MSI Claw Half a Year Later: Fine Wine or Rotten Milk?

[@baldlyrudy]

Sponsor by MANSCAPED. Get 20% off your Dome Shaver Pro and Dome Soother + Free International Shipping @Manscaped with code BALDLYRUDY when you visit Manscaped.com/BALDLYRUDY! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi friends! If you're interested in purchasing anything that I mentioned in the video then here are some affiliate links: 🔥MSI Claw (Amazon): amzn.to/3TAbdrN 🔥MSI Claw (Best Buy): howl.link/w96jq9a0hxqq4 MSI Claw Screen Protectors: 🔥amFilm: amzn.to/3VvS2lI Microfiber Cloth: 🔥MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloth: amzn.to/3ujWk4b 3rd Party Docks: 🔥JSAUX Docking Station: amzn.to/3EyFAIJ 🔥JSAUX Omnicase 2: amzn.to/3JksBMW 🔥iVoler Docking Station: amzn.to/3khmRKN SSD: 🔥SABRENT Rocket 2230 NVMe 4.0 1TB: amzn.to/3JnQQtH microSD Cards: 🔥Samsung 512 GB A2: amzn.to/3KFXXPs 🔥SanDisk 1TB A2: amzn.to/3lXjx7Y Handheld Wireless Keyboards: 🔥Rii K06 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard: amzn.to/468HKuH 🔥Gimibox Mini Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard: amzn.to/46p0JRZ 🔥Rii X8 Portable 2.4GHz Wireless Keyboard: amzn.to/3PgQ5GJ 65W Power Banks: 🔥Baseus Power Bank 20000mAh: amzn.to/3CBfByL 🔥UGREEN Power Bank 25000mAh: amzn.to/3qQyMSG 🔥Anker Portable Charger 24,000mAh: amzn.to/3Pmej2m Cases & Bags: 🔥Shockproof Protective Crossbody Backpack: amzn.to/3vCtDAc 🔥Spigen Rugged Armor Pro Case: amzn.to/4ax7qT7 If you use these links to purchase anything, I may get a commission from the sale. It helps support the channel at no extra cost to you, so thank you!

[@fiekz79]

Claw defiantly improved over time with updates. Something to try is disabling "C-State, Hyperthreading and Virtualization" in the BIOS. i noticed some improvements with frame stability and overall better performance. Yes its not up there with the Z1E but it ain't far off either. Reality is, all these devices has its limitations (its not a desktop with a dedicated GPU)

[@josephhall7317]

I bought this for $529 while my Legion Go is being repaired, it runs smoother than my Legion Go, was very surprised

[@jedimind505]

I’m enjoying my Msi Claw surprisingly. It’s handled every game I’ve played so far and with few settings here and there but I’m happy with it. But I did order myself the Rog Ally X and can’t wait for it to arrive soon!

[@baldlyrudy]

Nice! Let me know what you think when you get it. Right now it's my favorite handheld.

[@jedimind505]

Will definitely do so! I’m very tempted to put in a 4tb ssd but love that I now have the option to do it myself in the future. But I’m not gonna lie I Love my Msi Claw it’s been a good experience I use it as my main pc and plan on using the Rog X to travel or play modern games with ease.

[@baldlyrudy]

@@jedimind505 oh yeah. I've thought about getting a full on 4TB SSD for things. I have a full on PC desktop, but I can see why people would want to use their handheld.

[@wadejohnston9416]

@@jedimind505 hey man what’s the update?

[@Martin-b2m]

Got mine for £350 new in the UK. It does what i need, I'm enjoying using it

[@baldlyrudy]

At that price it's a steal.

[@markWatson-ff9yl]

@@baldlyrudy Nabbed one on ebay for £230. Really impressed now drivers updated.

[@baldlyrudy]

@markWatson-ff9yl at £230 I would be definitely excited.

[@zezeti2246]

@@markWatson-ff9yl how are the games doing,In my country I see its very discounted,around 400$,it's would be a steal if they patched some of the bugs

[@SzczekajacaRyba]

i got it on sale for 250$ when one of shops in my city was moving to another destination, best deal i've ever made!

