Intel has announced to bring back free coffee and tea for its employees after slashing a number of employee benefits in a bid to reduce costs. 

In August of this year, Intel decided to lay off 15,000 workers. Alongside these layoffs, Intel also scaled back several employee perks, including reimbursements for expenses such as internet, phone, and travel costs. 

As part of its broader cost-cutting strategy, Intel focused on reducing expenditures across various non-essential areas. Intel also brought changes to employee benefits, including reduced reimbursements for expenses like internet, phone, and commuting.

However, in a recent communication to employees, the company acknowledged that while it continues to face financial challenges, certain perks—like free coffee and tea—are essential for maintaining a positive workplace environment.

Intel’s internal message, shared on its employee platform ‘Circuit’, emphasized the importance of small comforts in the workplace. 

“Although Intel still faces cost challenges, we understand that small comforts play a significant role in our daily routines. We know this is a small step, but we hope it is a meaningful one in supporting our workplace culture,” the company stated.

Intel, once a dominant force in the tech industry, has experienced a series of setbacks that have diminished its competitive edge. Although the company was a key player in the personal computer revolution of the 1990s, it lagged behind in the mobile chip market, allowing Apple to rise to prominence with the launch of the iPhone.

Acer has launched the Nitro V 16 gaming laptop in India. The new laptop, claimed to be designed for gamers and creators, is available in two configurations with 14th-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. It is also equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics processing unit (GPU). The Acer Nitro V 16 has a 16-inch WUXGA display, up to 512GB of storage, and offers connectivity options such as Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4.

Acer Nitro V 16 Price in India

The Acer Nitro V 16 with Intel Core i5 14450HX CPU is priced at Rs. 99,999 in India whereas the variant with Intel Core i7 14650HX CPU carries a price tag of Rs. 1,09,999. It will go on sale through Acer’s online store, Acer’s exclusive stores, Flipkart, Amazon, and other offline stores. 

Acer Nitro V 16 Specifications

Acer Nitro V16 runs on Windows 11 Home and features a 16-inch WUXGA display with IPS technology and a 165Hz refresh rate. The display is equipped with ComfyView LED-backlit TFT LCD to minimise glare.

The Acer Nitro V 16 can be configured with 14th-generation Intel Core i7 14650HX or Intel Core i5 14450HX processors. The laptop is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM. You’ll also get up to 512GB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage.

Acer has included a full-size numeric keypad with Amber backlighting on the Nitro V 16. It has a multi-gesture touchpad as well. The laptop comes with an MSFT Pluton Security processor for firmware TPM solutions and a Kensington lock slot. It also has Acer’s Purified Voice technology that utilises AI noise reduction through a three-microphone array. Further, the laptop is compatible with Copilot and includes Acer’s in-house TrueHarmony technology for enhanced audio quality.

For connectivity, the Acer Nitro V 16 has USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, and an Ethernet (RJ-45) port. It also gets Wi-Fi 6 support. The laptop weighs 2.5 kilograms.

 

Acer has launched the Nitro V 16 gaming laptop in India. The new laptop, claimed to be designed for gamers and creators, is available in two configurations with 14th-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. It is also equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics processing unit (GPU). The Acer Nitro V 16 has a 16-inch WUXGA display, up to 512GB of storage, and offers connectivity options such as Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4.

Acer Nitro V 16 Price in India

The Acer Nitro V 16 with Intel Core i5 14450HX CPU is priced at Rs. 99,999 in India whereas the variant with Intel Core i7 14650HX CPU carries a price tag of Rs. 1,09,999. It will go on sale through Acer’s online store, Acer’s exclusive stores, Flipkart, Amazon, and other offline stores. 

Acer Nitro V 16 Specifications

Acer Nitro V16 runs on Windows 11 Home and features a 16-inch WUXGA display with IPS technology and a 165Hz refresh rate. The display is equipped with ComfyView LED-backlit TFT LCD to minimise glare.

The Acer Nitro V 16 can be configured with 14th-generation Intel Core i7 14650HX or Intel Core i5 14450HX processors. The laptop is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM. You’ll also get up to 512GB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage.

