February 25, 2025 -

Hi mates,

I can have a msi claw A1M 512go/ultra 5 for 300 euros in excellent condition.

I already have a steam deck lcd but I need to upgrade cause on most of recent aaa games, I cant reach 30 fps.

How is msi claw a1m now ? Is it better than SD ? How is it compared to a rog ally with z1 extreme ?

Thanks

September 24, 2025 -

I just started up my claw a1m and there was in the center M 2 updates, 1 for the center M and 1 for the bios. My husband says i shouldn’t do a bios update unless there are problems. But I wonder if this philosophy counts for handhelds too. I was told to always do every update that appears in center M.

April 8, 2026 -

Installing now on my MSI claw 8 ai+

Version 2.0.60325.0

Nothing new....

Also new Intel whql GPU driver is out.

December 17, 2025 -

Has anyone experienced this issue, when I go to update anything via the MSI center M it opens the update screen, says downloading and then stays on 0 until it says 'No internet Connection'?

I've got internet and have all the windows updates, just can't update any of these

July 16, 2025 -

After uninstalling the typical office bloatware etc I've tried to do all the updates the MSI updater gave me. I think I should be on the latest version by now?

But the software is extremely buggy and very frustrating to work with.

After every startup I can't launch my overlay (it's on auto start) the device starts to vibrate every 3/4 seconds and the RGB also turns on and off while this is happening (probably because it's not registering or something?) the overlay doesn't start up if I use the face buttons or even just clicking on the launcher. It sometimes takes 5 minutes and afterwards it crashes. Games that worked fine in the review I saw run around 20 fps on my device with horrible stutters.

I have no idea how to fix it. I've tried installing firmware by hand but it's not downloading so I assume I'm on the latest drivers? (I'll post a pic of my update info)

I heard everyone say that the device is fixed now and that all the reviews are old and that most of it has been fixed, but I've only been able to run one game normally.

August 4, 2025 -

I bought it knowing that I was buying the cheapest and weakest handheld PC available. I found the Ultra 5 version used for around €250. I decided to buy it with the intention of playing Call of Duty Black ops6: Zombies while my main laptop was on a spa trip under warranty. I've been playing with it for 3 days now. And today it really surprised me.

Yesterday the game was running at 60fps at the lowest settings, at 720p with xess on balanced, the game was playable but very blurry.

Today, after Windows settled in, the game runs very well at 1600x900 on basic settings, with Intel Xess set to balanced, reaching over 70 FPS. I'm surprised.

I wasn't expecting much. The game runs very smoothly and easily. Other games do too. Ultimately, I was thinking about emulating the Switch on it, and playing games like Castlevania, Fallout, and Skyrim. But I feel like it'll surprise me more than once. I consciously chose this model because it's practically the cheapest handheld PC available. Without expecting much, I gained a lot.

Can anyone offer any helpful advice regarding this device? I've given up on messing with the BIOS. It's up to date, but after making changes, it didn't work well. After restoring the BIOS to its default settings, everything works great. Since I'm playing Call of Duty, Linux is out of the question for now.

August 18, 2025 -

Hello I am planning to purchase msi claw ultra 7 version any updates on the latest firmware,bios performance improvements?

September 24, 2025 -

Hello my fellow MSI Claw A1M gamers!

I've been using Claw A1M Ultra 7 for 10 months now and i have to say thanks you to anyone in this sub who helped me a lot about this handheld. I've been learning so many things in this sub and it helped me to get best of A1M, you guys are the best!

Since many people have been asking me about A1M optimization so i finally decided to make the guide. I will try to make it as easy as possible to understand and for you to follow. Although this guide won't be short but i will to make it as short as possible, more explanation later on comment section.

This guide will be split into basic and advanced level of optimization.

Basic Optimization

This is a must do optimization but also the safer one because it don't really need you to change BIOS settings, the only time you need to enter BIOS is when you want to update BIOS because you may need to reverts BIOS settings to default. So, here is what you need to do :

1\. On Windows go to Settings > System > Power & Battery. Click on Power Mode, change this settings :

• Plugged in : Balanced

• On battery : Balanced

2\. Disable Windows Core Isolation Memory Integrity.

• Open Windows Security, go to Device security > Core isolation.

• Set Memory integrity to off.

By doing this will makes CPU usage a lot lighter which improve gaming performance.

3\. If you are on Windows 11 24H2 with build 26100.6584 or newer you need to disable AI service.

• Press Windows key + R, type: services.msc

• Find WSAIFabricSvc then double click on it.

• Change Startup type to Disabled, click Stop and OK.

This service sometimes can cause CPU usage spike, it only useful for Copilot and you don't need it anyway for gaming.

4\. You need to update all drivers, firmware and BIOS from MSI Center M.

- If you are using Center M 1.x :

• Open Center M. Go to Settings (gear icon), select Live update then scan. Update everything on the list.

- If you are using Center M 2.x :

• Open Center M. Go to News and Update (middle icon with circle arrow), select update then scan. Update everything on the list.

It may ask you to reboot during the process.

- If you have problem with BIOS update you can go to this post and make sure to check comment section because the guide is there : MSI Claw A1M Performance Tested with BIOS E1T41IMS.10E : r/MSIClaw

- If you have problem with firmware like experiencing controller button bug, RGB lights doesn't work, or you have Center M bug which causing high CPU during idle then you can follow this post : How To Fix MSI Center M 2.0.2507.2801 Bug Which Causing High CPU : r/MSIClaw

5\. Update Intel Arc drivers from Intel websites because the one on Center M is already outdated. Download it from here : Intel® Arc™ & Iris® Xe Graphics - Windows

I recommend you to download version 101.6881, this is last stable version so far from my daily use. Arc drivers version 101.70xx causing issues with some game so i don't recommend it.

6\. You need to change some settings from Intel Graphics Software to maximize game compatibility and performance. This is what i recommend you to do :

- Open Intel Graphics Software, go to Graphics menu then set it like this :

• Endurance Gaming : Off

• Frame Synchronization : Application Choice

• FPS Limiter : Off

• Adaptive Tesselation : Off

Leave other options to default.

- Then go to Display menu and set it like this :

• Scaling Mode : GPU Scaling

• Scaling Method : Preserve Aspect Ratio

• Variable Refresh Rate : Enabled

Leave other options to default.

7\. MSI Center M user scenario profiles. I recommend you to use Manual mode because this give you the most consistent performance. Open Center M > User Scenario. Select Manual and set to this :

- TDP Adjuster AC (Plugged in) :

• PL1 : 37

• PL2 : 38

- TDP Adjuster DC (Battery) :

• PL1 : 25

• PL2 : 27

For DC mode it's optional, you can set whatever value but for me that's what give playable performance for most game while also give better battery life than default profiles.

Advanced Optimization

This is not for beginner. Only do this if you know what are you doing and understand the risk. Any wrong doing can cause harm to the handheld, if you do it correctly then you will be safe. So do it at your own risk!

This require you to change a lot BIOS settings, but this guide only focusing on getting better gaming performance. For this guide you must have USB keyboard (wireless keyboard works too as long it is 2.4Ghz wireless, not bluetooth). Plugged in your keyboard then follow this guide :

1\. During boot enter BIOS by pressing DEL, keep pressing it until BIOS screen showed up.

2\. Unlock hidden BIOS menu. To do this you need to press Left ALT + F2 + Right CTRL + Right Shift. You need to press those button at the same time. If you are successful then BIOS screen will showed up like below :

MSI Claw A1M Hidden BIOS

3\. Go to Advanced menu > Power & Performance. Select Overclocking Lock then press enter, change it to Disabled.

4\. Go to Advanced menu > Power & Performance > CPU - Power Management Control > CPU Lock Configuration. Set CFG Lock to Disabled.

Once you done this go to Save & Exit menu, select Save Changes and Reset, then OK.

5\. Enter BIOS again and unlock hidden BIOS like in step 2. Go to Advanced menu, set to this :

• Intel Virtualization Technology : Disabled (If you use VM then leave this enabled)

• Hyper-Threading : Disabled (You don't need this because it makes CPU power consumption higher, E cores is faster than HT anyway)

• CPU C states : Enabled (This save a lot power during idle, only disable this option if you have problem with some game which caused by C states)

6\. On Advanced menu, go to System Agent (SA) Configuration > VT-d setup menu. Set VT-d to Disabled.