[@baldlyrudy]

Omg....for $250? That's definitely a steal.

[@SzczekajacaRyba]

@@baldlyrudy yea, only 10 claws were avaiable on this discounted price i quess im lucky xd

[@casualgamer177]

I got mine for $260 open box from microcenter and it performs better than my steam deck after the updates

[@pokellector_nl6712]

@@casualgamer177 cap

[@coolmodee]

@@pokellector_nl6712 fanboy

[@kevinstratcherwasher]

Just got mine for $360 usd, I use it for a 2 hour travel I do 2-4 times a week... By now it is best than my 15.6" laptop in terms of ergonomy and comfort by playing on a Bus. Tried RE3 (2020), Sekiro and Lies of P 60fps smooth... Silent Hill 2 (2024) at 30fps. As a "main videogames PC" I would recommend it only at this price if you have low budget and you travel, I have my 6750 XT Desktop PC so this is not my main. Good video, thanks for the content.

[@baldlyrudy]

100% agree with you. At that price point it is definitely worth it.

[@rumchaser1able]

@@kevinstratcherwasher what's the battery life like on it ? I have all the others already

[@mikeangelotarcelo6561]

Have to return my Ally tomorrow, I've experienced too many software problems and bugs, I feel like I've received a defective item. I'll try this MSI Claw.

[@baldlyrudy]

If you have the money, go with the MSI Claw 8 AI+. It's such a better handheld than the original Claw. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGOrdaiwr72GgtUsi=GSsOTovGvn_OlDNn

[@WorldsWorstGamer.69]

As a day 1 owner of the msi claw, i will say that it has gotten much better over the course of almost 1 year. it has its moments where it seems like it could put the ally Z1E to shame but then other times like ff16 wont even launch on it. Hopefully MSI doesnt stop support for the OG claw

[@baldlyrudy]

100% agree with you.

[@WorldsWorstGamer.69]

@@baldlyrudy will you be reviewing the MSI AI 8?

[@baldlyrudy]

@WorldsWorstGamer.69 yup! I'll be receiving my review unit soon.

[@DonaldHendleyBklynvexRecords]

The more of these devices I see the more unique the Legion Go seems

[@baldlyrudy]

Agreed. Lenovo really tried to make something unique.

[@gmoddude12]

yeah i really love the screen....sadly i cannot stand the handles even with the 3d printed grips you can get which just makes them too chunky :/ those sharp edges really hurt my palms think im gonna sell it for an ally or claw until lenovo makes one with better grips

[@baldlyrudy]

@@gmoddude12 FINALLY!!!!! That was one of my complaints and I didn't see anyone else having the same problem with them.

[@DashDashUpper]

@@DonaldHendleyBklynvexRecords too bad it has the absolute worst dpad and triggers of the 3 handhelds I've used.

[@gmoddude12]

@@baldlyrudy its a shame really cause the big meaty grips on the back of legion is really great in comparison for someone like me with larger hands actually feels like controller grips but that sharp top part just kills it in any position that is not directly in your lap on resting on a table so you dont have to hold it on top

[@NewmanOnGaming]

One of my biggest complaints with the MSI Claw is architecture. XE / Arc has made a lot of strides, but it’s simply not in a good enough place in the graphics space yet. As it stands right now Z series AMD APUs are the dominant hardware for handheld gaming as of right now.

[@cooldown1390]

i bought Msi claw last week in indonesia and it cost 550$ ultra 7 155 with 1tb

[@packfadly]

performance nya gmn bro. harganya murce banget. tp harga segitu jg ud bisa dapet steamdeck

[@cooldown1390]

saya akan mengatakan itu bagus tetapi yang lain yang memiliki prosesor z1 extreme lebih baik dan memberikan lebih banyak fps, tetapi bagi saya itu sudah cukup, masalahnya ada pada perbedaan harga antara msi claw dan asus ally atau steam deck, dan memori karena saya mengambilnya dengan 1tb

[@alanriley1972]

I've got one and love it. It is one of my favourite pc handhelds esp getting the ultra 7 1tb for £450 brand new. I've got the steam deck oled and lenovo legion go and I use the claw more. It does outperform even the legion go with some AAA games. I did initially get the claw for emulation which is what I mainly use it for as it performs really well up to ps2 but I have been playing more pc games on the claw recently. And the speakers are in a league of there own. Definitely the best I've heard on any handheld, there amazing. I don't think I'd just own the claw cause to me the steam deck is the one I'd have if I only owned one of these kind of devices, but to have a separate Windows based pc handheld for emulation and to play PC games the steam deck can't, it's definitely worth owning, and it's very comfortable to hold. And I don't think the dpad is as bad as people make out, it's definitely better than the legion go's. The claw is definitely worth purchasing if you can get it on sale.

