend on your budget. You could almost buy two Steam Deck OLED 's for the price of one MSI Claw 8 AI+. But, if you want the best performance, battery life and modern features, there's no doubt that it's your best bet, even if it isn't the perfect device.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Acer's ultra-portable Predator Triton 14 AI gaming laptop could be the coolest thing at Computex
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Intel's Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake chipsets were announced last year for ultrathin and light systems. They are intended for use mostly in AI PCs and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld. These mobile processors weren't expected ever to hit the mainstream gaming laptop market, and Laptop Mag was almost certain you couldn't connect a discrete GPU to the chip. But as they say, life finds a way. Acer has managed to connect a discrete Nvidia RTX 50-series gaming GPU to Intel's Lunar Lake to create the Triton 14 AI ultra-portable gaming laptop. The ultra-slim, ultra-light Triton 14 AI is intended for gaming and content creation, and based on Laptop Mag's recent hands-on demo, it just might be the coolest thing announced for Computex in Taipei next week. But other than an interesting chip combo, what makes the Triton 14 AI so unique? Price: €2,999 starting CPU: Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 288V GPU: Up to Nvidia RTX 5070 Memory: Up to 32GB Storage: Up to 2TB Display: 14.5-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED Battery: TBD Size: 0.68 inches thick Weight: 3.52 pounds The Triton 14 AI is a slim laptop, measuring just 0.68 inches thick. While not the thinnest laptop we've ever seen with a discrete GPU under the hood, it is incredibly slim for a 14-inch laptop. And at just 3.52 pounds, it'll fit in just about any backpack or laptop bag you own, making it super portable. Acer managed to slim down the Triton 14 to just 0.68 inches thanks to a combination of ultra-thin sixth-gen AeroBlade fans, a graphene thermal interface, and a new vapor chamber to keep the Triton slim and cool under pressure. Acer has opted for a fun, steel blue colorway on the Triton 14 AI, which sets it apart from the other black and silver gaming laptops on the market. The Triton 14 AI has an anti-fingerprint coating to keep it looking sleek even after hours of use. Acer has packed a 76Whr battery in the Triton 14 AI. Because Intel's Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake chips are super power efficient, the Triton should have good battery life when surfing the web or even when gaming. While we expect battery life to take a bit of a hit due to the discrete Nvidia GPU and OLED display panel, the Triton 14 AI could easily last for 8+ hours of web surfing on battery thanks to its ultra-efficient CPU. We have already seen the benefits of an AI PC chip powering a gaming laptop this year, thanks to the Razer Blade 16 (2025). As the Triton 14 AI is a similar combo, just with an Intel CPU instead, it could end up nipping the Asus TUF Gaming A14 off our list as the gaming laptop with the best battery life. Acer has outfitted the Triton 14 AI with a 14.5-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED panel rated for 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut and sporting Calman verification. From what we've seen so far, this display looks great and has the potential to be a great tool for content creators. We saw a similar display on the Acer Swift X 14 (2024) last year. While our lab testing couldn't verify the 100% DCI-P3 rating, the display looked crisp and gorgeous in our hands-on testing. If Acer is using the same display or a similar OLED panel on the Triton 14 AI, it's guaranteed to be a great option for content creators or for gamers who really want an immersive, cinematic gaming experience. Intel's Lunar Lake platform is not the beefiest Intel CPU out there, that would have to go to the Core Ultra 200HX Arrow Lake chipset. However, Lunar Lake is certainly powerful enough to handle web browsing, spreadsheet management, video calls, and some light Photoshop work without breaking a sweat. The Lunar Lake integrated GPU is also pretty good for gaming in 1080p at Medium settings. Combined with a discrete Nvidia RTX 50-series GPU, and it should get even better graphics power for a smoother gaming experience. While we haven't reviewed an RTX 5070 laptop just yet, if it's anything like the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 laptops, it'll have some decent silicon power and all the advantages of Nvidia's new DLSS 4 technology to provide smooth, high framerates in even the most demanding games. Acer will launch the Triton 14 AI in July in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with a starting price of €2,999. Due to constantly shifting US foreign tariffs, Acer has not yet published pricing or release dates for North America. But, when the Triton 14 AI becomes available in the US, you can bet we'll be angling to get it into our labs and put this Lunar Lake/Nvidia hybrid to the test. Computex showdown: Nvidia & MediaTek tipped to steal Windows-on-Arm spotlight Play 'FBC: Firebreak' first, if your laptop can handle a return to Control's Oldest House What links GTA 6, Cyberpunk 2077, and Baldur's Gate 3? They could all be at risk of being banned.
Tom's Guide
13-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
A new MSI Claw gaming handheld has just been spotted — and it may finally give me the chance to ditch Intel for AMD
After the somewhat ropey release of the first MSI Claw 7, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ retconned a lot of the biggest issues, and I actually quite enjoy it. However, it's hard to ignore the Intel-sized thorn in its paw. With limited game support for essential AI frame gen and resolution scaling trickery, which in and of itself is more basic than what you get from AMD, it's no surprise that the entire industry of the best gaming handhelds (except for MSI) has gone with Team Red. Well, if this way-too-convenient alignment of leaks and rumors is true, MSI has possibly got the memo and may offer both an Intel and AMD Ryzen Z2 version of its upcoming 7-inch handheld. Even better, given the timeline, I'm feeling optimistic about a Computex 2025 announcement! Let's talk about it. If there is any company in the world of computing that is most responsible for what I call 'website whoopsies' — giving information away on unannounced products via small site changes — it's MSI. And the team are staying true to form with the reveal of a new system called the MSI Claw 7 A2HM on an MSI LCD cover spare parts product page. This follows another leak back in February that showed the A2HM pass certification by the Japan Audio Society in February. Given it's already been certified and we're seeing it on a spare parts page, I'm quietly confident we'll see this at Computex. Now, when looking at this name, one thing jumped out at me and everyone else looking at it: there is no mention of 'AI+' in the name. This is an indicator that the new Claw 7 may come with a chip that doesn't have an NPU, or has a disabled NPU for AI features. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. And this key factor, plus a leak from Haze on X has had people thinking. Because while looking at the rest of the name — 'A2' meaning a second generation (first one was called 'A1') and the 'H' possibly meaning using the lower-specced Intel Core Ultra 200H Chipset — the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme has a disabled NPU. MSI will release Claw handheld utilizing AMD Ryzen AI Z2 ExtremeApril 11, 2025 So, as you put the puzzle pieces together, this rumor mill is starting to look more like a possibility, and I get why MSI would do this. Intel's XeSS frame gen trickery and resolution scaling are good, but very limited in terms of games that support it (200 last time we checked). Meanwhile, AMD's FSR (its equivalent to XeSS at over 300). And on top of that, I want to introduce another big benefit that would come from this. With Lenovo Legion Go 2S bringing a SteamOS variant to the party, Valve has recently changed the way it shows game verification for handhelds — namely, that you can see whether a game is compatible with SteamOS as a whole and not just Steam Deck. And while Valve is working with Intel to deliver Intel support for SteamOS, AMD has become the default platform for the far superior gaming handheld OS. This is down to the first-party Steam Deck running this silicon, which makes compatibility a cinch. Plus, as you saw when I put SteamOS on an Asus ROG Ally X, the performance and power efficiency gains are significant. If I could get something with the display quality of the Claw 8 AI+, but with AMD internals and the chance to stick SteamOS on it, we may very well be looking at my next new gaming handheld. If true, the Steam Deck 2 could face some steep competition if/when it comes out!
