MSI is reportedly considering switching to AMD chips for future versions of the Claw gaming handheld. Currently, the MSI Claw 8 AI run on Intel’s Lunar Lake chipset, which makes it stand out from its competitors that already use AMD processors and if the rumours ring true, the next handheld could run on a Ryzen Z2 Extreme.
The rumour first reared its ugly head back in January from an X post by @CodeCommando_, claiming that a version of the Claw handheld with the new AMD Ryzen Z2 will be announced. X user @Haze2K1 has also recently made a similar post about this supposed shift.
MSI will release Claw handheld utilizing AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
— Haze (@Haze2K1) April 11, 2025
A possible reason for this change is to improve profit margins, as most laptop and handheld manufacturers typically use the cheapest memory modules, which isn’t possible with the Lunar Lake as it comes with soldered with its own memory. The Intel chip itself is a major contributor to the Claw 8’s steep US$900 (~RM3,970) price tag. Even accounting for the need to redesign the handheld’s motherboard and cooling system, the switch to an AMD chipset will likely net MSI more profit.
The Ryzen Z2 Extreme, on that note, was introduced at CES in January and has 8-cores, 16-threads, as well as a boost clock of 5.0 GHz. It also features 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units for handling graphics, 33% more than the Z1 Extreme. The Z2 Extreme may perform marginally better than Lunar Lake, even with a 35W Turbo rate.
It is worth remembering that these are still rumours, and we will have to wait and see if MSI does make the change to AMD. Even so, the price of the Claw might not change much, as it is already marketed as a high-end model.
(Source: PC Gamer)
