MSI Claw - Core Ultra 5 135H // In-Depth Review // Benchmarks, Teardown, PC Games, Emulation

[@retrotechdad]

I have both the 135H and 155H in-hand, what do you want to see?

[@RemTilak]

A long video about emulation and PC gaming benchmarks on the 155H.

[@cosmicgamingunlimited]

135H. Budget pc hand helds interest me. I would like to see how this compares to the Z1 non-extreme.

[@ozzierobmorales]

Just more content whatever you would like to show us . This thing looks sick!

[@yasec-life]

Would be cool to see a side by side comparison of emulation and gaming.

[@HPPrintervx4p5q]

make a video on the old bittboy instead

[@DrewDragoon]

Incredible work. The community is blessed to have you. It was interesting seeing the teardown and how the d-pad and shoulder buttons work. The sizable speakers explains the decent audio. The benchmarks must have took you a while. Keep hustling and grinding mate, you make quality videos and eventually more people will take notice.

[@axyheave]

What a nice comment 👍

[@macky10229]

Nice presentation. You deserved more views

[@retrotechdad]

Thank you, I appreciate that! 🙏

[@retrohandhelds]

11/10 DAD VIDEO. All the puns, all the quality. I don't need this, but i'm glad its an option! -Stubbs.

[@mcintyrevxq]

Managed to get one of these new for £360 in the UK; this review sold it for me at such a low price.

[@retrotechdad]

Nice deal! It's well worth it at that price. 🙏

[@zomg346]

Got this one for 400 here.was gonna ally x even ordered it but CBA waiting for stocks sold out everywhere.its not that bad with overboost

[@kurdapio2k6]

How is the gaming experience?

[@zomg346]

@@kurdapio2k6 garbage half the time controller input in-game don't work.i returned it and ordered ally x 😂😂

[@kurdapio2k6]

@@zomg346 i save my money for an Ally tnx.

[@gsprings43]

Ordered one from Best buy,,,, hopefully msi and intel unlock's the performance in this device

[@ebicwin]

how is it? im considering buying one

[@gsprings43]

@@ebicwin there have been updates,,,I noticed better frame rates,,,I play asseto corsa,,,American,,,and euro truck sim mostly,,,and they run well on the claw

[@ahrjaydee7001]

Incredible details, thanks for the awesome review.

[@retrotechdad]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching! 🙏

[@aprilhoang2477]

really good video, love all the details! i hope with the new updates we can see better performance. out of all the handhelds, the Claw just feels the best.

[@jheithaus3]

Fantastic video! Love the power charts for cyberpunk.

[@ardyyambao]

new subscriber here. nice video. most review about this handheld are all bad reviews, on your part is attention to detail. really enjoy your review. hope you make another review on this MSI Claw after 6 months.

[@retrotechdad]

Thank you, I really appreciate that! I do have plans to check back in at the 6 month mark, I actually marked it in the calendar after I finished this video!

[@Briancansen]

that ultra 5 performance sounds great. love the ergo on this!

[@giopiczonjr4732]

may i ask to make video part 2 with updated,i just wanna see how the performance work on latest updated bios. thank you sir!

[@jvabbdac]

Oh man! Z1 extreme its awesome!

[@retrotechdad]

Still amazing almost a year later 🔥🔥

[@justswitched8841]

Yup got the ally and legion go. Msi made a big mistake choosing intel

[@MatiX415]

@@justswitched8841 intel paid msi to use their chips

[@KarlParl]

Can you update with the new drivers?

[@DallasUzumaki]

How good is the Intel 155 version? In my country, it costs 600 dollars on a limited sale. Taxes are high here

[@cho-v4n]

I messed around with one of these today. I'll stick with my ally. Thanks rob 😁

[@MalcolmLim]

i wonder if the claw's battery could fit in the ally? size wise it looks like it could fit

[@chrisboucher2813]

I wonder if it's possible to put those rbg buttons in the Rog Ally 🤔

[@davidfaustino4476]

The Spiderman in the thumbnail is letting you know how many fps you can expect on the Claw when playing Spiderman.

[@nitinkastil5145]

The other handheld that uses charging set up like MSI claw is ROG Ally.

[@retrotechdad]

The ROG Ally does not use two cables. The MSI Claw ships with a power block that also uses a 3-prong cable similar to what you'd see on a laptop.

[@nitinkastil5145]

@@retrotechdad that depends on which country you resides, you may not have two cables, but Indian variant has two charging cable just like you get in laptop charger .

[@retrotechdad]

Interesting, they probably do that because it's easier to swap out depending on the region.

[@michaelbenny659]

This video looks like you put a lot of work and effort into it. But how come it’s longer than 5 minutes?

[@hooked-gsy]

Do i get the msi ultra 5 (7 isn't available) I really love the look of it ,but so many bad reviews.Is the claw really that bad or just geeks moaning on numbers ?

[@retrotechdad]

It has a lot of positives, it's biggest issue was/still is price to performance compared to the competition. If that is a non-issue and you just want to relax and play some games and don't get care about the numbers, then definitely! What are you looking to play?