Acer has included a full-size numeric keypad with Amber backlighting on the Nitro V 16. It has a multi-gesture touchpad as well. The laptop comes with an MSFT Pluton Security processor for firmware TPM solutions and a Kensington lock slot. It also has Acer’s Purified Voice technology that utilises AI noise reduction through a three-microphone array. Further, the laptop is compatible with Copilot and includes Acer’s in-house TrueHarmony technology for enhanced audio quality.

For connectivity, the Acer Nitro V 16 has USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, and an Ethernet (RJ-45) port. It also gets Wi-Fi 6 support. The laptop weighs 2.5 kilograms.

 

Biden administration officials have discussed capping sales of advanced AI chips from Nvidia and other American companies on a country-specific basis, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would limit some nations’ Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.

The new approach would set a ceiling on export licenses for certain countries in the interest of national security, according to the people, who described the private discussions on condition of anonymity. Officials are focused on Persian Gulf countries that have a growing appetite for AI data centers and the deep pockets to fund them, the people said.

Deliberations are in early stages and remain fluid, the people said, noting that the idea has gained traction in recent weeks. The policy would build on a new framework to ease the licensing process for AI chip shipments to data centers in places like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Commerce Department officials unveiled those regulations last month and said there are more rules coming. 

The agency’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which oversees export controls, declined to comment. Nvidia, the market leader for AI chips, also declined to comment, as did Advanced Micro Devices. A representative for Intel, which also makes such processors, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council declined to comment on the talks but pointed to a recent joint statement by the US and UAE on artificial intelligence. In it, the two countries acknowledged the “tremendous potential of AI for good,” as well as the “challenges and risks of this emerging technology and the vital importance of safeguards.”

Setting country-based caps would tighten restrictions that originally targeted China’s ambitions in Artificial Intelligence (AI), as Washington considers the security risks of AI development around the world. Already, the Biden administration has restricted AI chip shipments by companies like Nvidia and AMD to more than 40 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia over fears their products could be diverted to China. 

At the same time, some US officials have come to view semiconductor export licenses, particularly for Nvidia chips, as a point of leverage to achieve broader diplomatic goals. That could include asking key companies to reduce ties with China to gain access to US technology — but the concerns extend beyond Beijing. 

“We will have to have a conversation with countries around the world about how they plan to use these capabilities,” Tarun Chhabra, senior director of technology at the National Security Council, said at a forum in June without naming specific nations. “If you’re talking about countries that have a really robust internal surveillance apparatus, then we have to think about: How exactly will they use these capabilities to supercharge that kind of surveillance, and what will that look like?” 

There’s also the question of how global AI development could affect American intelligence operations, said Maher Bitar, another NSC official. “What are the risks not just on human rights grounds, but also in terms of the security and the counterintelligence risks to our personnel around the world?” Bitar said at the same event.  

It’s unclear how leading AI chipmakers would react to additional US restrictions. When the Biden administration first issued sweeping chip regulations for China, Nvidia redesigned its AI offerings to ensure it can keep selling into that market.

If the administration moves forward with country-based caps, it may prove difficult to deliver a comprehensive new policy in the final months of President Joe Biden’s term. Such rules could be challenging to enforce and would be a major test of US diplomatic relationships. 

Governments around the world are in a quest for so-called sovereign AI — the ability to build and run their own AI systems — and that pursuit has become a key driver of demand for advanced processors, according to Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang. Nvidia’s chips are the gold standard for data-center operators, making the company the world’s most valuable chipmaker and the top beneficiary of the AI boom.

China, meanwhile, is working to develop its own advanced semiconductors, though they still trail the best American chips. Still, there’s concern among US officials that if Huawei Technologies Co. or another foreign maker one day offers a viable alternative to Nvidia chips — presumably with fewer strings attached — that could weaken the US ability to shape the global AI landscape.

Some US officials argue that’s only a distant possibility, and that the Washington should adopt a more restrictive approach to global AI chip exports given its current negotiating position. Others warn against making it too difficult for other countries to buy American technology, in the event China gains ground and captures those customers. 