[@baldlyrudy]

Agreed! There are definitely some perks to having an MSI Claw. The speakers are, hands down, my favorite thing about the handheld. For emulation, I feel like it's perfect. The Legion Go has the worst D-Pad out of all the handheld PCs that I've tried. There's no travel distance and barely any pivot. But on sale, it's an easy buy.

[@kindnessofwooedandwooer2494]

Great channel! It's evident you put a lot of work into these videos. I Appreciate all the effort, thanks for the interesting content. Ordered my claw ultra 5 at half the price at launch and your videos were very helpful in helping me decide which device to go with.

[@baldlyrudy]

Thanks! I appreciate that! Congrats on the purchase. At half price, that's a pretty solid purchase!

[@finaloverclock6469]

I think that right now in we all have to choose between Steam Deck, ROG Ally, MSi Claw or Legion Go. Which means we are either stuck with mediocre performance on a closed ended system with the option of a decent screen, a device that will fry our 2tb micro sd cards and no egpu option without spending thousands, a system that is built with all quality parts in mind except with a chip that gives mediocre performance, and a device that is currently all but abandoned with crap speakers. Right now there is going to be a sacrifice made no matter what. At least the current Claw has hopes of future performance through updates, and has better internal components and design than any other with option for egpu (which actually is an amazing trade off if you plan on it being your home rig since you'll be running an Ultra 7 & whatever gpu you please) and something that runs cool and doesn't fry sd cards. We could all wait for the new versions of everything, but then the trade off will likely be around $250-300 USD versus sales right now. What a dilemma.

[@Inevitable_Truth1]

The MSI claw 135h and the rog ally z1 are equally priced to my budget. But you're basically saying that the rog ally is overall better?

[@baldlyrudy]

Yes

[@Inevitable_Truth1]

@baldlyrudy well ok then. Thank you!

[@baldlyrudy]

@Inevitable_Truth1 no worries! Let me know how it goes.

[@izcondoralexander]

fine wine but still not up to AMD standard. but it is there. give them 2-3 years. they should pretty much keep up with AMD-level drivers

[@DrCurvy]

its so hard to decide when you can only get one. Idk what to get as a bday gift, I know my ass isnt gonna spend for the Gen 2 models, this is for the long haul.

[@Cubano2031]

$441 Right now Amazon

[@lost4356]

i have one because i want to use the working SD card slot for light game because ally have sd card issues and beside Ally Claw is the only product with X-box Dpad because I prefer XBOX d-pad because they good at fighting game. Claw actually can be decent if Intel/MSI make it for handheld like disabling e-Core, so it can reach sub 20-15 watt and remove NPU. instead just put full laptop chip in handheld, so they can justified the battery.

[@zezeti2246]

In my country Claw with intel 7 155h 1tb is around 400$,did they path some of the software issues?! The price would be a steal if they fixed some of the issues

[@baldlyrudy]

It still underperforms compared to the competition (Ally, Legion Go), but the patches have improved performance from when it was first released.

[@zezeti2246]

@baldlyrudy and from what I've seen there are a lot of inconsistencies between games,in some games it's maybe a few frames difference,while in Fortnite for example I've seen it pull half the frames,that's huge

[@yohnetworkx]

right now MSI Claw is on sale in my country for almost half of the price when launched. Also half of the price of ROG Ally X, is it worth it now?

