What is a Copilot+ PC? Do you need an AI PC? Should you buy one?

Introduction

Be careful buying your new AI PC; here are some tips for buying an AI PC.

What is an "AI PC"?

The penultimate question: What is an AI PC? That is a tricky question, but that's what this article hopes to clear up for you. Microsoft recently launched its Copilot+ PC program, with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm all making processors ready for the wave of AI PCs.

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Qualcomm has its Snapdragon X processors already on the market inside of AI PCs that manufacturers, including Microsoft, Acer, ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Samsung, and more have laptops with Qualcomm's new chip. Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X series processors are based on the Arm architecture, which makes things very tricky for the market.

To put it plainly: the Arm architecture is VERY different to the x86 architecture inside of virtually all other processors. The x86 architecture has been around for decades and has been used for laptop and desktop processors with high performance. Arm-based processors are for lightweight devices (smartphones, tablets, and now laptops) with fantastic power efficiency, but the Arm architecture itself is an issue.

Virtually every PC user runs Windows on x86, but there are users who run Windows on Arm because, at an operating system (OS) level, there are huge differences between Windows on an Arm or x86 processor. There's a growing list of Arm-compatible software in Windows, but when it comes to gaming, Qualcomm's fleets of AI PCs are virtually useless at gaming.

Outside of some really shady marketing from the usual suspects, Qualcomm didn't seed samples of its new Snapdragon X-powered AI PC laptops to the media. Most of them were either sponsored videos or purchased by the media outlets themselves.

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Qualcomm should be scared of having outlets critique their gaming performance on Snapdragon X-series processors, because that is one of the fundamental differences to the AI PCs of today - so far, the Arm-based Snapdragon X series from Qualcomm - and the upcoming AI PC processors from Intel and AMD.

Arm-based AI PC processors won't run all of your software or most of your games, while x86-based AI PC processors (from AMD and Intel) will definitely run ALL of your software, and ALL of your games, without skipping a beat.

Qualcomm's timed exclusive of being the Copilot+ launch partner was not a great look for the Copilot+ PC ecosystem, but AMD and Intel are about to launch some 'proper' AI PC processors with Strix Point and Lunar Lake chips on the horizon.

AMD has its new Zen 5-based Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APU coming in a matter of days, with more NPU performance than Qualcomm can spit out of its Arm-based SoC, and in the coming months we'll have Team Blue with Intel and its Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake" processors with upgrades in NPU performance for AI workloads.

Both of these CPUs are based on the x86 architecture, and will be the ones everyone will want to buy. Stay away from the Qualcomm-based Snapdragon X series processors and AI PC laptops on the market, unless you're aware that you're living in an Arm-based ecosystem.

Intel and AMD's upcoming AI PC processors with Lunar Lake and Strix Point, respectively, will NOT have those issues. Not only will they not have those issues, but they will also have far greater CPU and GPU performance, which will drive AAA games at 60FPS+ and esports titles like Overwatch 2, Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty, and more at 120FPS+ all on the processor, without a discrete GPU. That, my friends, is going to be impressive to see roll out in the coming months.

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What is Copilot+

In order to be a Copilot+ PC, the system will need to be capable of 40 TOPS at least (trillions operations per second) and offer access to the most advanced AI models. Microsoft says that Copilot+ PCs will "enable you to do things you can't on any other PC".

Copilot+ PCs require an NPU for AI workloads, with NPUs placed next to CPUs and GPUs on the processors on the market (Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X chips) and Intel and AMD's upcoming processors. Microsoft says that Copilot+ PCs leverage powerful processors and multiple state-of-the-art AI models, including multiple of Microsoft's own world-class SLMs, to "unlock a new set of experiences you can run locally, directly on the device".

There's the much-debated "Recall" feature in Copilot+ which was going to see your PC taking screenshots of whatever you're doing, at all times, raised major security concerns. Microsoft kicked started some changes to Recall, stating that Recall would be off by default, after security researchers said that attackers could access users' data.

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One of the better use cases I can see people tapping into Copilot+ for, is the Image Creator, which is an AI-powered image creation tool that has created over 10 billion images since its creation. You can ink strokes with text prompts to generate new images in close to real-time with Cocreator, and so much more.

Adobe's flagship apps are coming to Copilot+ PCs, including Photoshop, Lightroom, and Express, which are available now. Premiere Pro and more are coming in the summer, with Adobe continuing to partner with Microsoft on optimizing AI for these apps on the NPU.

