MSI Claw 8 Ryzen Edition performance shown off with AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme in early video
MSI is still leaving fans in the dark about the release timeframe for its first AMD Ryzen-powered gaming handheld. For context, the company started selling the MSI Claw 8 Ryzen Edition less than a week ago in China after indicating that the device would not be available until later this summer. Surprisingly, MSI is already shipping the handheld, too.
Although the company has not confirmed as much, a YouTuber has posted early impressions of the device that can be found in the video embedded below. Ultimately, the Claw 8 Ryzen Edition closely resembles the Claw 8 AI+ (curr. $999 on Amazon) with which it shares its 8-inch, 120 Hz and 1200p display. However, the former provides an early insight into the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme and the performance that the next Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go will offer later this year.
For example, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme easily outperforms its predecessor at 12 W but slightly trails the regular Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 found in recent gaming handhelds like the Aokzoe A1X and the OneXFly F1 Pro. Ultimately, it appears that the Ryzen Z2 Extreme closely mirrors the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at higher wattages, albeit with slightly better overall power efficiency because of its lower CPU core count and the absence of an NPU.
Unfortunately, the decision to draw on Intel Core Ultra 7 258V benchmarks using older Intel drivers makes it more difficult to compare the new Claw 8 Ryzen Edition against the Claw 8 AI+ for the time being. Nonetheless, the Core Ultra 7 258V appears to be the more efficient of the two APUs at low wattages. Please see the video below for more information.
