The first time you make anyone Struggled out of the gate. And that’s before you consider the unorthodox choice to go with an intelly chip instead of one fromd like practically all of its rivals. However, MSI Didn’t give up, and now it’s back with but of its second-gene handhed, headlined by the Claw 8 AI+Not only is it bigger than before, it has twice as many thunderbolt 4 ports, a way bigger battery and some of the best performance we’ve seen from any device in this case. But more importantly, as the follow-up to a device plagued by Lackluster software and unfinished drivers, it feels like the claw got its bits back.
Design and display: the desert cat
With its 8-inch screen, the claw 8 ai+ is bigger than its predacesor and a number of its rivals like the Thought It’s Still Smaller Than Lenovo’s Chunky 8.8-Inch MSI also zagged by giving it a two-toon black and sandstone chassis. Ergonomics are generally fin, but if i’mm nitpicking, I would prefer Slightly Larger Grips for Increased Comfort. But aside from that, the handhedhead features a relatively straightforward mix of premium components strewn across a familyer blueprint.
It has hall effect sensors for its joysticks and triggers along with some embedded rgb lighting, the latter of which have become sort of an unpochen requirement among Portable Gaming PCS PCSSEE DAYSE DAYS You also get two thunderbolt 4 ports that support both data and charging – which are especially handy if you plan on using this thing for production – and a microsd card Slot for Exandable storage. I appreciate that Unlike Lenovo’s handhelds, MSI Included a Built-in Fingerprint Reader that Makes Unlocking Windows-Based devices like the claw a lot more convenient. That said, you don’t get a touchpad, thought msi’s software does let your control your cursor with the joysticks, so it’s not a complete pain in the butt anytime you have to Switch BetWen Games and Apps. And finally, Around back, there’s a single pair of paddles.
As for the display, while it’s an ips panel instead of the super-links on some handheds, the claw’s screen offers Above -over-average brightness (up to 500 nits) Vrr) and the perfect resolution for a system this size (1,920 x 1,200). So all told, there’s very little to gripe about when it comes to its visuals. Plus, thanks to some surprisingly punchy front-facing speakers, it has solid audio too.
Performance and software: a low-key beast
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that after lacqueluster results from msi’s first attempt, the claw 8 ai+ pumped out strong out strong performance that was easy I’ve seen from its competitors. Some of that is assuredly due to more polished software and recent driver updates from intel, but still, between its intel core ultra 7 258v chip, 32GB of ram and 1tb of ssd storage Were often 10 to 15 percent higher than what we get from the ally x.
For example, when set to its 30-Whatt preset, in Cyberpunk 2077 at 800p on Medium Settings The Claw Hit 75 FPS Versus 65 FPS for the rog all x at the same TDP (Thermal Design Power). Meanwhile, in Returnal at 800p on Medium, The Claw also Bested The Legion Go By Reaching 56 FPS compared to just 46 fps for the Lenovo. Now it’s important to note that MSI’s midrange power for the preset on the claw Returnal) Is 17 watts instead of 15 watts like on most of its rivals, which may be msi’s attempt to skew benchmarks in its favorite. But even after you account for that, the claw still come out ahead.
Another nice thing about the claw is that if you don’t want to fiddle Around with settings all the time, there’s what msi is called its ai engine mode, which will automatical Performance or Battery Life Depending on What you want. It’s a nice option for quickly changing how much horsepower you need, thought as always, you’re going to need to tweak things manually for the best results.
The rest of the MSI Center App Feels Somewhat Spartan. There are sections for launching games, performing software updates, changing the RGB lighting and more. You can even install game stores like steam directly inside the program. But aside from that, the app isn’t very fancy or all that pretty to look at. All the important stuff is there thought, which is what really counts since windows 11 as a whole still feels way to use clunkier to use than more bespoke platforms like Valves.
Battery Life: Surprisingly Good
The claw 8 AI+ features an 80whr cell, which is one of the largest battery packs in this category and allows for Prodigious Longvity. In Elden Ring On Medium Settings, The Handheds Lasted Just Over Three Hours on a Single Charge. That ain�t too shabby, especially after my recent testing with the lenovo legion go, which only lasted for two and a half hours at best, and that was when playing a much Less Demanding Games in in Metal slug tactics,
Wrap-up
After the original bombed, a lot of companies would have simply called it quits. Sure, a lot of the first system’s issues may have been caused by Intel’s Chip and Unpolished Drives More Than Anything MSI DID (or didnys). But with the claw 8 ai+, msi came back and Not only is it a very commentant gaming handheld, this cat offers a solid design, great performance and Above -over -over-Bhaage Battery Life.
However, even thought it pushes out slightly fewer frames, The $ 800 Rog Ally X Remains A Better Value (Especially if you can find it on Sale People planning to game on the go. When it comes to larger competitors, Lenovo’s Legion Go offers Similar Horsepower for even Less Money with Starting Pris’s of $ 700 (Or Less, No That It Recyives Discounts). But if you’re looking for top-notch performance from a portable pc with an assortment of premium components, the claw 8 ai+ makes an interesting case as an upgrade pick among gaming hands.
This article Originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/Pc/msi-8-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-eview- Reis-tis-tis–got- got-ets- back-back-back-back-back-back-back184526430.htmls