MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ finally getting more affordable variant in new color

MSI launched the Claw 8 EX AI+ (check out our review) with the Intel Arc B390 iGPU back in June with a $1,799 price tag. This configuration features the Intel Arc G3 Extreme (with the B390 iGPU), 32 GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and a 1 TB SSD. The price was quite shocking for a lot of consumers, and questions about a cheaper alternative started stirring. Finally, MSI seems to have something in the works.

A cheaper alternative has been listed on ExcaliberPC. Aside from the price, there are two other changes with this model compared to the Void Purple flagship offering. It will have a Luminous Blue color and will swap out the Arc B390 iGPU for the Arc B370. Furthermore, the storage also goes from 1 TB to 512 GB. This brings the price down to $1,499, which is $300 cheaper than the flagship as listed on MSI’s website.

In comparison, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 (check out our review) is currently selling for $2,000 for a similar configuration, while the lower-end Ryzen Z2 config with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage is listed for as low as $1,580 on Amazon.

While there are no images on the website, the model number is listed as Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3M-072USY with an Intel Arc G3. Other than the storage, the rest of the configuration remains the same as the Extreme model. That means an 8-inch 120 Hz full-HD+ (1,920x1,200) IPS-Level (100% sRGB) touch screen, two Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort/ Power Delivery 3.0) ports, a microSD card reader, and a mic-in/headphone-out combo jack. All this is backed by an 80Wh battery with support for 65W fast charging.

Per the listing, this model will be available from October 30 but can be pre-ordered right now. At the time of publishing, MSI hasn’t officially listed this model on its website.