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Once I referred to as the MSI Claw a humiliation in my Could 18th overview, one commenter identified they’d gotten increased benchmark scores than me. Positive sufficient: MSI had pushed out new graphics drivers and BIOS updates between the time I benchmarked and the time we printed.
I’ve now examined these updates. In a few of my checks, they’re higher. In others, I really discovered them worse! Total, they don’t change my conclusion one bit: the MSI Claw is the worst decide from at the moment’s crop of shopper handheld gaming PCs, and you must steer clear.
Under, you’ll discover my new benchmark leads to the identical video games, throughout the entire Claw’s normal energy modes. In virtually each take a look at, you’ll see the Claw dramatically behind the competitors in velocity whereas utilizing extra energy.
New outcomes bolded. All checks at 720p low, save Filth Rally at 720p extremely.
Worse, I’m nonetheless discovering the Claw varies wildly between playable and utterly unplayable in demanding video games the place the cheaper Steam Deck has no points. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, I noticed the sport repeatedly and inexplicably dip to only 20fps in a cave with no enemies round at 720p and Medium spec, earlier than recovering to a steady 60fps a short while later.
I noticed one thing related in Cyberpunk 2077, regardless that the MSI Claw now typically has a better framerate in that recreation after updates.
And I’m additionally now seeing some very bizarre habits with the Claw with regards to energy modes. You may count on MSI’s “Efficiency” mode to be speedier than its “Balanced” mode, proper? That’s not what I noticed in Cyberpunk 2077 — and once I took an in depth have a look at the framerate dips, I observed they at all times coincided with an surprising energy dip.
Whereas the Intel Meteor Lake chip consumed a fairly steady 30 watts in Balanced mode, it tried to hit 35, 36, even 37 watts in Efficiency mode — and couldn’t preserve it, dipping right down to 29 watts time and again. Plugged into USB-C energy, the Efficiency mode labored higher, frequently pulling between 37 and 45 watts of energy. Not that the additional energy made an enchancment in Cyberpunk, sadly.
And in case you’re seeing increased scores than I’m, I extremely recommend you run that benchmark one other three or 4 occasions, as a result of it appears to be like like MSI now runs its chip unsustainably sooner for some time after you turn energy modes, then throttles again down. The Asus ROG Ally does the identical trick, and I at all times needed to run my benchmarks a bunch of additional occasions there earlier than I begin counting, so I don’t throw off the common with outliers. I didn’t want to do this once I first reviewed the Claw.
To MSI and Intel’s credit score, not less than Dave the Diver feels playable now at a clean 60fps with solely occasional drops, in contrast to in my authentic overview.
Total, I believe the MSI Claw ought to by no means have gone on sale. I’m glad I by no means had the urge to purchase one when it first got here out. I’d really feel cheated, similar to the customers in MSI’s personal boards say they really feel cheated, now that MSI has introduced not one, however two improved variations lower than three months after the unique got here out.
It definitely doesn’t assist that the corporate put it on sale earlier than giving reviewers an opportunity to warn anybody.
If MSI is critical in regards to the handheld house, and it appears like the corporate is, I believe it ought to provide a trade-in program for consumers of the unique Claw. If you wish to repair this, MSI, allow them to decide one in every of this fall’s revisions at a large low cost.
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