MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM

Specifications

Price comparison

Reviews for the MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM

MSI Claw A8 hands-on review: AMD Z2 Extreme makes its first splash
Source: The Shortcut
I came to Computex 2025 fully expecting the Asus ROG Ally 2 to give us a first look at the power of AMD Z2 Extreme, but out of left field comes the MSI Claw A8 to steal the show. This is probably (definitely) because Microsoft is forcing Asus to keep everything hush until the Xbox Handheld reveal this non-E3 season in the summer. But this game gave MSI the perfect chance to slide into the picture and steal Asus’ thunder, and it worked gloriously. MSI has delivered on a thoroughly impressive device that feels nostalgic and fun with a blocky design and bright colors. The AMD Z2 Extreme also delivers on impressive performance so far, with 45 frames per second while playing Final Fantasy XV with medium settings and 60+ fps on Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. The overall controls feel even better, too, with clicker face buttons, rounded-off triggers, and option buttons that are larger to hit. Hopefully, MSI can keep up the momentum and ship the Claw A8 before the Asus ROG Ally 2 releases.
Hands-On, online available, Medium, Date: 05/20/2025

I just tested the MSI Claw A8 with AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme — it’s so good it made me forget about the Nintendo Switch 2
Source: Tom's Guide
With the Claw A8 BZ2EM, MSI could’ve added AMD Ryzen Z2 and called it a day. Instead, the team locked in and delivered significant improvements to the design and ergonomics, to make one of the best gaming handhelds I’ve ever held. While I’m a little worried about the price, I’m certainly not worried about this giving any gamer plenty of fun for a long time to come.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/20/2025

Comment

AMD Radeon 890M: The most powerful AMD iGPU as of mid 2024. It features 16 RDNA 3.5 architecture CUs (1024 unified shaders) running at up to 2,900 MHz. On average, the 890M finds itself very close to the GTX 1650 Laptop making it possible to play 2024 AAA games at 1080p with most settings set to Low.

With these GPUs you are able to play modern and demanding games fluently at medium detail settings and HD resolution.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

Ryzen Z2 Extreme: A relatively powerful Strix Point family processor for handhelds with a mix of three Zen 5 and five Zen 5c cores running at 2 - 5 GHz. Compared to the similar Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, the Z2 Extreme does not offer the Ryzen AI NPU.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

8.00":

This display format is in the mid-range for smartphones. It offers a compromise between good visibility, details and resolution on the screen, and you can still fit it into trouser pockets.

MSI: Micro-Star International (MSI) was founded in 1986 in Taiwan. MSI is especially known as a manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards for PCs, but also offers computer accessories, complete systems, motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktop PCs, monitors and other components. However, the Microstar brand name in Germany belongs to the Medion company. MSI is known for its gaming products and has developed a wide range of gaming laptops and desktop PCs. The company is also active in workstations, servers and industrial automation. MSI has offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

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