# Asus ROG Ally X vs MSI Claw A1M: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the Asus ROG Ally X (Asus) and MSI Claw A1M (MSI) among game consoles. MSI Claw A1M is the cheaper of the two at $699.

## Side by side

| Spec | Asus ROG Ally X | MSI Claw A1M |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $799 | $699 |
| Brand | Asus | MSI |
| Released | 2024-07 | 2024-03 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (Zen 4, 8-core @ up to 5.1 GHz) | Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (Meteor Lake @ up to 4.6 GHz) |
| GPU (TFLOPS) | 8.29 | 4.5 |
| RAM (GB) | 24 | 16 |
| Storage (GB) | 1000 | 512 |
| Max resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Max (fps) | 120 | 120 |
| Optical drive | No | No |

## Key differences

- CPU: Asus ROG Ally X AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (Zen 4, 8-core @ up to 5.1 GHz) vs MSI Claw A1M Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (Meteor Lake @ up to 4.6 GHz)
- GPU (TFLOPS): Asus ROG Ally X 8.29 vs MSI Claw A1M 4.5
- RAM (GB): Asus ROG Ally X 24 vs MSI Claw A1M 16
- Storage (GB): Asus ROG Ally X 1000 vs MSI Claw A1M 512

## What reviewers say

**Asus ROG Ally X** — All three whitelisted testers (Tom's Hardware, Engadget, TechPowerUp) rate the 2024 ROG Ally X the best Windows handheld at launch, praising its doubled 80Wh battery, 24GB RAM performance gains and comfier grips. All flag the $799 price and clunky Windows. A newer rival (MSI Claw 8) later out-lasted its battery. Excludes the separate 2025 Xbox Ally X. (3 sourced reviews.)

**MSI Claw A1M** — Four whitelisted testers (Notebookcheck, Engadget and Digital Trends full reviews, plus a Tom's Guide hands-on) broadly agree the Intel-based Claw A1M is overpriced versus cheaper AMD rivals like the ROG Ally and Legion Go, while praising its ergonomics, Hall-effect sticks and bright 120Hz 1080p display. The three full reviews fault its gaming performance and clunky MSI Center software / immature Intel drivers; Notebookcheck and Digital Trends also flag weak battery life, though Engadget rated battery 'decent'. Tom's Guide found raw performance roughly on par with rivals and blamed the software above all. (4 sourced reviews.)

## Sources

- Asus ROG Ally X: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus_ROG_Ally (en.wikipedia.org, verified 2026-06-15)
- MSI Claw A1M: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSI_Claw_A1M (en.wikipedia.org, verified 2026-06-15)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/game-consoles/asus-rog-ally-x-vs-msi-claw-a1m/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Asus ROG Ally X ($799) vs MSI Claw A1M ($699) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/game-consoles/asus-rog-ally-x-vs-msi-claw-a1m/
License: CC BY 4.0.