HANDHELD NEWS – MSI has stuck with Intel for its handheld PCs, but that could change with the next-generation model.

MSI is reportedly planning to use AMD’s Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme APU on the third-generation version of the Claw, so they could be moving away from Intel to focus on top-end performance. Not many handheld PCs have adopted Intel’s Lunar Lake Core Ultra 200V processors, but the MSI Claw has taken the plunge, as the MSI Claw 8 AI+ features them. Not only was this the company’s first handheld PC, it was essentially one of the first Core Ultra handheld PCs.

On Twitter, @Haze2K1 wrote that MSI is planning to take a step towards “the reds” as they are also drawing from the Ryzen Z2 product line. And this is not the first time that MSI has been rumored to be teaming up with AMD, as it was talked about during CES. There’s no word yet on whether MSI will make a full switch to AMD (other companies have done so, Asus never used Intel hardware in its ROG Ally), but given the exclusivity that companies usually have to go for, chances are they will.

MSI will release Claw handheld utilizing AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme

— Haze (@Haze2K1) April 11, 2025

MSI will reportedly use the most powerful APU, the Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme. This was recently leaked and is said to have a dedicated NPU engine and similar specs to the Ryzen Z2 Extreme. 8 cores/16 threads, 5 GHz maximum boost clock speed, 16 core RDNA 3.5 iGPU. Compared to the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, the Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme is expected to dominate the market, so it makes sense that MSI could decide to change manufacturers.

However, we should also add that nothing is official yet, but rumor has it that AMD has managed to attract the majority of handheld PC manufacturers, so it could have a similar dominance here as in the desktop PC space…

Source: WCCFTech