MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM - Reviews and Specs
Pros
Cons
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM is a premium Windows 11 gaming handheld in MSI’s Claw series. It uses Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme processor with a 14-core Panther Lake design and an Arc B390 iGPU, positioning it as one of the fastest handhelds reviewed. Several outlets highlight performance strong enough for demanding games, including 1200p gameplay with XeSS in titles such as Hogwarts Legacy and Battlefield 6. The device includes 32 GB of LPDDR5x memory, a 1 TB SSD, an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 120 Hz IPS display, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, USB4, and Thunderbolt 4. Its 80 Wh battery and extensive connectivity are notable strengths, though the 786 g weight and glossy screen may reduce portability and comfort. With an aggregate rating around 77.7% and a price of €1,649, reviewers see it as powerful and ambitious but expensive for many buyers.
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 3 scores (from 5 reviews)
Reviews for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM
MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ is the first device with Intel's first dedicated handheld SoC Arc G3 Extreme, which features the powerful Arc B390 iGPU. The result is a completely new level of performance, easily beating AMD's dedicated Z2 Extreme handheld chip. Update: Frame generation & additional battery tests
Source: The Shortcut
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the most powerful gaming handheld in the world, and it’s all thanks to Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme processor. This new chip allows this gaming handheld to completely leapfrog every past gaming handheld, delivering far higher fps, letting you play more games on the go, and with higher-quality settings.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/24/2026
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Hot Hardware
There are basically three tiers of gaming handhelds. On the bottom you have low-cost devices, often based on Arm processors running Android, and at the top tier you have luxurious devices with Ryzen AI Max+ processors and exotic features. We wish it didn't command such a high premium, but there are certainly some of you out there for whom an $1800 purchase for a device like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ isn't an issue.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/23/2026
Source: 91mobiles
Of course, I’ll reserve my final verdict for a full review. A few hours on a crowded Computex show floor can only reveal so much about battery life, sustained thermals, software stability, and long-term performance. But as far as first impressions go, the Claw 8 EX AI+ couldn’t have asked for a better start.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/16/2026
Source: The Shortcut
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the most powerful gaming handheld at Computex and possibly the entire world, and it’s all thanks to Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme processor. I got to test MSI’s new handheld in Taipei, and it’s a beast that can run Hogwarts Legacy at a steady 60 fps with 1200p medium settings and XeSS supersampling set to balanced. It can also handle 60fps Battlefield 6 at 1200p high with XeSS performance mode.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/31/2026
Foreign Reviews
Source: Frandroid
FR→ENSingle Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/26/2026
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 90% display: 70% mobility: 80% workmanship: 80%
Comment
Intel Arc B390 Panther Lake iGPU: Most powerful iGPU in the Intel Panther Lake SoC series with 12 Xe3 cores.
With these GPUs you are able to play modern and demanding games fluently at medium detail settings and HD resolution.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Arc G3 Extreme: Fast 14-core SoC from the Panther Lake family and powerful 12-core Xe3 GPU cores. As with Lunar Lake, the built-in NPU 5 offers 46 TOPS and now offers support for FP8. » Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
Devices from the same Manufacturer
Add as a preferred source on Google
