There’s something reassuring about generational chip leaps. This is partly hope and expectation that the future of computing is in good hands. Having spent almost two decades in this profession, I also partially know that Intel is really in great shape. Arch G3 Series Processor The chip maker pointed out a few weeks ago that it would be to gaming handhelds what John Cooper’s 1958 mid-engined Copper T43 car was to modern single-seater racing. A spark, the beginning of something great. The first step in an unstoppable journey.
Intel is confident (and rightly so, as I’ll explain in this analysis) that the Arch G3 series chips are a huge step forward for PC gaming, especially the portable handheld form factor. They have achieved a significant leap in the field of laptops Panther Lake Chips not too long ago. Not everyone can get their hands on an Xbox console (or even a Sony PlayStation 5 for that matter) these days due to shortages and their price tags. The Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM is a refreshing alignment in itself, which sees MSI betting on Intel’s gaming chips, unlike rivals including Asus, which works with AMD. The use of the highest-spec Arch G3 Extreme chip is further proof of the certainty of success.
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ gaming handheld has not been officially launched in India yet. For reference, global pricing hovers around $1,799 (approx. ₹1,70,000 on conversion). This is serious territory for what is still a niche niche, with gaming laptops priced significantly lower marking out their own territory. As a side observation, the gaming handheld sector could go either way – either it’s the early adopter premium, or this class of devices is unlikely to ever become truly affordable. Hopefully we will see the former player playing.
In an example of true attention to detail, Intel provided an engineering sample of the MSI Claw 8EX AI+CG3EM with 32GB of memory, 1TB of storage, and an Intel Arc B390 GPU with 12 graphics cores and benefits from LPDDR5x-8533 fast system memory. What’s more, Intel provided HT with a top-tier OWC Thunderbolt Go dock and Bluetooth Core 6.0 LE advancements to Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 4 to make it easier to connect this console to a big-screen TV.
The primary purpose of this analysis is to illustrate Intel’s progress with the Arch G3 series chips and what it means for the real-world gaming experience; I will discuss the superior aesthetic and ergonomic points of the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM later. After being largely unimpressed, all things considered, with the AMD silicon-powered Asus ROG Ele generations (the main stumbling blocks were the overall experience and inconsistent performance), there was some understandable trepidation when getting close to it. It was over soon.
There are a few important things to remember when setting up the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM (beyond the frustrating Windows 11 setup process). The preloaded MSI Center M utility (there’s only one major piece of software; HP should take notice of this simplified approach) is your friend for getting exactly the right tuning for games as they are intended to be played. You should pay attention to the power preset and select it – the default is the AI ​​Engine mode which runs games at 25-watts of power and will dynamically adjust the frame rate and overall performance without any intervention.
For some of us, this may not be enough. And that may certainly be the path of least resistance for some gamers, but tune in a little further and the true power of the Arch G3 Extreme and Arch B390 graphics comes to light.
I want to draw your attention to the manual option, selecting which opens two sliders labeled PL1 and PL2. Simply put, it dictates how modern CPUs dynamically adjust clock speeds and power consumption based on workload. Ideally, PL1 and PL2 should not be the same, otherwise effectiveness is blunted – the former dictates constant power usage while the latter is the leeway you allow for short bursts of performance. If you’ll likely be doing most of your gaming with the power adapter plugged in, slide these to 35-Watt and 45-Watt – you’ll find this option in the MSI Quick Settings overlay in the Xbox Game Bar, which can be invoked with a shortcut key on the left side of the display.
You should check to enable XeSS 3 AI-based upscaling and frame generation in the Intel Graphics Suite (update to the latest drivers from MSI or Intel’s website). This will significantly increase the visual quality and smoothness of any game. Any upscaling method has good visual compromises if you look closely, and in this example there may be occasional deviations. But it’s the ideal way to get faster frames, and as games optimize for it, it’ll work.
Two successful sides of the coin of the Arch G3 Extreme. I’ll specifically reference the F1 25: 2026 Season Pack title with the AI ​​Engine mode selected, visual settings on Very High, and AI-based upscaling turned off, it peaked near 60fps and most of the race gameplay was around 40fps. No complaints, fairly smooth gameplay and absolutely no dropped frames.
Great if you want to spend a few hours gaming while flying somewhere. Staying on the point of battery endurance for a moment, Intel and MSI’s optimizations deliver the kind of battery life that AMD and Asus never could. 2.5 hours of F1 and 2 hours of Forza Horizon 6 before the 80Wh battery blinks – in AI Engine mode that uses Intel’s Dynamic Tuning technology to lock the frame rate between 30fps, 40fps and 60fps. Additionally, power consumption can be as low as 4-Watts (the range is as high as 25-Watts) depending on the gameplay and specificity of the moment. Overall, great battery life for a powerful gaming rig.
