One of my favorite PC trends has been the explosion . Even after big names like ASUS and Lenovo entered the market last year and , more manufacturers continue to join the fray. But with the Claw A1M, MSI is taking the journey less traveled by opting for an Intel chip instead of something from AMD. And while most of these changes weren’t for the better, they made all the difference.
Design and display – Simple but effective
While MSI differs with the Claw’s processor, its design is incredibly familiar. That’s because it almost looks like a carbon copy of the ROG Ally, except it’s black instead of white. That said, a few subtle changes have had some effect. The claw grips are more visible, so it’s easier to hold, and the rear paddles are smaller and sit a little lower, so you’re less likely to accidentally step on them.
MSI
The decision to go with an Intel chip was a bold move. Unfortunately, the Claw’s performance isn’t good enough to justify its price compared to rivals like the ROG Ally and Legion Go.
- Solid design
- 120Hz screen
- Supports Thunderbolt 4
- Decent battery life
- Only one USB-C port
- More expensive than ROG Ally
- The MSI Center application is complex
- Performance could have been better
MSI also opted for Hall-effect joysticks, so they’re a touch more precise and should wear better over time. However, the springs inside are pretty light, so they don’t feel as tight as I usually prefer. Unfortunately, while the triggers are nice, the Claw’s bumpers are a little too spongy.
At the same time, almost the entire rear panel of the Paw is ventilated to provide ample space for cooling. On the top, there’s a built-in microSD card reader, a 3.5mm audio jack, a volume rocker, and a single USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support. This last one is a very nice addition because it is fast enough to connect peripherals. such as an external GPU dock. I wish there were two of them so I would have room to spare for accessories.
Naturally, there’s a 7-inch 1080p IPS LCD display in the middle. It’s relatively colorful, and with a tested brightness of around 450 nits, it’s easy to view even in sunnier rooms (though direct sunlight is still an issue). However, aside from the 120Hz refresh rate, there isn’t much else. There’s no variable refresh rate to help reduce tearing in more modern games, and it doesn’t match the size or more saturated colors of the Legion Go’s 8.8-inch OLED panel. And while it’s not really a design consideration, the Claw costs $750, and I wish MSI would ship it with a box like they did with the Lenovo Legion.
Performance – Holds up, but just barely
This is where things get a little tricky, as the Claw is pretty well equipped, at least on paper. Our review unit has an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU with Arc graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. There’s also a cheaper model with an Intel Core Ultra 5 135H chip and a 512GB SSD. Unfortunately, the Claw’s real-world performance falls short of MSI’s claims and competing handhelds. At CES 2024, MSI announced that the Claw will be 20-25 percent faster than AMD-based alternatives. But no matter what I do or how much time I spend tweaking the settings, I just can’t produce numbers anywhere on that playground.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider At 1280 x 720, high graphics, and in Balanced mode (30 watts), the Claw hit 52 fps, which is just behind the 54 fps I got from the ROG Ally at just 15 watts. To make matters a little worse, those numbers didn’t improve much when I switched to the Claw’s 35-watt Extreme Performance setting, which bumped the frame rate to 59 fps compared to the Ally’s 60 fps when set to 25 watts. So despite running at a higher TDP (total device power), the Claw barely keeps up.
It’s a similar story in other titles. In Cyberpunk 2077 it hit 50 fps in Claw Balanced mode at 720p on medium graphics, which is the same as Ally. Finally, in ReturnAt 720p on average, it was essentially even again, with the Claw hitting 32 fps versus 33 fps for the Ally. Overall, the Claw’s performance isn’t bad, but it’s not as spectacular as MSI promises.
The main problem seems to be Claw’s optimization and graphics drivers. I’ve been using the Claw for about a month now, and in that time it’s gotten a ton of updates, including two or three BIOS flashes and an endless number of new graphics drivers. There was even this boosted performance by up to 30 percent in some titles. Imagine how difficult the performance presented earlier this spring was.
In some respects, this level of support is reassuring, as it shows Intel’s commitment to improving graphics on its latest chips. However, the Claw has only been on the market since April, depending on the market, so it clearly wasn’t ready for sale, and its performance remains a work in progress.
Battery life – Nothing special
With a 53Wh cell, there was hope that it could provide significantly longer runtime than the Claw Ally and smaller 40Wh power pack. But due to the Claw’s higher TDP, the difference in real-world longevity isn’t that noticeable. When I play Diablo IV on average graphics, Claw lasted an hour and 43 minutes, 12 minutes better than Ally’s time of 1:31, but more than 20 minutes short of Steam Deck’s 2:07 mark.
Software – Misleading at best
One of the biggest problems with Windows-based handheld devices is that while they’re great for gaming, it can be difficult to do anything else without an external mouse or keyboard. Windows 11 generally works as you’d expect, but the MSI Center software feels less polished. Like ASUS’ Armory Crate, MSI Center is designed as a one-stop shop for launching games, adjusting settings, and downloading updates. And when it works, it just feels hard. It often stutters when you open the app, and I’ve had a few instances where patches stop when trying to update the app.
Collection
Ultimately, time may be Claw’s worst enemy. Had it come out last year when the ROG Ally and Legion Go hit the market, the Claw might have been a more interesting competitor. But ASUS is about to release a successor to Ally – – next month with a completely redesigned chassis, 24GB of RAM and a massive 80Wh battery. This puts Claw in a really tight spot. And our top-notch review section which is (albeit with half the storage) and has basically the same performance and almost the same design.
Meanwhile, the Claw is also more expensive thanks to recent price cuts , but Lenovo’s handset lacks an OLED display, kickstand, and removable controllers. This doesn’t even take into account the Intel drivers that weren’t ready at launch, and even now after multiple updates, they don’t offer a significant performance advantage. But the Claw’s biggest rival might be MSI itself, as while we’re still waiting for an official release date, the company has already announced a successor. The Claw isn’t a bad handheld gaming computer; it just came too late and without proper adjustment.
