The upcoming $1,050 Xbox ROG Ally X could be less powerful than this older handheld
The upcoming Xbox ROG Ally X handheld gaming console will likely be less powerful than the older MSI Claw 8 AI+. The latter’s Intel Core Ultra 7 258V APU has apparently improved so much since its launch that it now stands toe-to-toe with AMD’s latest Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU, which is also powering the upcoming Xbox ROG Ally X.
This was recently demonstrated by YouTuber ETA PRIME, who compared the gaming performance of three of the most popular handheld gaming consoles available on the market today. The list included the MSI Claw A8 featuring the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ with the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, as mentioned earlier, and the ASUS ROG Ally X featuring the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU.
The YouTuber tested synthetic benchmarks and in-game frame rates across multiple titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Forza Horizon 5, and the result was surprising, to say the least.
First off, in Geekbench 6, results showed Intel Core Ultra 7 258V coming out on top in single-core and multi-core tests, scoring 2,712 and 8,247 respectively at a 17 W TDP. However, at 25 W, the single-core performance of the Ryzen Z2 Extreme and the Core Ultra 7 258V was almost identical, with the former scoring 2,766 and the latter 2,746 points.
Meanwhile, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme was left in the last position in both scenarios in single-core performance, scoring 2,379 at 25 W and 1,795 at 17 W. However, both Ryzen chips regained the lead in the multi-core score at 25 W, where the Z1 and Z2 Extreme scored 10,434 and 11,163 respectively, beating the 258V, which only managed to score 9,957.
In 3DMark’s Time Spy GPU test, the Intel Arc iGPU performed better than both AMD rivals, though ETA PRIME notes these results may not reflect real-world gameplay. “Synthetic scores tend to favour Intel’s 140V GPU, but they don’t always translate to smoother gaming,” the YouTuber said.
However, in the gaming tests that followed, the Intel Arc 140V iGPU proceeded to perform as well as, if not better than, both AMD rivals.
In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p Steam Deck settings, the Intel chip averaged 54 FPS at 25 W, beating the Z2 Extreme, which scored 46 FPS, and the Z1 Extreme, which scored 41 FPS. However, in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the Z2 Extreme slightly edged out the Intel chip at 17 W but was beaten at 25 W, where it scored 1 FPS less than the 258V.
Similarly, while testing Forza Horizon 5, ETA PRIME noted that at 1080p resolution, medium settings and a 25 W power draw, the 258V scored 83 FPS, beating the Ryzen Z1 and Z2 Extreme, which scored 76 and 80 FPS, respectively. However, when testing the same game at the same resolution but with a 17 W power draw, the 258V scored 73 FPS, just 1 FPS less than the Z1 Extreme, which scored 74 FPS.
Next, in Black Myth: Wukong, the YouTuber used upscaling but no frame generation. At 25 W power draw and low settings at 1080p with 60% resolution scaling, the 258V scored 50 FPS, once again beating the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, which scored 44 FPS, and the Z2 Extreme, which scored 49 FPS. At 17 W, under the same resolution and graphics settings, the Z2 Extreme again beat the 258V by 1 FPS, according to ETA Prime.
However, it appears that at this point in the video, an incorrect graph was shown, as ETA PRIME stated that the Z2 Extreme was edging out the 258V by 1 FPS, but the graph displayed shows both scoring 43 FPS at 17 W while running Black Myth: Wukong.
In the end, the YouTuber tested Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, where all three handhelds performed poorly, with the best average FPS at 1080p low being just 37, scored by the 258V, while the Z1 and Z2 Extreme scored just 31 and 30 FPS, respectively.
ETA PRIME also praises Intel’s significant driver improvements, claiming frame rates have nearly doubled since the 140V’s initial release. “If you're going with AMD, the Z2 Extreme is the better buy today, unless you score a great deal on a Z1 device,” they said.
I’d also add to this analysis that if you’re waiting for the Xbox ROG Ally X thinking it’ll offer significantly better performance than what’s already available on the market, I’d recommend exploring the options that are already out there.
The older Intel Core Ultra 7 258V already seems to be matching the performance of the latest AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme. Another advantage of the MSI Claw 8 AI+ (currently available for $1,032 on Amazon) is that it comes with 32 GB of RAM and a bigger 8-inch display, whereas the upcoming Xbox ROG Ally X is only going to have 24GB memory and a slightly smaller 7-inch display. You can watch ETA PRIME's video below for a better idea of the performance the MSI Claw 8 AI+.
Source(s)
