MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ vs Claw 8 AI+: What's the Difference?
Claw 8 EX AI+ vs Claw 8 AI+: chips, graphics cores, SSD size, microSD Express, Bluetooth, weight and US prices, from MSI's and Intel's spec sheets.
MSI now sells three handhelds with "Claw 8" and "AI+" in the name: the older Claw 8 AI+ A2VM and two versions of the newer Claw 8 EX AI+. The screen, battery and buttons barely change. The chip, the SSD slot, the card reader and the price do. Here's how they compare, using MSI's spec sheets and Intel's processor pages.
What's the main difference between the Claw 8 EX AI+ and the Claw 8 AI+?
The processor. The Claw 8 AI+ uses Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V in its US models. The Claw 8 EX AI+ moves to Intel's Arc G3 family, launched in the second quarter of 2026, in two versions: the CG3EM with the Arc G3 Extreme and the CG3M with the plain Arc G3. Intel's spec pages list:
- Core Ultra 7 258V (Claw 8 AI+): 8 cores, up to 4.8GHz, Arc 140V graphics with 8 Xe-cores at up to 1.95GHz, 17W base power, 37W maximum turbo.
- Arc G3 (EX CG3M): 14 cores, up to 4.6GHz, Arc B370 graphics with 10 Xe-cores at up to 2.2GHz, configurable from 8 to 30W.
- Arc G3 Extreme (EX CG3EM): 14 cores, up to 4.7GHz, Arc B390 graphics with 12 Xe-cores at up to 2.3GHz, configurable from 8 to 35W.
Is the Claw 8 EX AI+ faster?
MSI says so, claiming "50%+ higher FPS on average" over the previous generation, from 54% in Cyberpunk 2077 to 161% in Battlefield 6. Those are MSI's own figures for the Arc G3 Extreme, measured at 1200p and medium settings with XeSS 3 and multi-frame generation on, so they aren't raw like-for-like frame rates. MSI publishes no such chart for the cheaper Arc G3 model.
What else is different?
- SSD slot: full-length M.2 2280 on the EX, shorter M.2 2230 on the Claw 8 AI+. Both are PCIe Gen4, and MSI says the EX's drive is swapped by removing the back cover.
- Card reader: the EX has a microSD Express reader, which MSI says averages 600 to 800 MB/s reads, about eight times a regular reader. The Claw 8 AI+ has a standard microSD slot.
- Bluetooth: 6.0 with LE Audio on the EX, 5.4 on the Claw 8 AI+. Both have Wi-Fi 7.
- Shape and weight: the EX has new flared grips, measures 296 to 321 x 130 x 25 to 48mm and weighs 785g. The Claw 8 AI+ is 299 x 126 x 24mm and 795g.
- Controls: MSI says the EX adds a metal-dome D-pad switch and a new vibration motor.
- Colours: Void Purple (CG3EM), Luminous Blue (CG3M), Sandstorm or a Polar Tempest edition (Claw 8 AI+).
What stays the same?
All three have an 8-inch 1920x1200 touchscreen at 48 to 120Hz with VRR, 32GB of LPDDR5x memory, an 80Wh battery, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headset jack, Hall effect sticks and triggers, a fingerprint reader and two macro buttons. All run Windows 11 Home, and MSI says the Xbox Full Screen Experience is now available on every Claw.
How much do they cost?
At MSI's US store on 12 November:
- Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (Arc G3 Extreme, 32GB, 1TB): $1,799, available to order.
- Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3M (Arc G3, 32GB, 512GB): $1,499, available to order.
- Claw 8 AI+ A2VM (Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB, 1TB): listed at $1,299.99, but only with a "notify me" button. The Polar Tempest edition is listed at $1,149, also "notify me".
Which Claw 8 should you buy?
For the most graphics power, the CG3EM: 12 Xe-cores, the higher power limit and twice the storage for $300 more than the CG3M. The CG3M keeps the new chassis, microSD Express and full-size SSD slot with two fewer Xe-cores. The Claw 8 AI+ is the older, lower-power design and only makes sense well below the EX prices, and MSI's own US store can't sell you one right now. If you're also weighing ASUS's rival, we've covered whether ROG Xbox Ally X cases fit the X20.