While officials have debated the best approach, they’ve slowed high-volume AI chip license approvals to the Middle East and elsewhere. But there are signs things could get moving soon: Under the new rules for shipments to data centers, US officials will vet and preapprove specific customers based on security commitments from both the companies and their national governments, paving the way for easier licensing down the road.

© 2024 Bloomberg LP

Arm Holdings approached Intel about potentially buying the ailing chipmaker’s product division, only to be told that the business isn’t for sale, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

In the high-level inquiry, Arm didn’t express interest in Intel’s manufacturing operations, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. Intel has two main units: a product group that sells chips for personal computers, servers and networking equipment, and another that operates its factories.

Representatives for Arm and Intel declined to comment.

Intel, once the world’s largest chipmaker, has become the target of takeover speculation since a rapid deterioration of its business this year. The company delivered a disastrous earnings report last month — sending its shares on their worst rout in decades — and is slashing 15,000 jobs to save money. It’s also scaling back factory expansion plans and halting its long-cherished dividend.

As part of its turnaround efforts, Intel is separating the chip product division from its manufacturing operations. The move is aimed at attracting outside customers and investors, but it also lays the groundwork for the company to be split up — something Intel has considered, Bloomberg reported last month.

Arm, which is majority-owned by SoftBank Group Corp., makes much of its revenue selling chip designs for smartphones. But Chief Executive Officer Rene Haas has sought to broaden its reach outside of that industry. That’s included a push into personal computers and servers, where its chip designs are going up against Intel’s. Though Intel doesn’t have the technological edge it once held, the Santa Clara, California-based company remains dominant in those markets. 

Combining with Intel would help Arm’s reach and kick-start a move toward selling more of its own products. The company currently licenses technology and designs to customers, who then turn them into complete components. Its client list includes the biggest names in technology, such as Amazon.com, Qualcomm, and Samsung Electronics.

Under Haas, the company has moved more in the direction of offering fully formed products — potentially putting it in competition with its licensees.

Arm, based in Cambridge, England, only has a fraction of the revenue of Intel. But its valuation has soared since an initial public offering last year and now stands at more than $156 billion (roughly Rs. 13,05,862 crore). Investors see the company as a beneficiary of the AI spending boom, especially as it moves further into data center chips. Arm also has the backing of Japan’s SoftBank, which owns an 88 percent stake, potentially giving the company additional financial clout.

Intel, in contrast, has lost more than half its value this year and has a current market capitalization of $102.3 billion (roughly Rs. 8,56,344 crore). But the company has other options to consider. Apollo Global Management Inc. offered to make an investment in the company, Bloomberg reported this week. The firm indicated in recent days that it would be willing to put in as much as $5 billion, marking a vote of confidence for CEO Pat Gelsinger.

Intel also plans to sell part of its stake in semiconductor maker Altera Corp. to private equity investors. That business, which the chipmaker bought in 2015, was separated from Intel’s operations last year with the goal of taking it public. And speculation of a Qualcomm takeover boosted Intel shares in the past week.

© 2024 Bloomberg LP

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Apollo Global Management has offered to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Intel, according to people familiar with the matter, in a move that would be a vote of confidence in the chipmaker’s turnaround strategy.

The alternative asset manager has indicated in recent days it would be willing to make an equity-like investment of as much as $5 billion (roughly Rs. 41,753 crore) in Intel, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information. Intel executives have been weighing Apollo’s proposal, the people said. 

Nothing has been finalised, the size of the potential investment could change and discussions could fall through, resulting in no deal, the people added.  

The development comes as San Diego-based Qualcomm floats a friendly takeover of Intel, people with knowledge of the matter said on Saturday, raising the prospect of one of the biggest-ever M&A deals.

Representatives for Apollo and Intel declined to comment. 

Under Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger, Intel has been working on an expensive plan to remake itself and bring in new products, technology and outside customers.

That initiative has led to a series of worsening earnings reports that have undermined confidence in the initiative and knocked tens of billions of dollars off its market value. While Apollo may best be known today for its insurance, buyout and credit strategies, the firm started out in the 1990s as a distressed-investing specialist.

The companies already have a relationship. Santa Clara, California-based Intel agreed in June to sell a stake in a joint venture that controls a plant in Ireland for $11 billion (roughly Rs. 91,857 crore) to Apollo, bringing in more external funding for a massive expansion of its factory network. 