[@baldlyrudy]

Half the price of the MSRP is definitely nice! The problem with comparing it to the Ally X is that there are so many other factors there to consider. The battery life is one of them. You will get better performance as well. To me, the biggest pro that the MSI Claw has is the speakers. They're the best out of all of the handhelds, bar none. If you're playing games that aren't super demanding, then it could work. There are some settings that I saw after posting this video on Reddit that helped a bit with performance. This is what I saw: ----------------- Update drivers and BIOS: Download the latest BIOS from the MSI website and GPU drivers from the Intel ARC website. You can also update the BIOS directly within Windows using BIOS 106 or later. Use Extreme Performance mode: This mode boosts performance for AAA games. Adjust in-game settings: Verify the in-game graphics settings and enable the Vex SS optimization feature. Adjust power mode: Set the Windows 11 power mode to "Balanced". Disable Windows features: Disable "Memory Integrity" and "Virtual Machine Platform". Use MSI Center M: Use the MSI Center M application to download updates and access the Extreme Performance mode. Overclock: Use the MSI GAMING App to overclock the graphics card. Adjust CPU pl1 and pl2 configurations: Experiment with these configurations in manual mode to optimize performance and prevent overheating. ------------------ Personally, if you have the budget, I'd recommend a Z1 counterpart right now. I think the MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be an upgrade all around. I'm just concerned about the price. If you want to go for the MSI Claw, then go for it. Especially if it hits your budget. Another great comparison would be the original Ally. Is that comparable to the pricing of the MSI Claw in your country?

[@yohnetworkx]

@@baldlyrudy wow such a detailed response, thank you. As for the original ally yeah they have the same price. Though i'm not on a hurry seems it's already almost end of october so will wait for the big discounts next month and I believe the new generations are coming also like MSI Aim and Legion Go 2.

[@Anooda73838]

i found the claw at such a good price and im on a budget and was thinking to get it considering the other handhelds are wayyy more expensive than the claw, what do you think?

[@baldlyrudy]

What's your budget?

[@Anooda73838]

i can’t go above 500$

[@Anooda73838]

@@baldlyrudy plus i don’t own a setup or gaming laptops but id want something to game on, i play games such as dbd mostly

[@Anooda73838]

@ i bought it!!

[@baldlyrudy]

@@Anooda73838 legit! Congrats!

[@marksjourneytothephilippin9574]

It’s $520 for Black Friday this year worth it? The rog ally models are also on sale too.

[@baldlyrudy]

I've seen the ROG Ally going for $499 at Best Buy. You'll get better performance with the Ally.

[@omgitsnathan]

Is the Claw worth considering over the Steamdeck OLED on a budget? The Claw in my country goes for the equivalent of ~$580, while the SD and everything else goes for the equivalent of ~$650+. I see the Claw as like a middle ground between the SD and Z1E devices in terms of performance. I'm mainly considering the SD OLED as the Ally X is definitely out of my budget range, and the Z1E Ally costs more with the amount of things I have to buy with it (replacement ssd storage since sd cards are risky, and a battery bank to help with the battery). Would you say this is a good candidate over the Steamdeck OLED considering its price range? Also would you say that a battery bank is as necessary as it is on the Ally?

[@baldlyrudy]

I would have to agree that 155-H model of the Claw is a tad stronger than the Steam Deck when running some specific games at 1080. If you dip down to 720, which is comparable to the Steam Deck's 800p, then I'd say it performs better overall. I say go for it if you can get a good deal on the 155-H Claw.

[@james8449100]

I'm expecting to see them new in the UK for 300 on black Friday wondering if I should

[@baldlyrudy]

For that price...it's not bad.

[@neddiego2570]

Is the processor the same as on laptops or is it a special processor for gaming?

[@nexxus_8487]

Is the ultra 5 Claw better than the z1 ally? Not the extreme

[@baldlyrudy]

Nope. But, the I7 is better than the Z1 Ally (not the Extreme) at higher wattages. At lower wattages, the Z1 is better than the I7 though. Long story short, if you want to go Intel, then I'd wait for the next MSI Claw. The 8 AI+ with Intel's new architecture seems very promising.

[@nexxus_8487]

@baldlyrudy thanks for the reply. I saw Newegg has the ultra 5 for $366. And the z1 Ally is 349. So was trying to pick between them.