Adobe Creative Cloud user? Great, you'll be able to benefit from the full performance advantages of Copilot+ PCs, too.

DaVinci Resolve Studio lets you apply visual effects to objects and people using NPU-accelerated "Magic Mask" in DaVinci Resolve Studio. You can use the NPU to remove the background from any video clip in a snap using Auto Cutout in CapCut, too.

Cephable lets you stay in your flow with faster, more responsible adaptive input controls, like head movement or facial expressions, through its new NPU-powered camera pipeline. There's also the ability to make quicker and smart annotations to documents using AI features that run locally on the NPU, so data can stay private using LiquidText. If you're working on music tracks, use the newer, higher-quality version of NeuralMix that's exclusive to NPU in Algoriddim's DJ Pro software.

Arm vs. x86 architecture

This is the big point right here: Is your AI PC powered by an Arm or x86 processor? If you are expecting to pick up an AI PC and use it like you would a regular laptop, workstation laptop, or gaming laptop, you'll need to ensure it's using an x86-based AI PC processor.

Copilot+ PC processor architecture types:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon X series: Arm architecture
• AMD Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APU (x86 architecture)
• Intel Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake" CPU (x86 architecture)

The main factor with the Arm vs x86 architecture is operating system and software differences, Arm-based AI PC processors will run Windows on ARM, which is compatible with the Arm architecture in the form of mobile-focused processors like the Snapdragon X series.

x86-based AI PC processors like Strix Point and Lunar Lake will run the native x86 version of Windows and natively run all of the software and games you normally use and play in Windows. This is because the operating systems communicate with the underlying hardware using an instruction set that is specific to the CPU architecture.

The biggest difference between Arm and x86 processors is their different instruction sets: Arm uses the more straightforward system called RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing), saving energy and making instructions fast and easy. This is why Arm-based processors are the main choice for laptops and smartphones.

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x86 is another beast altogether, using the more complex system called CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing), which can handle more tasks at once, but makes the processor more complex and expensive to create. Qualcomm chips are much cheaper and easier to produce than a high-end laptop or desktop processor from AMD or Intel.

Arm processors focus on register-based processing, limiting direct memory access to improve energy efficiency. Meanwhile, the x86 architecture allows for more direct interaction with memory, using a depth of computational tasks at the expense of higher power consumption.

Programming for Arm is harder than x86 because it requires more detailed commands, while x86 can handle complicated instructions better, because of its additional layer that helps manage these tasks, which helps it execute larger files. This is why we see Arm processors inside of portable devices, and x86 processors in more power designs (laptops, desktops, servers, etc).

This means you need compatibility between the OS (Windows or Windows on ARM) and the processor (ARM or x86). It is of utmost importance to have compatibility with software and games, as well as efficiency across the system and your processor. Direct communication between the OS and processor is one of the most important steps (or mistakes if you buy an Arm-based AI PC and want to run your regular software and games) in buying a new AI PC and escaping these issues.

What about new AI PC processors? Do I need to worry? Any of the upcoming AMD Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" laptops and systems in the weeks and months ahead will be fine, as the Strix Point APU is based on the x86 architecture. The same goes for Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake" CPUs, any laptop with a Lunar Lake CPU will run all software and games as it's based on the x86 architecture.

Qualcomm's fleet of Snapdragon X series processors are based on the Arm architecture, and while they run Windows, it's Windows on Arm. You'll need to run Arm-based apps, and Arm-based games to get native hardware support, while x86 can be emulated, it's not a simple one-stop solution.

You need to be aware of this: if you buy a Qualcomm-powered AI PC, it's an Arm architecture and you need to know the hurdles to overcome. Don't buy it for gaming, period. If you're buying an AMD Strix Point or Intel Lunar Lake laptop, you're in safe hands.

Qualcomm vs. AMD vs. Intel AI PC processor features

Qualcomm Snapdragon X series

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors were the first to power the initial wave of Copilot+ systems, with both of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X chips based on the Arm architecture.

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There's not much difference between the Snapdragon X Elite SKUs (there are four of them). Be careful which one you buy, as there are slight differences in the dual-core CPU clock boost. The biggest difference is between the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus, with the X Elite having 12 cores of CPU power and an Adreno GPU that has up to 4.6 TFLOPs of performance.

Qualcomm's slower Snapdragon X Plus processor has the same Adreno GPU but only 3.8 TFLOPs of performance in comparison. All of the new Snapdragon X series processors support up to LPDDR5X-8448 memory.