Apollo also has other experience in the chipmaking space. Last year, the New York-based firm agreed to lead a $900 million (roughly Rs. 7,515 crore) investment in Western Digital Corp., buying convertible preferred stock. 

© 2024 Bloomberg LP

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Qualcomm has in recent days approached Intel to explore a potential acquisition of the troubled chipmaker, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday, in what could be a transformational deal in the sector but faces many hurdles.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon is personally involved in the negotiations to acquire five-decade-old Intel, according to the source who was briefed on the matter. Another person familiar with the situation said Amon has been actively examining various options for a deal for the company.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Qualcomm explored the possibility of acquiring portions of Intel’s design business and that its PC design unit was of particular interest. Qualcomm executives were examining Intel’s entire portfolio of businesses.

The conversations with Intel are at an early stage. The San Diego-based company has not made a formal offer for Intel, according to third person familiar with the matter.

The sources requested anonymity as the discussions are confidential.

Intel declined to comment. Qualcomm did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Intel’s shares closed up 3.3%, while Qualcomm fell 2.9%.

The approach by Qualcomm comes at a moment of weakness for Intel, which was once the most valuable chipmaker in the world, but whose shares have lost nearly 60% of their value since the start of the year.

A deal, should it go ahead, would likely invite scrutiny from antitrust regulators in the United States, China and Europe. Qualcomm may be required to divest parts of Intel in order to gain regulatory approvals.

A bid would mark the biggest takeover attempt in the technology industry since Broadcom sought to buy Qualcomm for $142 billion in 2018, before President Donald Trump nixed the tie-up, citing national security risks.

Reuters could not determine how Qualcomm, which has a market value of $188 billion, would finance a bid for Intel, which is valued at $122 billion, including its debt.

Qualcomm has roughly $13 billion in cash, according to recent company filings.

It is also unclear how Qualcomm would handle the takeover of Intel’s contract manufacturing business. To build chips with an atomic level of precision, Intel has invested hundreds of billions of dollars over decades on its fabrication process and amassed tens of thousands of engineers to do it.

Qualcomm has never operated a chip factory, or fab, and currently contracts the likes of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and uses designs and other technology supplied by Arm Holdings.

Intel’s Woes

Once the dominant force in chipmaking, Intel ceded its manufacturing edge to Taiwanese rival TSMC and failed to produce a widely desired chip for the generative AI boom capitalized on by Nvidia and AMD.

Intel has been attempting to turn its business around by focusing on AI processors and creating a chip contract manufacturing business, known as a foundry.

As part of a memo from CEO Pat Gelsinger, Intel released a series of announcements that stemmed from a board meeting last week. Gelsinger and other executives presented a plan to shave off businesses and restructure the company, Reuters has previously reported.

The company plans to pause construction on factories in Poland and Germany, and reduce its real estate holdings. Intel also said it had reached a deal to make a custom networking chip for Amazon.com’s AWS.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Qualcomm’s talks with Intel earlier on Friday.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

Intel Core Ultra 200V series CPUs – dubbed Lunar Lake – were launched in India on Thursday, roughly eight days after their global debut. It is the second generation artificial intelligence (AI) enabled processors launched by the company, following the launch of Meteor Lake CPUs in December 2023. Coupled with several AI-accelerated features, the Intel Core Ultra 200V series is capable of delivering a total of 67 trillion operations per second (TOPS). Lunar Lake is the first processor from the company to have the Microsoft Copilot+ label.

Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake Series Availability in India

Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake series-powered laptops will be available for preorder at retail platforms such as Amazon, Croma, Flipkart, Reliance Digital and Vijay Sales starting September 12. The devices can be purchased starting September 24.

This will include offerings from global manufacturers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, and Samsung.

Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake Series Features

According to Intel, its new lineup of processors features the company’s new Xe2 graphics architecture which claims to deliver 30 better performance when producing mobile graphics. The lineup includes nine new laptop processors equipped with eight CPU cores and up to eight GPU cores.

