MSI Claw A8 Powered By Ryzen Z2 Extreme Battles Lunar Lake In Benchmark Showdown

The MSI Claw A8 Ryzen Edition has officially landed in China, bringing with it AMD's new Ryzen Z2 Extreme—a mobile SoC that trims the fat from the desktop-class HX 370 while keeping the good bits: the full 8-WGP RDNA 3.5 iGPU and a hybrid CPU layout of three Zen 5 cores plus five Zen 5C efficiency cores. You can think of it as a leaner, meaner handheld-focused remix of AMD's Ryzen AI HX 370—but without the NPU, because nobody needs a neural processor in a 700g gaming handheld.

We reviewed the Intel-based Claw A8 AI+ back in April, and liked it quite a bit, particularly for its solid Lunar Lake performance and gorgeous screen. That unit shipped with Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V, a chip that still punches above its weight in efficiency and low-power gaming scenarios. Now, thanks to a deeply detailed performance breakdown from Chinese YouTuber "会弹钢琴的疯疯" (translated: "Crazy Guy Who Can Play Piano"), we've got a damn good look at how the new Ryzen Z2E stacks up not just against the older Z1E and HX 370, but also head-to-head against Intel's 258V in the same chassis.


But it's not all doom and gloom for AMD. When the playing field is leveled—by capping total device power draw—Ryzen Z2E actually starts to shine. In tests where both chips are held to the same platform wattage, the Z2 Extreme often inches ahead of the HX 370, and comes surprisingly close to the Core Ultra 7 258V. In Black Myth: Wukong and Ghost of Tsushima at 12-17W, the Z2E offers a smoother experience than its siblings with better battery life, though it still can't quite outlast Intel's Lunar Lake. It's a tight race, but one AMD mostly wins on power-per-frame above 15W, and mostly loses below.


The rest of the Claw A8 Ryzen Edition is mostly a remix of the Intel version—same screen (8", 120Hz, 1200p, 500 nits), same weight class (about 760g), and similar ergonomics—though, as the Crazy Guy notes, the new shell leans harder into "angry polygon" territory, with beveled edges, asymmetric grip surfaces, and an all-around anime mecha aesthetic that screams "we want the ROG Ally audience." It's also apparently not quite as comfy as Valve's blob of a controller, but as compensation, it at least looks pretty sick
All in all, in 会弹钢琴的疯疯's testing, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme doesn't dethrone Intel's Lunar Lake as the best handheld processor, but it does carve out a compelling niche. If your gaming diet leans toward heavier titles and docked play, it seems like the Ryzen Z2 Extreme brings smoother highs and respectable lows. For the battery-conscious or those playing less demanding fare, the Intel-based Claw might be better in terms of runtime. The full review is embedded above; it's worth a watch, as it's quite comprehensive.