We’re drawing ever closer to the new MSI Claw A8, which comes fitted with AMD’s new Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor. One content creator in China has secured a unit of the new ‘Ryzen Edition’ Claw, after the handheld was made available for pre-order in the region and has now been released. New benchmarks show how it sized up versus various other handheld chips.

This is the first time MSI is using AMD hardware in one of its handhelds, as the company previously opted for Intel parts. Now we can see how it compares to the likes of the ROG Ally and Legion Go, both of which have last-gen Z1 Extreme models. There is no word on its launch in the West, but it is currently expected to happen sometime this summer.

MSI Claw A8 with Ryzen Z2 Extreme tested

Chinese content creator 会弹钢琴的疯疯 has had some hands-on testing with the new Claw A8. They showcase the potential of the Z2 Extreme chip that also makes use of newer RDNA 3.5 graphics; the GPU has been improved with 16 Compute Units on the integrated Radeon 890M graphics. A look at the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark reveals synthetic results:

The Z2 Extreme offers a noticeable improvement over the last-gen Z1 Extreme, while offering improved graphics performance compared to HX 370, a handheld chip which is available in devices such as the AYANEO 3. Interestingly, the Intel-powered 8 AI+ still remains a powerful option, but the AMD hardware in the newer model is likely to be favored in terms of game support and drivers, especially with FSR implementation common in modern games.

In real-life game benchmarks, the YouTuber shows off impressive results, even at the low-mid power profiles. Ghost of Tsushima running at 11-13W delivered smooth gameplay for around 3 hours and 40 minutes, and the handheld can manage over 30 FPS in the more demanding Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The Intel chip used in the previous model, however, still performs the best in low-power situations. We recommend checking out the full video (with English subtitles available) below.

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Charlie Noon

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