Its Intel Arc graphics processing unit (GPU) comprises eight second-generation Xe-cores, eight enhanced ray tracing units, support for up to three 4K monitors, and Intel Xe Matrix Extensions AI engines. Courtesy of these upgrades, it can deliver a performance of up to 67 TOPS. Intel says Lunar Lake CPUs boast 68 percent better graphics performance than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chipset.

For its development, the chipmaker collaborated with independent software vendors (ISVs) and optimised over 500 AI models, enabling PCs powered by this chipset to make full use of its AI capabilities.

As per the company, out of the eight cores, four are Lion Cove performance cores, while the other four are Skymont efficiency cores. All processors are equipped with support for up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM. In total, the new Core Ultra Series 2 processors offer a total of 120 TOPS across the CPU (5 TOPS), GPU (48 TOPS), and NPU (67 TOPS).

For connectivity, the chips support Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 (with LE Audio) and Gigabit Ethernet connection. Laptops, PCs and other devices powered by Intel Lunar Lake can be equipped with up to three Thunderbolt 4 ports, six USB 2.0, and two USB 3.0 ports.

Technology might seem like it’s constantly moving forward on a curve, but it’s often cyclical. Flip phones, instant cameras, and record players have all made a comeback. Now it’s the gaming handheld’s turn. While Nintendo has always had a handheld in the market, Windows-based portable gaming devices seem to have taken off in the past couple of years, with major manufacturers rushing to bring their products to market.

MSI is one of those manufacturers. The Taiwanese firm unveiled the MSI Claw A1M, its Intel-powered handheld gaming PC, in the sea of AMD-powered handheld gaming PCs at CES 2024. The device was officially launched in India in March, days after its global release, but initial availability was suspect. Now, the Claw is available in the Indian market in three variants — a base model running on Intel Core Ultra 5 processor and packing 512GB of SSD storage, a middle-tier model with Core Ultra 7 chipset and the same storage capacity and a top-end Core Ultra 7-powered model with 1TB of SSD storage.

The Core Ultra 5 model of the MSI Claw A1M launched in India at Rs. 88,990, while the Core Ultra 7 models were priced at Rs. 96,990 and Rs. 99,990 for the 512GB and 1TB storage variants, respectively. MSI has since revised the pricing for the handheld, slashing it down considerably to Rs. 59,990 for the base variant, with the two Core Ultra 7 variants coming in at Rs. 66,990 and Rs. 69,990.

But is the Meteor Lake-powered MSI Claw A1M a worthy competitor to products from Asus and Lenovo that run on the AMD Ryzen Z1 series of processors built specifically for gaming handhelds? I spent an extended period of time testing out the MSI Claw A1M, and while there are a few things the handheld does well, there’s a lot that misses the mark. As a Windows-based gaming handheld, the MSI Claw is competing with the ROG Ally and the Legion Go, but it often feels like it’s going against its own flaws.

The MSI Claw is much bigger and beefier than the Nintendo Switch

MSI Claw A1M Design: The right fit

• Dimensions – 294mm (width) x 117mm (depth) x 21.2mm (height)
• Weight – 675g
• Colour – Black

If you picked up the Claw and ignored the MSI branding on the front and back, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for the Asus ROG Ally. The Claw A1M arrived on the heels of the Ally, and you can’t help but feel that MSI took a few notes. I didn’t have the original ROG Ally at hand to compare, but the Claw sports a strikingly similar appearance to the ROG Ally X, especially since the refreshed handheld from Asus now comes in black.

The MSI Claw bears a striking resemblance to the ROG Ally

The Claw A1M is comfortable to hold despite weighing a little on the heavier side at 675g. My hands never tired of holding it up, even when I played on it straight for a couple of hours. The all-black plastic construction gives it a sturdy feel, and the grips’ angular curves settle into your palms reasonably naturally. The handheld’s ergonomic design and efficient layout ensure that you’re never sweating and stretching to reach a button, even if you have short thumbs like me.

The handheld, however, lacks a design flair — something to make it stand out. The ABXY buttons aren’t colour coded either, leaving the RGB lights to do the heavy lifting in terms of improving the overall dull look of the Claw. The ABXY face buttons and the Hall-Effect analogue sticks feel clicky and responsive, but the D-pad and the bumpers are a bit floaty and don’t give satisfying feedback. The four quick action buttons hugging either side of the display that bring up View, Menu, MSI Center M software and Quick Settings overlay also lack pronounced feedback.

