We’re now in “the age of the AI PC,” according to Microsoft. In 2024, so-called AI PCs are popping up everywhere, thanks to new chips from Intel, AMD, and (soon) Qualcomm. Don’t believe the hype: AI PCs aren’t what the marketing might lead you to believe they are, and the most powerful ones you can buy today aren’t what you might think.
Let’s cut through the marketing hype and talk about what these AI laptops actually are—and what you can actually do with them today.
WHAT IS AN AI PC, EXACTLY?
The AI PC marketing craze is all thanks to the appearance of neural processing units (NPUs) in modern laptops. The latest Core Ultra chips from Intel, recent Ryzen hardware from AMD, and Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X Elite have built-in hardware designed to accelerate AI tasks in a power-efficient way.
Now, PC makers are delivering some interesting hardware. NPUs definitely have some promise. But Microsoft Windows