[@hooked-gsy]

@@retrotechdad Thanks for the reply,i've a switch oled so not worried about simulators,I like diablo ,cod,f1,hades,fifa all sorts really.Is the ultra 5 claw still a good option .thanks

[@pulsargmng]

Intel never fail to disappoint.

[@Pneuma3301]

you're trolling 😂

[@retrotechdad]

🤪 and we really need them to not disappoint, competition is a good thing.

[@clem9808]

Is the usb c port soldered in , Or is it easily replaceable?

[@rongngudot]

May i ask What is the tool to adjust the tdp lower than 20w?

[@rubyssss6565]

I think butons annd sizes depend on personal feeling and preferences, for me is not much differences. The claw's chassis and display looks really good and high quality, I really care about the display performance. For gaming tests, it looks does great job and smooth enough for me, lol. I believe MSI will keep update their CPU and GPU, so the performance should improve in the future.

[@jafniazmi]

Can FC24 support with Intel Arc graphic?

[@alexygo4243]

If you'll be getting an Ultra 5 135H MSI Claw for around 450 USD would that be a good deal?

[@retrotechdad]

Yes, I think that's a far better price for the device. You might want to shop around since there will be a few options at that price especially when going second hand.

[@alexygo4243]

@@retrotechdad the 2nd hand market in my area is really not the greatest but I have been able to see ROG Ally Z1 Extremes for the same price, only problem is the SD slots are all not working (not that I would use it but I am just not confident on buying 2nd hand with issues already on board) I'd go over the deals first and would try to make a decision asap. Thank you for the reply!

[@chrissevenig9692]

That is a nice deal! At this moment we can get the ultra 5 for 499 Euro's... Not sure yet if this will be the best price for it. But there device itself.. I like it!

[@gumbyx84]

Any chance you could check if the analog sticks on the Claw are compatible with the Ally?

[@davidfaustino4476]

Yep I want to know this too. His "teardown" was just removing the back plate..

[@marcelo16]

The product that will make sure no other company will ever use Meteor Lake in a gaming handheld ever again

[@KwangChan-jg9hd]

I decided to get one since I really wanted an Intel processor gaming handheld. To be honest, my experience with it has been okay so far. But I'm still expecting the upcoming driver updates will allow the Claw to perform a bit more smoothly when I run Hogwarts Legacy on it. Great video by the way.

[@clem9808]

Hello just pre-ordered 1 at the cheapest price. Means I still have few more days to cancel it. I can tell that you're an expert in device's internal builds (whatever you call it). Do you think the msi claw are very well-built internally, and can physically last 5-10 years like most laptops? Cause I have a boring job , and planning to use this for 5-6 hours a day.

[@JesuStRanger]

I know I'm a lil bit late, but for 5-10 year games it just enough

[@NFreddplayz]

Got the steam deck and rog ally z1... These entry level PC handhelds are worth the try...😌💯

[@ibelieveinjesusinmyspareti2861]

That thing is 900 bucks in some places in europe... The base version.

[@retrotechdad]

Yea, the price is absolutely bonkers. I hope we see a big drop like the Z1 ROG Ally.

[@justswitched8841]

Yet performs worse than amd that is cheaper

[@ibelieveinjesusinmyspareti2861]

​@@retrotechdadin afraid that even at higher wats this gets beat by the deck. I honestly think that this Is garbage. I Wish they sticked to z1e then It wouldve made sense.

[@SoloLynx]

ridiculous do not buy this dog water product put together in months just get a steam deck lcd is very cheap now

[@betag24cn]

imagine paying 900 dollars for a msi tablet, that comes woth a intel igpu, i think that only reviewers will buy this crap

[@bushwhookie1334]

Can you do this with new updates and boost on plz

[@michaelh3967]

Have you tried playing Batman Arkham Knight? I can’t get it to open on epic games.

[@axyheave]

Did you get it working

[@michaelh3967]

@@axyheave yes. There is a patch needed torun Arkham knight. I am now having an issue getting Ratchet and Clank to run on the MSI Claw.

[@Mrsadgirl99]

wih the price drop im reconsidering it

[@fidel0287]

me 2, already own a lcd steam deck but the possibility of playing gamepass seems very tempting

[@retrotechdad]

@fidel0287 The prices right now are pretty wild, definitely worth a consideration.

[@OblivionPrime]

wish we could swap the allys battery with the claws

[@Le_Mon9]

Do you think it's a good value at $430?

[@retrotechdad]

Yes, I think that's a VERY fair price! 🔥

[@DelightfulVideoGames-do3zm]

I'm gonna buy this console for NBA 2K25 😊

[@WortexCZ]

I'm missing information about the minimum frame rate. So "only" the most important information, which clearly tells how well the game actually plays on a given handheld. I guess no one cares about the average "800 fps", when half of the game time is "1200 fps" and the other half of play time is just "staring at a frozen image". ...A lot of people probably know where I'm going...

[@pepesaurus6238]

Do you recomend it for 450 bucks?

[@retrotechdad]

Yea, I think it's very solid for that price.

