# MSI Claw A1M: specs and price

**Price (US):** $699 at en.wikipedia.org (US MSRP for Core Ultra 5 135H / 512 GB base config), as of 2026-06-27. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 18 game consoles we track it is #13 cheapest of 18; category median $649.
**Brand:** MSI
**Released:** 2024-03
**Deskmark:** Bronze Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 53/100, #15 of 18 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $699 |
| Brand | MSI |
| Released | 2024-03 |
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (Meteor Lake @ up to 4.6 GHz) |
| GPU (TFLOPS) | 4.5 |
| RAM (GB) | 16 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 |
| Max resolution | 1920x1080 |
| Max (fps) | 120 |
| Optical drive | No |

## Where it stands

At $699, the MSI Claw A1M is #13 cheapest of the 17 game consoles we track, where the median is $599. On the spec sheet, its GPU of 4.5 TFLOPS is below the median of the 13, its RAM of 16 GB is at the median of the 18, and its storage of 512 GB is at the median of the 15.

## What reviewers say

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. (Based on 4 reviews, 4 lab-tested, 2024-03-15–2024-08-02.)

Praised: Comfortable ergonomics, good to hold; Bright, colorful 120Hz 1080p display; Quality Hall-effect joysticks/triggers and solid build; Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 connectivity (supports eGPU); Speakers sound surprisingly full.
Flagged: Gaming performance trails cheaper AMD rivals and doesn't justify the price; Clunky/buggy MSI Center software and immature Intel drivers; Overpriced versus ROG Ally / Legion Go; Poor battery life despite the larger 53Wh cell; Only a single USB-C port.
Disagreement: Two genuine splits. Fan noise: Notebookcheck measured 45-48 dB(A) while gaming and called the Claw 'one of the loudest handhelds on the market,' whereas Tom's Guide praised 'how quietly it runs.' Performance: the three full reviews rated gaming performance below AMD rivals, but Tom's Guide found its results 'about on par with other Windows 11 handhelds at 1080p.'
Sources: Notebookcheck (2024-06-17, notebookcheck.net), Engadget (2024-06-21, engadget.com), Digital Trends (2024-08-02, digitaltrends.com), Tom's Guide (2024-03-15, tomsguide.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the 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. Praised: Comfortable ergonomics, good to hold; Bright, colorful 120Hz 1080p display; Quality Hall-effect joysticks/triggers and solid build; Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 connectivity (supports eGPU); Speakers sound surprisingly full. Flagged: Gaming performance trails cheaper AMD rivals and doesn't justify the price; Clunky/buggy MSI Center software and immature Intel drivers; Overpriced versus ROG Ally / Legion Go; Poor battery life despite the larger 53Wh cell; Only a single USB-C port. (From 4 tester reviews, 4 lab-tested.)

**How much does the MSI Claw A1M cost?**

The MSI Claw A1M has a US price of $699 (US MSRP for Core Ultra 5 135H / 512 GB base config), as of 2026-06-15.

**How does the MSI Claw A1M compare on price?**

At $699, the MSI Claw A1M is #13 cheapest of the 17 game consoles we track, where the median is $599.

**When was the MSI Claw A1M released?**

The MSI Claw A1M was released 2024-03.

**What are the MSI Claw A1M's key specs?**

MSI Claw A1M (MSI): cpu Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (Meteor Lake @ up to 4.6 GHz), gpu tflops 4.5, ram gb 16, storage gb 512, max resolution 1920x1080. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-15.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSI_Claw_A1M (en.wikipedia.org, accessed 2026-06-15)
Corroboration: https://www.msi.com/Gaming-Handheld/MSI-Claw-A1M (accessed 2026-06-15)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/game-consoles/msi-claw-a1m/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the MSI Claw A1M price of record was $699 as of 2026-06-15 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/game-consoles/msi-claw-a1m/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl