With PL2 set to a higher value than PL1, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ reportedly performs at least 10% better than with the previous settings.

The only Lunar Lake-based gaming handheld was apparently held by a particular setting, which unknowingly caused a major impact on the MSI Claw 8 AI+'s performance. reports that in their review, they matched the power limits, PL2 to PL1, which supposedly shouldn't be equal, but it stops the handheld from reaching its full potential. After Intel's message, they conducted the test again, and thankfully, MSI rolled out the new Center M app update soon enough that it locks the PL2 to at least 1W higher than PL1.

This way, the values for both power limits cannot be equal, and a higher PL2 would allow the Lunar Lake chip to extract more performance. As per Intel, it's best to set 37W as the value for PL2, which is the maximum TDP for Lunar Lake chips. With the latest software update and the same GPU drivers used previously, Techpowerup was able to achieve a nearly 10% boost in performance across majority of games and in some cases, up to 30%.

The charts show that Cyberpunk 2077 and Space Marine 2 were heavily influenced by the new update. Space Marine 2 showcased a performance boost of nearly 31% at 15W, easily crushing the ROG Ally and the ZOTAC Zone handhelds. At 25W and 30W, we saw nearly 5-10% better performance in multiple games at 1080p and even better 1% Lows than before.

That said, users who own the MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld should update to the latest version of the MSI Center M to see the boost out of the box. With the new settings, the MSI Claw 8 easily climbs to the top spot, comfortably beating the ZOTAC Zone and the ROG Ally. Unlike previously, in lower power mode (15W), the Claw 8 will not only increase battery life but also deliver higher frame rates for smoother gameplay. Of course, one would be better off by lowering the resolution to 720p or 800p for a satisfactory gameplay experience, but the new FPS boost will now be noticeable.