The MSI Claw sports vents on its backside

MSI Claw A1M Display: Gets the job done

• Size – 7-inch “IPS-level” touch display
• Resolution – Full-HD (1,920×1,080 pixels)
• Refresh Rate – 120Hz 

The Claw’s 7-inch touch-enabled panel is a highlight. While this screen size is a little small for some Windows-based tasks (if you intend to use the handheld PC as a PC), it’s more than adequate for gaming — especially smaller indie titles and platformers. The display also goes up to 500 nits of peak brightness — enough for when you’re outdoors but not when you’re under direct sunlight. You also might want to keep the brightness on the lower side when indoors and during nighttime to conserve battery.

The screen is crisp and has good colours and responsive touch functions. I found myself navigating the Windows maze with a combination of the left analog stick as cursor control in Desktop Mode (we’ll get the two control modes later) and a touchscreen for basic input. The downside, however, is that the screen picks up fingerprints rather quickly, and a protector is recommended to help avoid scratches and smudges.

The Claw’s top side comes with a microSD card slot, a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack

MSI Claw A1M Software: More Windows PC than console

On the OS side, the MSI Claw A1M runs Windows 11 Home, with the handheld suffering familiar issues found in Windows-based handhelds. While Microsoft’s OS offers versatility and flexibility, the operating system just isn’t built to be intuitive on a 7-inch touchscreen. The constant bottlenecks, bugs, and run-of-the-mill Windows stuff prevent you from just picking up the handheld and playing. The never-ending Windows and Intel driver updates tend to make you groan every time they show up, and the handheld starts feeling like an insatiable beast that needs to be on a constant drip of updates to function.

Some OS-based issues also seem exacerbated on the MSI Claw A1M. In one instance, the taskbar stubbornly remained pinned inside the game window, with quitting and restarting the only measure that worked. In another instance, I’d keep getting notifications for an Intel driver update despite downloading the said update earlier. These issues, while small, tend to accumulate and become obstructive in the way of having fun. A handheld gaming device is all about convenience. It’s about picking it up, playing on your couch or bed, and not worrying about fixing stuff before you get it up and running. That’s where SteamOS on the Steam Deck, which offers a console-like intuitive experience, wins out over every other Windows-based handheld gaming PC.

The Windows OS and its never-ending updates can leave you frustrated

Windows-based gaming handhelds come with proprietary and custom software built by the manufacturer to streamline the user experience and act as a bridge to console-like intuitiveness. Asus puts the Armoury Crate SE software in the ROG Ally, and Lenovo offers the Legion Space interface on the Legion Go. These double as a central software hub from where you can launch your games across different services, tweak device settings, check for firmware updates, remap controller buttons, access captured media and more. While these don’t adequately mimic the native OS experience, they do help tide over some of the frustrations connected with Windows.

The Claw A1M comes with a similar software, called the MSI Center M. Contrary to make the software experience more palatable, the interface ends up marring the experience further. When it works, it works fine, but the MSI Center M, in my experience, remained a buggy, unreliable mess. The launcher presented a laggy interface that kept running into input issues. The Center M software, which can be brought up at any point by tapping the Claw key on the left edge of the display, often failed to register the left analog stick and button input, leaving me to rely on D-pad and touch input. Restarting the device fixed the problem every time, but it happened so often that I practically stopped using the custom interface altogether, only going in to tweak some settings.

The MSI Center M software presented several issues

MSI’s Quick Settings overlay was the worst UI/UX culprit on the device. To begin with, it often fails just to show up. I would press the Quick Settings key multiple times, only for the overlay to pop up seconds later. And bafflingly, when you tap on a particular option within the overlay to toggle it on or off, the touch input also registers on the window behind it. So, if you bring up the Quick Settings menu inside a game to monitor performance or take a screenshot, you’re likely to end up triggering an in-game action. 

