MSI Unveils AMD-Powered Gaming Handheld and Upgraded Mid-Range Gaming Laptops at Computex

Alright, let’s dive into this mishmash of tech wizardry and confusion. MSI decided to shake things up at Computex, introducing their first gaming handheld featuring an AMD chip—the Claw A8 BZ2EM. Ugh, can we talk about those model names? Anyway, MSI didn’t just wave goodbye to Intel; they’re keeping both Intel and AMD on their dance card.

Now, this gizmo—the Claw A8—is rocking an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, which sounds intense, doesn’t it? I’m imagining the processor wearing a tiny leather jacket. And there’s more. The display’s decent—an 8-inch thing with a bunch of numbers like 1920 by whatever, but with 120 Hz and all this VRR IPS-level goodness. Translation: It should be pretty clear and smooth, but I digress. Oh, and the RAM? Up to 24 GB LPDDR5x-8000. It’s like packing a suitcase with an extra pair of socks “just in case,” right?

Random thought—this handheld’s got an Xbox-style controller setup, but you probably gathered that already. Hall Effect joysticks are also in play, which is supposed to prevent stick drift. Again, the specs are just spewing nerdy stuff, but we’re here for it. Or maybe I just zoned out thinking about how important it is to have comfy grips. MSI rounded some corners and added bigger grips too, because nobody wants to cramp up mid-game. Ever had a hand cramp while beating a boss? Not the best.

They’re hinting at up to 24 GB of RAM again, which reminds me of Asus and their ROG Ally X thingamajig. But no clue which configurations are landing where or when, so we’ll just be left in anticipation. It’s like waiting for a package you ordered online, isn’t it? Anxiety level: high.

Ah, and there’s an 80 WHr battery. Sounds neat, right? But it’s all about that headphone jack and microSD card reader, if you ask me. The tech jargon continues with the ports—a couple of USB 4 Type-C things—and even a power button with a fingerprint reader. If you wanted to swap out the SSD, apparently it’s possible, but that sounds like a personal adventure someone might do on a rainy Sunday.

MSI’s giving their MSI Center software a bit of a makeover too. It’s now friendly with the Xbox Game Bar, which doesn’t mean much to me since I’m still figuring out Windows 11. Seriously, I miss Windows XP sometimes.

So, no prices or release dates. Typical. Move on to laptops, where MSI’s showing off some mid-range gems at Computex, apparently upgrading them with Nvidia’s latest RTX 5060 and RTX 5070—both very tech-sounding, but might be cool?

The Crosshair series is confusing, though. They have all these weird name differences between Intel and AMD versions. AI means Intel this time, which could make a trivia question, maybe. But we’re really here for the RGB keyboards, aren’t we? Also, those laptops have 720p webcams, which… meh.

Anyway—no, wait—laptops have 90 WHr batteries, which I mentioned before, right? Just like the handheld, probably enough juice unless you forget your charger. Life gets tricky when you’re out of juice in the middle of a match.

Then there’s the Cyborg series. Not sure what makes them cyborgish—sure, they have some translucent plastic edges, sounds fancy? But they still have a metal lid, which sounds heavy, like thoughts I have before hitting the “buy now” button. Some gaming stuff and productivity laptops were mentioned too, but honestly, I’ve lost track of those names because they’re all jumbled in my brain now.

Before I forget, they have this limited edition showpiece laptop or something with ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ because who doesn’t love a fancy notebook? But I’m just gonna stop rambling for a sec. Maybe we all need a breather.