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MSI Claw is a rumored Steam Deck rival with a twist: it will use an Intel CPU, and that could be a key advantage

MSI Claw is a rumored Steam Deck rival with a twist: it will use an Intel CPU, and that could be a key advantage

MSI apparently has a gaming handheld similar to the slew of Steam Deck rivals that have appeared of late, launching imminently at CES 2024.

Content Creator CameronRitz shared an alleged image of the incoming MSI handheld on X (formerly Twitter) (revel in the above) and followed up that tweet with some rumored specs that come with an interesting twist.

More information for MSi “CLAW” • 32 GB of LPDDR5X RAM (2 times what is in Ally, Legion Go and Deck) • Intel 16 Core Meteor Lake APU (6 P-Cores, 8 E-cores, 2 LP-cores) • 8 Xe-Core GPUs • Price TBD (Reveal @ #CES 2024) pic.twitter.com/pPIhwFfM6yJanuary 5, 2024

Unlike existing big-name gaming laptop PCs (Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, etc.) that use AMD silicon, MSI is the first to use an Intel CPU. (The first high-profile vendor, note, as there are obscure Chinese offerings that were revealed late last year – for example, an Emdoor handheld with a Meteor Lake chip – although it’s not out yet.)

MSI is supposedly giving the Claw a Meteor Lake engine with 16 cores (6 performance, 8 efficiency, and 2 low-power), and the APU has integrated graphics with 8 Xe cores. It also consumes a lot of system memory with a powerful 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM.

CameronRitz was initially unsure of the authenticity of the leaked press image, but later said it had already been verified, before adding those rumored specs to the mix.

So it looks like this device is really happening, considering that MSI has been dropping strong hints about “controlling” a new generation of devices that will be revealed at CES 2024, and Intel has it too.

Analysis: A powerful blow from a dragon’s claw?

What we don’t have yet is the rumored price of the MSI Claw, but we don’t have to wait long to find out since CES 2024 is just around the corner. (Is it just us or does the name MSI Claw make it sound like something that will eventually result in serious hand cramps, giving you claw-like appendages? We’re not sure if we’re too sold on the name if it turns out to be this, but hey, we’re not sure either. is that ROG Ally is particularly catchy).

The big twist, as mentioned, is using an Intel APU instead of AMD, but from what we’ve seen, Meteor Lake looks like a good option and promising on the integrated graphics front (very promising, in fact). However, what could be key here is Intel’s drivers, and where the performance weak points still lie in Arc for some games, although Team Blue has made great strides in improving its graphics driver with each release over the years. last year, practically.

As noted, while there are some lesser-known brands with plans for Intel-powered portable gaming devices, a company like MSI has a much better chance of finding a compelling Steam Deck rival (presumably running Windows) that makes good use of Meteor . Silicon lake.

As the leaker comments, the MSI Claw looks quite similar to the ROG Ally, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and CameronRitz points out that the screen is from the same supplier as the Asus handheld.

Continue to CES 2024, as those interested in Windows gaming laptops could be looking at a real contender here, with Meteor Lake performance backed by a hefty 32GB of system RAM. The kind of battery life the Claw achieves with an Intel APU will also be something to eagerly anticipate, although we can’t expect miracles.

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