Qualcomm has its in-house Hexagon NPU for 45 TOPS of AI workloads, with the latest in connectivity supported with Snapdragon X: Wi-Fi 7, USB4, Bluetooth 5.4, 10Gbps 5G cellular through the Snapdragon X65 modem, and more.

• Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-00-1DE): 12 cores @ up to 3.8GHz, LPDDR5X-8448 RAM, Adreno GPU (4.6 TFLOPs)
• Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-84-100): 12 cores @ up to 3.8GHz, LPDDR5X-8448 RAM, Adreno GPU (4.6 TFLOPs)
• Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100): 12 cores @ up to 3.4GHz, LPDDR5X-8448 RAM, Adreno GPU (3.8 TFLOPs)
• Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100): 12 cores @ up to 3.4GHz, LPDDR5X-8448 RAM, Adreno GPU (3.8 TFLOPs)
• Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-64-100): 10 cores @ up to 3.4GHz, LPDDR5X-8448 RAM, Adreno GPU (3.8 TFLOPs)

AMD Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point"

AMD has its next-generation Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APUs, which are based on the x86 architecture and use AMD's new Zen 5 CPU architecture. Alongside the beefed-up Zen 5 CPU, we've got a newer RDNA 3.5 integrated GPU and XDNA 2-based NPU for AI workloads.

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AMD's new Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APUs will feature a monolithic die, packing the new Zen 5 architecture with up to 12 cores and 24 threads at up to 5.1GHz, next-gen RDNA 3.5 graphics with up to 16 Compute Units (CUs), and the XDNA 2 NPU with 32 compute tiles offering up to 50 TOPS of AI compute performance.

When AMD announced its Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APUs, the company said its new Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor performed better than the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H "Meteor Lake" and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processors across the board.

The new, beefed-up Radeon 890M integrated GPU inside the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chip, with its new RDNA 3.5 GPU, really outperforms Intel and its current-gen Core Ultra 100 series "Meteor Lake" CPUs and Qualcomm's just-released Snapdragon X Elite.

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The AMD Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APUs to expect:

• Ryzen AI 9 HX 370: 4 x Zen 5 + 8 x Zen 5c (24 threads) up to 5.1GHz, Radeon 890M 16CU
• Ryzen AI 9 365: 4 x Zen 5 + 6 X Zen 5c (20 threads) up to 5.0GHz, Radeon 880M 12CU

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The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a 12-core, 20-thread Zen 5 APU with its Radeon 890M integrated GPU featuring 16 Compute Units (CUs) based on that new RDNA 3.5 GPU. On the other hand, the Ryzen AI 9 365 features 10 cores and 20 threads, while the Radeon 880M features just 12 Compute Units (CUs). So it's slightly less powerful in CPU and GPU than the flagship Strix Point APU.

We should see more Strix Point APUs launched in the coming months, but the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and Ryzen AI 9 365 are the only ones announced by AMD so far. We should expect not just more Strix Point APUs, but an even beefier Strix Halo APU in the future.

Intel Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake"

Lunar Lake features 4 x Lion Cove P-Cores and 4 x Skymont E-Cores, with 7-8 Xe2-based GPU cores. The SKUs will feature either 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5-8533 on-package memory, which means it the RAM inside of Intel's new Lunar Lake CPU-powered laptops is NOT upgradable.

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One of the cool technological feats that Intel is doing with its new Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake" processors is using on-package memory. This means that you've got the big chip that contains tiles for the CPU, GPU, NPU, I/O, and then on-package memory next to that. Depending on the SKU and AI PC laptop that you buy, you'll have the option of 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5-8533 on-package memory.

The expected flagship Lunar Lake CPU will be the Core Ultra 9 288V, which will feature a 30W PL1 (Processor Base Power) and 30W PL2 (Maximum Turbo Power), which makes it the only chip with 30W PL1. We can expect 32GB of on-package LPDDR5-8533 memory with the P-Cores boosting at up to 5.1GHz, E-Cores boosting at up to 3.7GHz.

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According to rumors, the upgraded Xe2-GPU "Battlemage" integrated graphics will be called Arc 140V and boost up to 2.05GHz. Xe2 "Battlemage" will compete directly with AMD and its beefed-up RDNA 3.5 GPU inside of its Strix Point APUs.

