MSI may switch to AMD chips for next Claw series

According to PCGamer , MSI's Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming console currently uses the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor of the Lunar Lake architecture. This is one of the few devices on the market that does not use AMD chips, which are currently dominating the mobile gaming device segment. However, some recent leaks say that MSI will change direction, switching to AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor in the next version.

The current MSI Claw series uses Intel Lunar Lake processors with powerful performance but high costs make the price difficult to compete.

PHOTO: MSI

This information was first mentioned by X user CodeCommando in January of this year, and was recently confirmed by Igor's Lab, a hardware analysis site. If true, this would be a notable strategic shift for MSI in balancing performance and production costs.

The Claw 8 AI+’s current Intel Core Ultra 7 258V chip has eight cores, eight threads, and an integrated Battlemage GPU. While it delivers strong performance, surpassing competitors like the Asus ROG Ally X, it’s still not the best value option. At around $900, significantly more than competitors like the Steam Deck or Ally X, the Claw 8 AI+ is out of reach for the average user.

Part of the reason is that Lunar Lake chips use on-package RAM, which is more expensive to produce than models with discrete memory. This is considered a major reason why MSI was able to switch to Ryzen Z2 Extreme, a processor that can help reduce costs while maintaining similar performance.

AMD announced the Ryzen Z2 Extreme at CES 2025, featuring eight cores, 16 threads, and a maximum clock speed of 5 GHz. Notably, its integrated GPU uses 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units, a 33% increase over the Z1 Extreme, promising improved graphics performance while remaining within a 35W power consumption limit - equivalent to current Lunar Lake chips.

If MSI does make the switch to AMD, it will need to redesign its motherboards and cooling systems, a technically costly decision. However, this could be offset by higher profit margins per unit sold. While consumers can expect a more accessible price point, MSI is likely to stick with its premium product focus and current pricing.

Until MSI officially announces the next generation of Claw, the question of whether they will abandon Intel Lunar Lake chips remains open.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/msi-co-the-chuyen-sang-dung-chip-amd-cho-dong-may-claw-ke-tiep-185250415104443747.htm