At this point, one may not even realize how much headroom this Intel chip generation provides. And if you don’t have experience with it, there’s no chance to appreciate the upgrade.
With manual power settings locked and XeSS 3 enabled with 4x multi-frame generation capping, F1 25: 2026 Season Pack peaked at 240fps on Ultra visual settings and gameplay was between 90fps and 140fps depending on frame and race conditions. Smoother, significantly more detailed visuals and overall, the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM has better performance for a longer period of time than the latest generation Intel Arc G3 Extreme. Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI Gaming laptop with Nvidia GeForce RTX5060 graphics. Thanks to this form factor and chip generational improvements, it’s massively reliable.
All this, without a noisy fan to keep the interiors cool. Yes, the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM has active cooling with dual fans expelling hot air from vents on the upper spine (as you hold the gaming handheld), but it’s never that fast nor does hot air appear around it. MSI was the first company to implement Intel’s codenamed Esther Island cooling technology in the first generation MSI Claw – and this generation sees a 0.5mm increase in fan height. This immediately means 9% more airflow and 5-watts of additional cooling capacity.
Important to note, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM sets the default gaming resolution to 1920 x 1200 pixels.
There are a few design improvements that MSI has integrated into this generation of gaming handhelds, including the reassuring outlines of the flared grips on both sides. As a result the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM sits better in the palm of both hands, and the thicker design makes it even better to hold at rest. I really like the laser etched dot texture on the Void Purple colorway. This definitely gets attention. Generationally, the A/B/X/Y buttons have seen a subtle redesign and the haptics now require less power.
The 8-inch display is gorgeous, vibrant and very responsive. Still, at this price, one might have expected an OLED display, although that would have complicated the economy proposition in the long run. Talking about finer details, MSI says that the SSD module on the Claw 8 EX AI+CG3EM is user replaceable, which is great for upgradability at some point in the future.
MSI has given the Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM unique specifications beyond the chip and graphics combination. It can also connect to Wi-Fi 7 (160 MHz for 6GHz channels on routers that support it) as well as a newer Bluetooth standard. There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the handheld gaming device (both can deliver power and display) and one is easily usable if the Intel-provided OWC Thunderbolt Go dock is to be deployed to connect to the 2026 version. 75-inch Xiaomi Mini LED TV S To transform an otherwise personal gaming experience into a console-esque affair in the living room.
Two key observations here. Gaming on a TV or larger display doesn’t really work as smoothly if you’re using the more affordable AI Engine power settings. The manual tuning I described earlier is the way to get best performance. Secondly, you will need a good USB-C to USB-C Thunderbolt cable (ideally rated at 240-watt power) to eliminate the possibility of lag.
The typical flaws of Windows 11 (I was trying to stay positive, but well, Windows) are visible. Setting Windows to open Xbox Mode by default causes the handheld controller to become non-functional within that interface on every startup. Secondly, Windows absolutely refuses to remember if I’ve set it to use both the handheld screen and the TV simultaneously. It’s unbelievable how bad Windows is as an OS, even for the basics.
Before I bore you with a little observation some games suddenly start opening in windowed mode instead of full screen. The inexplicable behavior of Windows 11 is no longer a surprise.
There’s no argument at all that the Intel Arch G3 Extreme is miles ahead of the AMD Z2 Extreme that powers the rival MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM made by Asus. The big difference is in the lower power consumption settings, with Intel now offering much more sustained performance and longer battery endurance – which is not an easy balance to achieve. A generation ago, no one could have imagined that the handheld form factor would give PC gaming the boost that gaming laptops for some reason shied away from giving. And that’s exactly what happened. Especially with XeSS, which gives the handheld a huge performance leap.
MSI is asking top money (at least in global markets) for the Claw 8 EX AI+CG3 EM and that price may make it too expensive for many gaming enthusiasts. But for those who have enough pockets for it, the combination of specifications and performance is more than impressive.
In MSI’s defense, being the pioneer of the latest and greatest Intel silicon, pricing is not easy in this economy and supply chain scenarios. To that point, Intel hasn’t determined the final pricing of the gaming devices, and one would assume that the Arch G3 Extreme will see Arch B390 graphics make their way into more consoles and more laptops soon. This increases performance availability.
The Intel Arc G3 Extreme is truly something special. The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ CG3EM is also something really special. At some point, the economics of scale will hit their mark. It just has to be done.