[@baldlyrudy]

You're welcome! They're both good deals, but I'd go with the Z1.

[@benn.wicaksono9127]

If the next gen Claw is out, of course MSI will focus on it and in the end they will leave the old Claw behind. Seems like ROG Ally is the best you can get right now.

[@baldlyrudy]

I agree that the ROG Ally is well supported in terms of driver updates and what not.

[@dustincollins6996]

I’ll be honest I almost forgot I was watching the review on the MSI claw after the shaver review and promotion ended. 😅😶‍🌫️ Let's get back to it.

[@baldlyrudy]

Yeah. That was too long. 😅

[@Gamerjunkies24]

Just what's the point when you can get a Rog ally extreme for £250 second hand

[@Trol8181]

The i5/ultra 5 model is for 350 here so should i get it? Ultra 5 512 so should i get it i usually just play heavy modpacks in minecraft like rlcraft i dont play triple a games but just minecraft and stuff

[@baldlyrudy]

Yeah, I think it'll be good for those. Especially at that price point.

[@Icisex]

I hope for Asus TUF gaming handheld same like ally x whit better price

[@Bert439]

So even at a lower TDP the battery life is still terrible?

[@baldlyrudy]

It's definitely not good. I'm not sure how they are now that some driver updates have been released, but it wasn't great. The MSI Claw 7 and 8 AI+ models that are coming out seem pretty solid. But I have to test it all out when I get a review unit.

[@ReptilianRichardRamirez]

It's a shame becwude I really do love the form factor and overall design of the Claw but it's intel which is an automatic deal breaker for me. I have the Legion Go and I'm extremely happy with it and glad I picked it over steamdeck oled

[@baldlyrudy]

I totally understand that. The Legion Go is a solid machine too.

[@ReptilianRichardRamirez]

@@baldlyrudy outside of youtube uploads, have you been enjoying your clasw still? I just love the design, the backplate and rgb abxy. I think its probably the best looking of the windows handhelds, certainly a better design then my legion but I doubt it's going to perform anywhere as close to as good, especially with the upgrades I've done. The Legion feels more like a full on gaming PC to me then it does a handheld. Good content btw the brother, I hope you find a ton of success in it, truly.

[@kennethlee1977]

3 things you need to do when getting the claw. Update Bios, Update Graphics Driver, Buy Lossless scaling in steam. Thank me later

[@mutant8273]

I can't find how it deal with poe2 does anyone have any experience? I want to buy

[@lankytoast1315]

Right now the rog ally x is the king of handheld gaming PERIOD. I bought it 2 weeks ago and after I figured out how to function it properly, it’s a beast! Coming from Xbox one, I was blown away what the little device is capable of. I saw today a MSI claw 1tb model and I remembered the specs of the ally x, ally x wins. I am fairly new to this genre of consoles, and I heard the steam deck is overall everyone’s go-to device. Nahhhh bro, ALLY X is the goat for 2024. It’s my go-to! Battery life is a big deal, high frame rates, clear screen with amazing resolution. It’s expensive but beats all the competition right now.

[@chrisdell2072]

@@lankytoast1315 that's hilarious, it bet the Ally x is more powerful than your Xbone 😂🤣😂

[@bigjalapeno5347]

Bought one 7 155h on offer for 260£ new and waiting for the delivery. Hope it doesn't disappoint.

[@baldlyrudy]

It's hard to be disappointed with that price though. I paid $800 USD for mine and was definitely not happy with it at launch. It's gotten better, but not as good as the Z1 Extreme handhelds.

[@tommachin8705]

I think the next gen is what we have to wait for with Intel. The next Claw will probably be alot better. If intel is good at one thing its Driver support and making things work better with less power. I think this thing was essentially just thrown together and tbh wasnt ready for the market.

[@baldlyrudy]

I had the MSI Claw 8 AI+ in my hands yesterday. I have some thoughts. I'll probably get a video up in a few days.

[@tommachin8705]

@@baldlyrudy Oh cool I didn't realize they were out yet.

[@tommachin8705]

@@baldlyrudy I'll subscribe to your channel... You randomly came up in a search that oddly had nothing to do with handhelds 😂

[@baldlyrudy]

@tommachin8705 haha! Fair enough. Gotta love that algo. I appreciate it.

