MSI’s Current Claws: Four Chips, Two Screen Sizes

MSI’s US site lists five Claw models, and the chip is the first thing that separates them: the Claw 7 AI+ and Claw 8 AI+ use Intel’s Core Ultra 7 Series 2, the Claw A8 uses AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme, and the two Claw 8 EX AI+ models use Intel’s Arc G3 or Arc G3 Extreme. All of them run Windows 11 Home.

The screen splits them once more. Four of the five have an 8-inch 1920 × 1200 screen and an 80Wh battery; the Claw 7 AI+ has a 7-inch 1080p screen and 54.5Wh. On 27 October 2026 MSI’s US store let you order two of them, the Claw A8 and the Claw 8 EX with the Arc G3.

The line-up, model by model

MSI’s US handheld page showed six entries on 27 October. One is the Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest Edition, a white Claw 8 AI+ whose spec page lists the same chip, memory, screen and battery, so the table counts it with the Claw 8 AI+.

Model	Chip	Graphics	Memory	Storage
Claw 7 AI+ A2VM	Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2)	Up to Arc 140V	32GB	One M.2 2230 slot; no US configuration found
Claw 8 AI+ A2VM	Intel Core Ultra 7 258V	Arc 140V	32GB	1TB or 2TB
Claw A8 BZ2EM	AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme	Radeon 890M	24GB	1TB
Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3M	Intel Arc G3	Arc B370	32GB	512GB
Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM	Intel Arc G3 Extreme	Arc B390	32GB	1TB

Model	Screen	Battery	Weight
Claw 7 AI+	7in IPS-level, 1920 × 1080, 120Hz	54.5Wh	675g
Claw 8 AI+	8in, 1920 × 1200, 48–120Hz VRR	80Wh	795g
Claw A8	8in, 1920 × 1200, 48–120Hz VRR	80Wh	765g
Claw 8 EX AI+ (both)	8in IPS-level, 1920 × 1200, 48–120Hz VRR	80Wh	1.73 lb (about 785g)

Every figure is from MSI’s own specification pages, read on 27 October 2026; the Claw 8 AI+ chip and storage are from MSI’s US store listings for its US models. MSI gives the Claw 8 EX’s weight in pounds only. All five have touchscreens, Hall effect sticks and triggers, and a fingerprint reader, per the same pages.

Four chips across five models

The Claw 7 AI+ and Claw 8 AI+ (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) share a chip family, Core Ultra 7 Series 2 with Arc 140V graphics, and MSI lists 32GB on both. What changes between them is size: screen, battery and weight.

The Claw 8 EX AI+ moves to Intel’s Arc G3 chips, which MSI announced at Computex on 1 June 2026, calling it “the world’s first gaming handheld powered by Intel Arc G3 Extreme processors”. MSI lists both versions with 14 CPU cores. The two versions differ in graphics and storage, not in screen or battery: the CG3M pairs the Arc G3 with B370 graphics and 512GB, the CG3EM pairs the G3 Extreme with B390 graphics and 1TB. MSI’s US store lists B390 for both, so check the spec page for the one you are looking at.

The Claw A8 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) is MSI’s AMD model. For comparison, Asus lists a Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, also with 24GB and 80Wh, in the ROG Xbox Ally X, as our guide to the ROG Ally line-up sets out. The A8 also takes a full-length M.2 2280 SSD, where the Claw 7 AI+ and Claw 8 AI+ take the shorter 2230.

Spec sheets do not measure frame rates. Reviewers do; our average of published handheld review scores covers four other machines and does not yet include a Claw.

Screen, battery and weight

The 8-inch Claws carry 80Wh, about 47% more battery than the 7-inch model’s 54.5Wh. Capacity is not runtime, though: a handheld that can draw more power can spend a larger battery on speed rather than hours, the pattern why handheld battery life stays short traces on other machines. MSI publishes no battery-hours figure on these spec pages.

MSI lists variable refresh, 48–120Hz, on the 8-inch models; the Claw 7 AI+ page gives 120Hz with no VRR. The 7-inch model is the lightest at 675g; the 8-inch Claws run from 765g for the A8 to 795g for the Claw 8 AI+.