Both the MSI Centre M and the Quick Settings interface let you swap between the two control modes — Desktop and Gamepad. The former is meant to be used outside of gaming while performing Windows-based tasks, while the latter is your primary control mode for playing games, essentially mimicking an Xbox controller. While you can manually change your control mode at any point, ideally, the handheld should detect the task you’re performing and switch to the mode best suited to it. And the MSI Claw A1M does that — except it did it so unreliably and inconsistently that almost never had the controls switched to Gamepad mode when entering a game. 

The Claw has trouble switching between the best-suited control mode

This would result in controller inputs not working, and manually switching the control mode wouldn’t fix the issue, either. So, I resorted to fidgeting with the in-game menu with the help of the touchscreen and the on-screen keyboard to change input methods or just give up, quit and restart — I found myself going with the latter after running out of patience at some point. 

MSI Claw A1M Performance: Not quite there

• Processor – Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 
• RAM – 16GB of LPDDR5-6400
• Storage – Up to 1TB NVMe SSD PCIe Gen4 + M.2 2230 SSD slot for additional storage
• Graphics – Intel Arc graphics

Before talking about performance, I should mention that the Core Ultra 7-powered review unit I received had already been used and had some software installed on it. As such, performance results could vary from that of a retail unit. Performance on the Claw A1M, despite a host of updates, remains inconsistent.

The chipset works across a TDP range of 20-35W on DC power (battery) and 20-40W on AC (while charging). These PL1 and PL2 (lower and higher power limits under load) values can be manually adjusted in settings, or you can choose between a selection of five pre-defined power profiles, or as MSI calls it, “User Scenarios” — Performance, Balanced, Super Battery, Manual and AI Engine — that run across a TDP range of 20-35W when unplugged (which is how I mostly played). Performance is supposed to yield the best framerates but drains power quickly. It’s best to use this profile while playing demanding modern games.

Playing Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on High preset, for instance, yielded frame rates in the range of 40-45fps. The average frame rate dropped to the low 30s in busy areas or action-heavy sequences. At Medium settings, the frame rates climbed to the 45-50fps range, with the average hovering around the 47fps mark. Playing the game in Low settings did not recover a lot of frames, with the average frame rate settling around 50fps. These numbers were observed in the Performance user scenario with Intel’s XeSS upscaling turned on in settings and the game running at 1080p resolution.

Switching the user scenario to Super Battery in a graphically demanding title like Ghost of Tsushima led to the frame rates taking a considerable hit. In this power profile, even on Low graphical present (albeit with 1080p resolution), performance stayed in the range of 35-45fps, with dips in busier areas. Changing the preset to High would bring performance firmly in the 30fps range, with the average hovering around the 33fps mark — certain sections would drag it further down in the 20s. Playing when plugging in the charger did not make a marked difference in performance while playing in any power profile.

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on the MSI Claw

The MSI Claw A1M can run triple-A titles at respectable framerates, but the performance remained inconsistent, with stuttering and lagging a regular feature. The situation has improved since the handheld’s launch, with MSI pushing updates to improve performance, but issues clearly persist. The Claw gives a much better account of itself when playing less demanding or older games. Portal 2, for instance, ran without any hiccups at framerates consistently above 100fps — even with all graphical settings on High and the user scenario set to Super Battery.

Performance on indie platformer Spiritfarer was consistently above 90fps, crossing the 100fps mark on the Performance power profile. On a slightly more demanding but older title like Dying Light, I got framerates in the 80-90fps range in the Performance profile with settings turned High. There were some dips, but it never went below the 60fps mark. In fact, even when I switched to the Super Battery profile, the game ran comfortably in the 60-70fps range with some graphical settings turned to Medium or Low.

There are a few things that the Claw gets right. Audio is implemented well; the front-firing speakers are loud and crisp but never tinny. The haptics are also a positive and, along with the audio, help bring a sense of immersion while playing.

The front-firing speakers are loud and crisp, utilising Nahimic audio

MSI Claw A1M Battery: Not enough juice

• Capacity – 53Whr
• Charger – 65W PD adapter

While unplugged and fully charged, the Claw A1M would drain fully in less than an hour playing Ghost of Tsushima on a Performance user scenario. In the Super Battery profile, the handheld would last over an hour but well below two hours. Playing demanding games with the console not plugged in chews through the battery, and you’re likely to struggle to get one full hour of battery life from the device.

