MSI Claw gaming handheld is official: features 7-inch 1080p 48-120Hz VRR display

MSI has made its Claw gaming handheld official, also confirming that it will feature a 7-inch 1080p display with a 48-120Hz VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), joining the ASUS ROG Ally with its VRR panel.

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MSI's new Claw gaming handheld is also one of the first to feature Intel's new Core Ultra CPUs, with the Core Ultra 5 135H processor powering the $649 version of the Claw, while the faster Core Ultra 7 155H processor powers the higher-end $749 version of the Claw handheld, according to The Verge.

The new MSI Claw handheld and its two versions with the Core Ultra 5 135H and Core Ultra 7 155H processors from Intel are similar to the Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme APUs used inside of the two versions of the ASUS ROG Ally handheld, both made by Intel's competitor: AMD.

• Read more: MSI Claw is the world's first Intel Core Ultra gaming handheld, full specs revealed
• Read more: MSI Claw isn't out yet, but the next version is already planned
• Read more: We checked out MSI's new Claw gaming handheld at CES 2024

Intel's new Core Ultra 5 135H processor features 14 cores and 18 threads with a maximum CPU clock of 4.6GHz, with 7 Xe-Cores, and a GPU clock of up to 2.2GHz. The faster Core Ultra 7 155H processor has 16 cores and 22 threads that boost up to 4.8GHz on the P-Cores, with 8 Xe-Cores on the GPU side of things, clocking at a slightly faster 2.25GHz (50MHz more).

VideoCardz points out that there is a minor CPU difference between the Core Ultra 5 135H and Core Ultra 7 155H processors inside of the MSI Claw; the same goes for the AMD Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme inside of the ASUS ROG Ally.

• Read more: ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld: Ryzen Z1 Extreme is up to 37% faster than Z1 non-Extreme

But, there's a far bigger difference in the GPU count on the GPU side of things, as the Ryzen Z1 non-Extreme ASUS ROG Ally has just 4 RDNA 3-based GPU cores versus the 12 GPU cores inside of the Ryzen Z1 Extreme version of the ASUS ROG Ally, which is a 66% reduction in GPU cores.

But, the Core Ultra 5 135H processor inside of the cheaper $649 version of the MSI Claw has just a 12.5% reduction in GPU cores over the $749 priced Core Ultra 7 155H processor. That's a pretty big deal that won't be highlighted as much as it should.

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As for pricing, MSI's new Claw gaming handheld is split into three SKUs priced at $699, $749, and $799. There are specification differences, which are:

• Core Ultra 7 155H + 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD: $799.99
• Core Ultra 7 155H + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD: $749.99
• Core Ultra 5 135H + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD: $699.99

MSI is also working on a new version of the Claw gaming handheld, with double the RAM: 32GB. We don't know when that will be coming or the price, but it is coming in the near future... especially as gaming handhelds are one of the hottest products right now.