[@BloodScatter]

I recently got a MSI Claw for just under $400, everything else here in Europe starts at $550 with the Ally X being $899. Yes, the Claw is not as powerful, but I mostly use it from time to time when travelling and for that it serves a good purpose. I play mostly older AAA titles like Tomb Raider etc and for that I get steady 45 FPS with everything cranked up to the maximum in the settings even on low power mode. For new AAA games I have my rig at home. I wouldn't want to play a visually stunning game on a small screen at low settings. While waiting for the gen2 of these handhelds is an option, they still won't be as powerful as a normal desktop and will still cost around $800-$900 which I can't justify for a device that will be only occasionally used

[@dwi_oktanto]

here now both u5/u7 under $500

[@getchwaltzetki6022]

at $430 512gb new, worth it

[@DownUnder43]

This device here in australia still too expensive and will continue to sit on shelves they will need to heavily discount. Current price is 699AUD = 433 USD what is way too much they will need to drop at least another 200 bucks localy to make it apealing and get rid of stock. Retailers will most likely have to lost money as they already bought this from MSI.

[@SamuKhan-e9w]

my main concern about this device is when you need to plug in the power adapter and when you are lucky enough the power trips off then the device will never turn on again. I also encountered a lot of update looping it keeps coming back after you patch it. the endurance gaming patch also got bug.

[@agumon1605]

This 420$ or og ally for 450$?

[@baldlyrudy]

Ally, IMO.

[@damzelfly]

Lets say the next claw comes and it is prized at $800. The current claw will be only $300 (Now it's hovering around $400) Price per performance wise, still very good to get the current claw?

[@baldlyrudy]

$300 for even the 135 is fantastic.

[@SayanOfRagnarok]

It's because Intel doesn't make good integrated graphics, and it's not as efficient. Msi killed their chances because they chose intel

[@baldlyrudy]

You don't think Lunar Lake will perform better overall? And potentially catch up to AMD Z1E?

[@NewmanOnGaming]

@@baldlyrudyGame optimizations for said architectural drivers will be key.

[@SayanOfRagnarok]

@@baldlyrudy no i don't. Intel is on fire and a sinking ship. Just look at the launch of their most recent desk top cpu and the absolute nightmare that was with people's cpus being faulty. They are in crisis right now trying to sell of the chip manufaring side of their business because they can't catch up to other manufacturers in terms of technology. If we were talking about desktop gaming where power consumption isn't as much of a factor, maybe. But Intel chips run hot and draw too much power to be good on a handheld.

[@aleksandrburmin4943]

Карманный шпилинг центр😉

[@roninreef90]

Definitely milk 😵‍💫😂 but as a steam deck user I really admire the rog ally x and legion go though 🔥

[@elm3m3s53]

hi if amazon have the msi claw for $450us its good?

[@baldlyrudy]

I think it's worth it!

[@hk6926]

Wtf are you wearing my man .

[@baldlyrudy]

Cyberpunk 2077 T-shirt. It reads "We have a city to burn." Wtf are you wearing my man?

[@hk6926]

@@baldlyrudy hahaha love your sense of humour and your videos 😀. Keep rocking my man .

[@luffyking3513]

@@hk6926 We need to know wtf are you wearing my man

[@dragonling748]

f*** frame generation.

[@baldlyrudy]

Sorry frame generation hurt you.

[@dragonling748]

@@baldlyrudy hahaha cheers for the reply mate! I'm sure its good for plenty of people, but for me, its just a bad feature I have to pay for. Fake frames at the cost of latency? nope. I'd rather play mid settings 100fps than High 60 or ultra 30. Or as may be the case here, 720p low for 60fps over 1080p medium 20fps

[@TomsTech94]

You mean soured milk

[@HctudYT]

Msi claw ❌ Msi paw ✅

[@pokellector_nl6712]

MSI Flaw

[@betag24cn]

fine wine? since when intel crap has amd fine wine drivers what kind of clickbait thumbnail is that? intel already movef on and this thing will be replaced asap, lucky msi who will get more money grom intel, because this thing does not sell.