The best way to get the most juice out of the handheld is to stick to older or indie titles with the Claw running on Super Battery profile at 20W TDP and graphical presets set to Low or Medium. I could stretch that handheld to two hours of use while playing games like Portal 2 and Assassin’s Creed Chronicles. Since the Claw A1M’s launch, Intel has also pushed out driver updates that bring an Endurance Gaming feature within its Arc Control application, which promises to balance frame rate and power consumption to reduce battery drain.

The MSI Claw can handle older and indie titles quite well

MSI Claw A1M Verdict

The MSI Claw A1M feels firmly like a first-generation product that was rushed out when Asus put the ROG Ally on the market. More importantly, MSI’s first-generation handheld suffers from inconsistent performance and fails to distinguish itself in the battery life department. Intel just launched its Lunar Lake processor, and the Claw A1M’s Meteor Lake already looks outdated.

Asus has launched a refreshed version of the Ally, the ROG Ally X, with considerable upgrades. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Go (Review) offers more features with its detachable controllers and massive 8.8-inch QHD+ display. In the face of such competition, the MSI Claw A1M can end up looking like a pale imitation. And once you add the original ROG Ally and the Steam Deck OLED to the mix — both presently selling at a much lower price point than MSI’s handheld, the Claw becomes a product impossible to recommend.

It’s telling that MSI itself has announced its next generation of the Claw handheld running on Lunar Lake. In fact, MSI is already thinking about Claw 2, Claw 3, and Claw 4. So, if the company is already so decidedly over its first-generation product, why should the consumer stick around?

Pros

• Good display
• Nahimic audio implementation
• Haptics
• Sturdy build quality

Cons

• Inconsistent performance
• Disappointing battery life
• Generic design
• Windows-based bottlenecks
• Buggy MSI Centre M experience

Ratings (out of 10)

• Design: 6
• Display: 7
• Software: 4
• Performance: 6
• Battery life: 6
• Value for money: 5
• Overall: 6

Qualcomm has explored the possibility of acquiring portions of Intel’s design business to boost the company’s product portfolio, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The mobile chipmaker has examined acquiring different pieces of Intel, which is struggling to generate cash and looking to shed business units and sell off other assets, the people said.

Intel’s client PC design business is of significant interest to Qualcomm executives, one of the sources said, but they are looking at all of the company’s design units.

Other pieces of Intel such as the server segment would make less sense for Qualcomm to acquire, another source with knowledge of Qualcomm’s operations said.

Qualcomm has not approached Intel about a potential acquisition and declined to comment on its plans, an Intel spokesperson said. Intel is “deeply committed to our PC business,” the spokesperson said.

Qualcomm declined to comment.

The $184 billion (roughly Rs. 15,44,218 crore) Qualcomm, which is known for chips found in smartphones and counts Apple as a customer, has been working on plans to buy pieces of Intel for months. Qualcomm’s interest and plans have not been finalised and could change, according to the sources.

The two sources declined to be named as they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

Intel reported a disastrous second quarter last month, which included a 15 percent reduction in its staff and a pause on paying dividends. Executives are grappling with how to continue to fund the company’s manufacturing plans and generate cash.

Its PC client business revenue dropped eight percent to $29.3 billion (roughly Rs. 2,45,900 crore) last year, amid overall weakness in the PC market.

Once known for it’s “Intel Inside” marketing campaign, Intel’s client group makes laptop and desktop chips used in machines around the world. Executives have said the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) PCs will drive consumers to upgrade their computers and generate more sales.

Qualcomm generated $35.82 billion (roughly Rs. 3,00,451 crore) in overall revenue in its last fiscal year.

Earlier this week Intel launched a new PC chip called Lunar Lake that its executives said offers superior performance for AI applications. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. fabricated significant portions of the chips, which Intel historically did in-house.

Intel’s board is set to meet next week to weigh a proposal from Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and other executives on how to trim its operations in an attempt to save cash. Potential options include a sale of its programmable chip unit, Altera, Reuters reported.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)