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The first MSI Claw handheld gaming PC wasn't very well received when it launched earlier this year as the first (and only) model in the space to feature an Intel Meteor Lake processor and Intel Arc integrated graphics.

But MSI has promised that the company's next-gen models would fix many of the original's weaknesses by offering better performance and better battery life. Now the next-gen MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw 7 AI+ have gone up for pre-order. And while I'm not sure I'd recommend placing an order before independent reviews of the handhelds are published, at least now we have a better idea of what kind of specs the new models will have.

MSI Claw 8 AI+

That's thanks to information published in the following retail listings:

It's interesting to note that MSI appears to be using the same model number for both versions of its next-gen handheld… or at least online stores are using the same model number.

But there are a few key differences. Not only does the MSI Claw 8 AI+ have a bigger display, but it also has a larger battery, faster WiFi, and a slightly more pixel-dense display.

MSI Claw 7 AI+

Both models are powered by Intel Lunar Lake processors, which are said to deliver up to 30% better graphics performance while improving energy efficiency by as much as 50% compared with Meteor Lake. On paper that could be a recipe for handhelds that are competitive with models featuring the kind of AMD Ryzen processors that have come to dominate this space over the past few years… but again, I'd wait for some independent reviews before drawing any conclusions.

MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+ Display 8 inches1920 x 1200 pixels16:10 aspect ratio120 Hz refresh rate 7 inches1920 x 1080 pixels16:9 aspect ratio120 Hz Processor Up to Intel Core Ultra 7-258V4 P-cores + 4 E-cores3.7 GHz base / 4.8 GHz max freq12MB smart cache47 TOPS NPU17 – 37W TDP Graphics Intel Arc 140V8 Xe cores @ 1.95 GHz RAM Up to 32GBLPDDR5x-8533 Storage Up to 1TBPCIe Gen 4 x4M.2 2230 Up to 512GBPCIe Gen 4 x4M.2 2230 Wireless Intel Killer BET1750WiFi 7Bluetooth 5.4 Intel AX211WiFi 6EBluetooth 5.4 Battery & charging 80 Wh battery 53 Wh battery Charger 65W Ports 2 x Thunderbolt 41 x 3.mm audio1 x microSD card reader Game controllers Hall effect joysticks and triggersM1 & M2 macro buttons (rear) Audio 2 x 2W speakers1 x 3.5mm audio Security Fingerprint sensor Dimensions 11.77 x 4.96″ x 0.94″ 11.57″ x 4.61″ x 0.83″ Weight 1.75 pounds 1.49 pounds

For the most part the new 7 inch model appears to be physically identical to the original MSI Claw handheld gaming PC. The only significant difference is that it has Intel's latest processor inside.

The new 8 inch model looks like a more substantial upgrade with an updated design and a much larger battery that should, when combined with Lunar Lake efficiency improvements, lead to much longer run time.

While the $800 list prices for the new handhelds seems a little high at a time when you can buy pretty good handheld gaming computers for less than half that much, it's possible that MSI could have some lower-cost options in the works as well.

There's mention of models with Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processors and 16GB of memory on at least one of the product pages. Whether that's enough to lower the price significantly remains to be seen though.

MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI Claw 8 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+ MSI Claw 7 AI+

via /r/MSIClaw and NotebookCheck

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