The first handheld to feature AMD’s new Z2 Extreme processor is the MSI Claw A8. It’s already available in China, and pre-orders arrived in Europe earlier this week. Reviewers are starting to get a hold of MSI’s first AMD-powered handheld, so we’ve already seen its first hands-on benchmarks.

More synthetic and gaming tests have been published by popular US-based ETA PRIME on YouTube, and upon reviewing them, there’s one thing that feels like a missed opportunity for AMD – the lack of RDNA 4 architecture. This is becoming more apparent now that we can compare the Z2E to existing Z1 Extreme-powered handhelds like the ROG Ally and Legion Go.

More MSI Claw A8 (Ryzen Z2 Extreme) benchmarks make us want FSR 4

You’ll see on AMD’s official specs that the Z2 Extreme features 16-core RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture, not RDNA 4. For comparison, the Z1 Extreme has 12 cores with RDNA 3. Sadly, these specs lock them out of the FSR 4 support you’ll find on the brand’s latest RX 9000 series graphics cards. Namely, the RX 9070 XT, 9070, and 9060 XT. Support for its latest upscaling technology is also growing, with Cyberpunk 2077 being one of the latest AAA titles to be added to the list.

Based on the estimated game performance on Time Spy, the new Z2E model will run Battlefield V at 1080p Ultra with around 10 more FPS, much like the Cyberpunk 2077 test being run – the latter is using the 900p ‘Steam Deck’ preset available in the game. In the case of CP 2077, this represents a 28% performance uplift; both benchmarks use FSR 2.1 balanced mode without frame generation.

We recommend you check out ETA PRIME’s full video for a more comprehensive specs comparison – both synthetic and real-life gaming benchmarks are included. 10 more FPS isn’t a massive improvement, but we can’t really complain about a 28% uplift, especially if this is consistent across other titles. As an example, if a game running at 60 FPS got 28% more FPS, the framerate would be pushed to just above 75.

However, missing out on better upscaling support via FSR 4 – something that handheld gamers would benefit from massively – is a letdown. Unlike previous versions, FSR 4 is powered by Machine Learning and is much closer in quality to Nvidia’s DLSS 4. More demanding AAA titles will certainly hit the market during the lifespan of the next handheld generation, so the Z2 Extreme may not be as future-proof as we hoped. Upcoming Legion Go 2 and ROG Xbox Ally & Ally X will also feature Z2 series chips.

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Charlie Noon

Charlie is the Affiliate manager for PC Guide. He has a vast understanding of most PC hardware and consumer essentials, using his knowledge to provide the best products and the biggest deals.