VT-d option should looks like this :

MSI Claw A1M Hidden BIOS VT-d

- If VT-d option is greyed out then you need to do this :

• Go to Advanced menu > CPU Configuration. Scroll down until you see X2APIC, set X2APIC Enable to Disabled.

• Go back to System Agent (SA) Configuration > VT-d setup menu. You should be able to disable VT-d now.

7\. Back to Advanced, go to CPU Configuration and set it to this :

• CPU Flex Ratio Override : Enabled

• CPU Flex Ratio Settings : 30

To change Flex Ratio Settings value you need to press number on the keyboard.

Flex value refers to base clock speed, setting it like above will force it to works on default base clock, this also fixed the issue where on Windows your CPU clock speed detected as 1.4GHz or lower.

Do we need to change CPU turbo boost? Yes, but i will explain it after this.

Go to Save & Exit menu, select Save Changes and Reset, then OK. Now we are done with BIOS settings.

Advanced Optimization: CPU Tuning with QuickCPU

The reason why we don't do it on BIOS is because first lowering CPU clock speed means slower OS boot and startup time, second is because it's not flexible to do it on BIOS. What we gonna do instead is changing it on Windows using QuickCPU, it will be a lot easier when you want to find correct CPU boost tune for specific game, or if you want to go back with default boost settings.

You need to download QuickCPU. I recommend you to use version 4.11 to make it easier to follow this guide, or you can download it from this link : https://[]mega[].nz/file/GNs3UIaa#YUvqaciXrK825x8amSaKoMcohibklF3mHYyOKgoTOw4

Note: Remove [] on the link.

QuickCPU 4.11

Install QuickCPU then you can follow this steps :

1\. Open QuickCPU. Click Advanced CPU Settings at the top.

2\. On All Controls menu, set it like this :

• General Monitor : On

• Core Limits and Ratios Monitor : On

3\. Before you change CPU boost clock first you need to make 2 profiles. Default and for gaming. Setup default profile first, go to Turbo Limits and Ratios menu, make sure every lock icon has been set to Unlocked. Make sure Turbo Ratios was set like this for Ultra 7 155H :

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H Default Boost Clock

- Not sure what Ultra 5 135H default value because i can't find it, but maybe it will be something like this :

• Core 1 to Core 4 : 46, 46, 44, 44

• Core 5 to Core 12 : 36, 36, 36, 36, 29, 29, 26, 26

4\. Make default profile. Go to Custom Profile menu, click Create Profile.

Set it like this :

Default Intel Profile

Once you done you can click Save.

5\. Then we need to setup profile for gaming. Go to General menu, set Performance / Energy Policy to 60%

This will balance CPU EPP to makes iGPU performs better.

6\. Go to Turbo Limits and Ratios menu, make sure every lock icon has been set to Unlocked. This tune is balanced so it performs good on any game, you can set it like this for Ultra 7 155H :

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU Tune

- Since A1M Ultra 5 only has 4P + 8E cores, you can set it to this for Ultra 5 135H :

• Core 1 to Core 4 : 40, 38, 36, 34

• Core 5 to Core 12 : 32, 30, 26, 24, 22, 22, 19, 19

Once you done click Apply.

7\. Make gaming profile. Go to Custom Profile menu, click Create Profile.

Set it like this :

Gaming Profile

Once you done click Save.

You can change CPU boost clock profile whenever you want.

8\. Enable auto startup, to do this go to Options menu. Click on Start application on system startup, Startup on system tray and Minimize to system tray. Make sure those options has been checked.

Finally we are done!

Advanced Optimization: CPU Undervolt (Extra performance with extra risk!)

This is just optional to maximize performance and efficiency even further, by doing undervolt it will makes CPU consume less power, runs cooler but also give you better performance. This is possible because basically you are lowering voltage requirements for the CPU, every CPU was set from factory with higher voltage because silicon wasn't made the same, so they have minimum voltage requirements higher than it actually needed.