[@TinTalon]

Another great video. Not sure the Claw is going to me for me. Think i will pass on this one for now.

[@J.Wick.]

Easy sub. Great video. Failed product I'm afraid. But I would like to see intel get more performant. We're beginning to see what a one horse race will do with the ryzen 9000 series I fear. Waiting to see strix point in handhelds next myself. Until then, steam deck it is for me.

[@retrotechdad]

Exactly, competition is always a good thing for consumers!

[@KyleRuggles]

Great review, Rob! Major pass for me, at least it's a good.. ish first try for Intel? Maybe in a couple of years they'd match what AMD has today lol.

[@Gh0styGames]

Common RTD W🎉

[@Aaronemmanuel-27]

i guess we have new budget king ultra 5

[@retrotechdad]

The prices are really solid right now, it’s well worth it!

[@cqllel5186]

MSi CLAW at 30W is weaker than Steam Deck OLED at 15W and less AMD Master Race

[@mclovinthewalrus2375]

The Steam Deck OLED beats the Ultra 7 in a lot of games, i imagine it wreaks the Ultra 5 easily. This Ultra 5 should be worth no more than 350 dollars lol

[@JerrardJDDavis-gy9hh]

Will It Play PS2 Or Gamecube

[@szymitsu83]

Yes. I will test next week.

[@TRX25EX]

It came too early to the market, it does have potential, now I have Deck OLED + Ally + my One X Player X1 155H coming now.... I can see Intel having potential but will take time, by that time we will have Ally 2, I can't believe until today we don't have AI that does driver optimisations to save time

[@betag24cn]

no it doesnt, intel is improvising a gpu division, this at best wilo end up being third in a two horse race

[@TRX25EX]

@@betag24cn it does currently A750-A770 best value GPU out there.... Even Linus made a video and showed why, it was 3050 level at first now it's around 3070 level!!!!

[@暇人-t6j]

In other channel when they compared Claw and Steam Deck Oled, SD Oled is outperforming Claw 155H in 30w TDP compared to 15w TDP of SD Oled in AAA games fps with same settings. 😂 Then the Claw’s frequent tearing is still very visible as ever.😂

[@Xanduur]

Well, this video (regarding the Switch emulation) didn’t age well.

[@retrotechdad]

It’s pretty easy to find older versions of any emulator that Big N is keen to strike down. Sudachi just got an update as well. 🔥

[@drew3488]

The performance just isn't there yet with the 135 or 155 the steam deck does more frames at half the watts. Msi dropped the ball everyone

[@seppeseppe-jq7nr]

new driver !

[@alexeyscicluna1554]

Everything is equal they fixed all drivers

[@EvaWan-ie1hg]

Want an Intel handheld to run Hogwarts Legacy, the ultra core looks good and the battery life is nice. Will wait for more updates on MSI software to see a smoother performance

[@JMPants]

You gave an inferior product a superior review.

[@sneakybobinson3252]

Unfortunately it will be cursed by Intel drivers...

[@retrotechdad]

It's already slow going, there hasn't been a new update since end of last month. 🤦‍♂️

[@sneakybobinson3252]

@@retrotechdad I am not surprised... After owning a GPD WIN 3 I pretty much wrote off Intel in applications like this. Maybe they will make a comeback though!

[@danielsmith2939]

Looks the same as the Rog ally

[@betag24cn]

stop! its the CLAW

[@retrotechdad]

🤪🤪

[@Gorilla_Jones]

The correct answer is Steam Deck OLED. Without haptic touchpads it is irrelevant.

[@retrotechdad]

Good thing we have LOTS of options today!

[@Gorilla_Jones]

@@retrotechdad Indeed!

[@cqllel5186]

Yeah a PC handheld without touchpad is like a laptop without a track pad. Nobody wants to be forced to use the stick, get a mouse, or use touch screen on a PC OS

[@davidfaustino4476]

Touchscreen for the win geniuses.

[@MalcolmLim]

those buying this unit good luck - to access the SSD you have to disassemble the daughterboard..what an annoying design.

[@aldovalencia4353]

I Just bought mine and right stick is defective :( terrible first impression of the brand 👎

[@justswitched8841]

That's happened with the rog ally too. Also I just bought a legion go and rear button got stuck out of the box brand new 😂

[@chriskim5535]

So much more expensive than Steamdeck yet worse in performance......

[@Gh0styGames]

MSi naw 😵

[@mlnima]

I am sure it will break in 2 years when the low quality plastic is dry or expired 😂

[@Saschabrix]

Msi FLAW….

[@zomg346]

Garbage 😂😂

[@TheMasterwitcher]

1. It looks horrible to me 2. The price will make it flop af 3. Hell nah

[@retrotechdad]

Priced to fail and not compete, unfortunately.

[@TheMasterwitcher]

@retrotechdad absolutely. Just don't get why are they being this thick. Unnecessary waste of production money if it isn't going to make it back. Also, your content is amazing and you always cover what I need and expect that I would want to know before making a decision to purchase anything. Thank you for your hard work ^^