Wireless differs too: the Claw 7 AI+ lists Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, the other four Wi-Fi 7. The Claw 8 EX lists a microSD Express reader, and the A8’s two USB-C ports are USB4, which MSI calls “Thunderbolt 4 compatible”; the Intel Claws list Thunderbolt 4.

Where the original Claw went

The 2024 Claw A1M, MSI’s first Claw, was not on MSI’s US handheld page or its US store on 27 October. MSI’s global spec page still lists it with a first-generation Core Ultra chip (up to Core Ultra 7), up to 32GB, a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz screen, a 53Wh battery and 675g. The A1M has no “AI+” in its name, and the four current Intel Claws do, which is a quick way to tell them apart on a used listing.

Prices at MSI’s US store and Best Buy, 27 October 2026

Model	Configuration	MSI US store	Best Buy
Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest, -084US	32GB, 1TB	$1,149.00, Notify Me	Not found
Claw 8 AI+, -001US	32GB, 1TB	$1,299.99, Notify Me	$1,299.99
Claw 8 AI+, -222US	32GB, 2TB	$1,299.99, Notify Me	Not found
Claw A8, -070US	24GB, 1TB	$1,299.00 list, $1,149.00 offer, Add to Cart	$1,209.99 (comp. value $1,299.99)
Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3M, -072USY	32GB, 512GB	$1,499.00, Add to Cart	Not found
Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM, -024US	32GB, 1TB	$1,799.00, Notify Me	$1,799.99, Sold Out
Claw 7 AI+	—	Not listed	Not found

Notify Me means MSI showed no way to order. The two Claw 8 AI+ listings were priced the same with different storage, as MSI’s store showed them. Neither MSI’s US store nor a Best Buy search listed the Claw 7 AI+ that day.

For a Lenovo comparison, our Legion Go guide covers the Legion Go S and Go 2, which Lenovo sells with SteamOS as well as Windows.

Who each suits, on paper

• The smallest and lightest Claw: the Claw 7 AI+, which neither MSI’s US store nor Best Buy listed on 27 October.
• An AMD chip: the Claw A8, with 24GB rather than 32GB.
• Intel’s Arc G3 chips, announced with it in June 2026: the Claw 8 EX AI+, CG3EM for the Arc G3 Extreme and 1TB.
• The 8-inch Intel Claw on Core Ultra 7 Series 2: the Claw 8 AI+, with up to 2TB.

These are matches between what you want and what MSI lists. We have not used any of these handhelds.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and the Claw 8 EX AI+?

The chip. The Claw 8 AI+ uses Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V with Arc 140V graphics; the Claw 8 EX AI+ uses Intel’s newer Arc G3 or Arc G3 Extreme, with Arc B370 or B390 graphics. Both list an 8-inch 1920 × 1200 screen, 32GB of memory and an 80Wh battery.

Which MSI Claw has an AMD chip?

The Claw A8 BZ2EM. MSI lists an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme with Radeon 890M graphics and 24GB of memory, against 32GB in the Intel Claw 8 models. Its screen and 80Wh battery match the other 8-inch Claws.

Is the MSI Claw 7 AI+ smaller than the Claw 8?

Yes. MSI lists a 7-inch 1920 × 1080 screen, a 54.5Wh battery and 675g for the Claw 7 AI+, against an 8-inch 1920 × 1200 screen, 80Wh and 795g for the Claw 8 AI+. The chip family, Core Ultra 7 Series 2, and the 32GB of memory are the same.

What is the difference between Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3M and CG3EM?

The CG3M has Intel’s Arc G3 with Arc B370 graphics and 512GB; the CG3EM has the Arc G3 Extreme with Arc B390 graphics and 1TB, per MSI’s spec pages. Screen, 32GB, 80Wh battery and 1.73 lb weight are listed the same.

Is the original MSI Claw A1M still sold in the US?

MSI’s US handheld page did not list it on 27 October 2026, and neither did MSI’s US store. MSI’s global spec page still describes it: a first-generation Core Ultra chip, a 7-inch 1080p screen and a 53Wh battery.

Do any MSI Claw models run SteamOS?

Not as shipped. Each current Claw spec page lists Windows 11 Home as the operating system, and none lists SteamOS.