However if you do undervolt wrong then you may experience lower performance, system crash like blue screen, Windows fail to boot or even worse your handheld won't even boot at all. Proceed everything with your own risk!

To undervolt you can enter BIOS, do hidden BIOS thing like before. Go to Advanced menu > Power & Performance > CPU - Power Management Control > CPU VR Settings > Efficiency/Performance VR Settings. Set to this

• VR Config Enable : Enabled

• AC Loadline : 150

• DC Loadline : 190

Then you can go to Save & Exit menu, select Save Changes and Reset, then OK.

Default value is 190. Baseline value for undervolt is 150. This is the safest settings and the most stable for Intel Meteor Lake chip, you won't lose performance either.

Mine was set with AC Loadline : 130. It's stable but because i have better binned chip. I can go lower like 120 but i will lose CPU performance about 3-5% even though i don't experience blue screen.

If you want to go crazy you can lower value by 10 from 150 but only if you won silicon lottery like me hahaha.

Honestly it took so long for me to make this post, this must be the longest post i've ever made LOL
I might update this post when needed. Hopefully this guide can helps anyone, feel free to ask me in the comment section!

Happy gaming my fellow MSI Claw gamers!

March 1, 2026 -

battery life is just a countdown, the software msi center freezes and bugs out often. it looks bad . its garbage

February 17, 2025 -

I have had my MSI Claw A1M for about one week now and Im extremely impressed (and confused). For reference I have had the Steam Deck (a few times), Asus Rog Ally Z1, Z1 Extreme, more GPD devices that I want to admit to and a few AyaNeo devices. All have been good in their way but Ive always wanted more and they all have been lacking something for me. It has been screen issues, problems with the SD card reader, no thunderbolt, to big, to small, to hot, to heavy, strange settings making the already problematic battery capasity even worse to keep optimised when Im far from a outlet.

I did not own a MSI Claw from the start and I cant really say Ive felt the progress with the lates updates but the product as for right now where Im holding one in my hand is very good. The current reviews that you can find on Youtube and even on here is not in anyway giving this device a correct image of its possibilities. This was also the case for the current and previous versions of Intels GPUs. They where really lacking in the start but after constant updates and showing that hey (at least that part of Intel) where listening to the communities.

The screen is on par with the Asus ROG Ally (if not the same?), the battery is a bit better than the competition, the performance as of now is the same and in my tests on the games that I play, a bit better than the Z1 extreme, heck some games that did not play well on the Z1 extreme runs very well on the Ultra 7, the speakers are out of this world and its weight and size is extremely well balanced in my hands and last but not least the long charging cable thats included is a game changer when you are home. And if you are looking for a desktop/laptop replacement the MSI Claw is a an better option, this CPU paired with an EGPU will outperform the Z1 extreme. Even the AI profile, a thing that I thought i would hate, as a person who likes to fiddle with settings and tuning my own profiles. This "AI" profile is working really well and is taking away allot of complexity from using a Windows handheld on the go for not tech savvy users.

I know this device is replaced with a new generation, but allot of people are still going to buy previous generations of these devices as they are still in stock world wide and the prices are dropping and dont forget the latest Asus Rog Ally X was released still rocking previous generation hardware. For allot of users this hardware configuration and price point is a sweet spot. Im not to afraid of updates and driver support, as this hardware configuration in most part was also quite popular in laptops but If we want MSI to continue with their support and software integration we need to clear this device from its undeserving bad reputation.

So Im hoping you reviewers The Phawx, Retro Game Corps and so on can go back to the shelf, pick the Claw down and give it all the updates and from there make the updated review the MSI Claw A1M deserves. Allot of the reviews that was made a year a go was also made at a point where Asus heavily discounted the price on the Asus Rog Ally and it had its course of updates over a 12 months period. This is all in all painting a picture of a defective device, not worthy of anyones time. While that might have been true at some point it could not be further away from whats the case now.

I have allot of respect for the time and effort allot of you reviewers in this space put down to paint a picture of what we should and should consider to pickup for our selfs and to point fingers at large corporations when they are not living up what they promise. I just think its also important to give respect where its right to do so, in cases like this. Where Intel and MSI clearly has fixed initial problems and made a great device in a marked where we need and want more innovation and more competition.

September 3, 2025 -

Hi! I’m still considering buying an MSI Claw A1M with the Ultra 7. I found an almost new one for €188 / $219 (converted from my currency). Do you think it’s worth it in 2025? Is the first-gen Claw still a good choice? Can it run new games like Hogwarts Legacy, Indiana Jones or Mafia: Old Country? I know it had a rough launch, but I’ve heard updates improved performance a lot. This would be the cheapest handheld I can get, so I’m really torn. How does it handle new games? For me, the price is very tempting, but I don’t want to waste money on something outdated or underpowered. I don’t really play retro. I’m mostly interested in new games and want to hear from people who actually own the device. Can you help me out? Do you think this is a good choice that I won’t regret?

May 16, 2025 -

Considering getting a refurb one but I see bad reviews

April 22, 2026 -

To MSI Claw a1m users especially long term owners: how is your experience with it performance wise? Is it better and faster than when you first got it?

I'm in the market for a handheld PC and am looking for options under 15 million VND (600 USD) new or used. The MSI caught my attention being the only one with Intel. I know that the driver is not as mature but between Intel's constant update and additional features such as XeSS updates, I wonder if the performance is better than comparable Z1E handhelds

July 25, 2025 -

Msi claw 7 a1m 155h vs the z2 extreme at 1080p on steam deck preset on xess 2.0 balanced vs eta prime msi A8 in cyberpunk. No frame gen. I got my Msi claw for 280$. Its currently running perfectly on 11 core 11 thread setup. Performance is almost equal to an A8. Also how is the performance on 8 Ai+ on same settings?

February 28, 2026 -

how is it in battery life in silent or balanced mode? any pet peeves is it loud did something break? or is it all honeymoon and roses for you? id love to hear about it im planning on selling lenovo go S and getting the claw

November 17, 2025 -

Hi gang I keep updating my intel graphics drivers and it’s always rolling back to aprils version of the updates no matter how many time reinstall the drivers delete them this and that do I just use whql updates instead ?

Thanks in advance !

February 3, 2026 -

So for reference I have a basic gaming pc and I think the idea of a portable gaming pc is very cool, they have always a bit to pricy for me to be worth while to buy one, but I see MSI claw A1M I7 version handhelds for under 500$ aud used, is it worth me buying one, or is performance still hindered by drivers or can I tweak it to perform really well?

September 19, 2025 -

Hey everyone!

First off, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been supporting me, especially over these past few days. Your positive energy has been incredible, and it really means a lot to me.

So, here it is: the MSI Claw optimization guide. To make sure I could cover everything properly without making the video too long, I’ve decided to split it into two parts. This is Part 1, dedicated to BIOS optimization, and it’s all for you.

A quick but important note: these optimizations will most likely work for other MSI Claw models, and could even be useful for other handheld PCs as well.

I’m showing you the exact, step-by-step process I used on my own device. This is the same optimization I used in my game test videos to get those high frame rates.

you do not need to spend 1000 to 1500 dollars just to get good fps. this device has good price to performance and with right optimizations , it's pretty good

English is not my first language, so my speaking style is a bit slow — wanted to keep it clear for everyone. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy the guide!

Thanks again for all your support. If you have any suggestions, or if there’s a specific game you’d like me to test on this device, please let me know in the comments below.

Your support is what will help me release Part 2—which covers Windows optimization and is a crucial part of this guide—even faster!

video link:

https://youtu.be/7_z1G8_x97s

sub so you won't miss anything, Thanks. https://www.youtube.com/@AlirezA_H.M?sub_confirmation=1 Thanks for your support, i won't let you down

Also check god of war ragnorak on optimized msi claw a1m https://www.reddit.com/r/MSIClaw/comments/1ni74uw/comment/nek1kej/

Also check ratchet and clack rift apart on optimized claw a1m , it's hitting 80fps too https://www.reddit.com/r/MSIClaw/comments/1nip9bw/comment/nekjmsy/

May 18, 2025 -

im thinking about selling my legion go and buy either a steam deck, rog ally, msi claw but idk if the msi claw is still buggy and has alot of fps drops in games. Thanks