• Core Ultra 9 288V: up to 5.1GHz, 32GB RAM, Arc 140V @ 2.05GHz (PL1 = 30W, PL2 = 30W)
• Core Ultra 7 268V: up to 5.0GHz, 32GB RAM, Arc 140V @ 2.00GHz (PL1 = 17W, PL2 = 30W)
• Core Ultra 5 238V: up to 4.7GHz, 32GB RAM, Arc 130V @ 1.85GHz (PL1 = 17W, PL2 = 30W)
• Core Ultra 5 226V: up to 4.5GHz, 16GB RAM, Arc 130V @ 1.85GHz (PL1 = 17W, PL2 = 30W)

Do you need an AI PC? Let's Break That Down:

• Point 1: No one "needs" an AI PC, as an AI PC is just a new processor that features an NPU for AI workloads. AI workloads can be done on the CPU or GPU (and much faster), but we're facing a new world where NPUs are being built onto new processors. Do you need one? No, at least not right now and into the near future.
• Point 2: If you buy a new laptop, it'll most likely be an "AI PC" anyway. If you're running normal tasks that need an x86 processor, make sure you grab an AMD Strix Point or Intel Lunar Lake-based laptop.
• ]Point 3: Not everyone needs to use AI, so there's no 'need' for an NPU for many millions and millions of people.
• Point 4: High-performance gaming laptops will still use high-performance desktop-class CPUs, some of them without any NPU, so they will not be "AI PCs." Gamers won't need an AI PC, as AI PCs are targeted at far lower price points than higher-end workstation and gaming laptops.
• Point 5: The above point is highlighted by the releases of Strix Point and Lunar Lake, as we're getting better performance out of the beefed-up integrated GPUs than we have in previous laptop-focused processors, with up to 128GB of RAM supported by AMD's new Strix Point APU. These systems will be "AI PCs" because the mobile processors have NPUs inside.
• Point 6: I don't think anyone on Earth 'needs' an AI PC; there's no system seller for the NPU right now. Copilot+ is cool, but it's not running AI workloads locally on the NPU. It's a cool AI trick, but we need to be tapping into the NPU. So, right now, no one 'needs' an AI PC.

The last point here: Yeah, you don't 'need' an AI PC, but that doesn't mean they suck. It's just a new branding that we're seeing with the rise of AI PC processors from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, and the fact that NPUs are now on-chip ready for AI workloads of the future.

I think the "AI PC" side of new laptops will go mostly unused by the masses, but as time goes on, we're going to see more and more software and tasks offloading to the NPU. Even if it's background stuff, then the 'oh my AI PC is handling some tasks for me, super-sped by the NPU on my laptop, cool' moments will happen.

Once again, just don't rush out and buy an AI PC with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X series processor, that would be silly. If you 'need' to buy a new laptop that falls into the Copilot+ or AI PC ecosystems, wait for Strix Point and Lunar Lake.

Final Thoughts

The Copilot+ and AI PC era is here, and we can't escape it. We'll have to endure a few months of AI PC processors not really doing much for the mainstream end-user, but after the fog has lifted, it'll be interesting to see what an NPU-powered world of Windows will look like.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X series AI PC processors have their own benefits, with fantastic battery life and thin-and-light laptops aplenty, but the Arm architecture means you don't get the full Windows experience. It has given the AI PC experience a bad taste in consumers' mouths right now, so AMD and Intel need to now lead the way of the AI PC market.

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Intel Meteor Lake (left) AMD Strix Point (right)

Having full AAA gaming power inside of Strix Point and Lunar Lake, AMD and Intel are both baking in NPUs into these new laptop-focused AI PC processors. AMD has its new XDNA 2 NPU for Strix Point APUs, and Intel has its new Intel AI NPU inside Lunar Lake processors. Both are ready for the world of Copilot+ and offloading AI workloads to their respective NPUs.

They'll feature faster x86-based CPU cores of up to 16 cores and 32 threads, beefed-up integrated GPUs (RDNA 3.5 for AMD and Xe2 Battlemage for Intel), higher 5.0GHz+ clock speeds, and will be capable of true 120FPS gaming on mainstream titles, and 60FPS on AAA games. All games, not just Arm-based games (think mobile, tablet games). All games, at never-before-seen performance levels from a laptop processor.

A more powerful x86 processor and beefed-up integrated GPUs from both AMD and Intel will bring a much more positive look at AI PC processors, allowing the Copilot+ side of the systems to sell itself.

The original and best question is: should you buy a Copilot+ or AI PC?

Well, that's a hard question to answer. I don't see many people (the masses) going out and buying a new AI PC because it's an "AI PC". I don't see people going out and buying a Copilot+ because it has new Copilot+ AI features, and only because of that.

My recommendation: don't just buy an AI PC or Copilot+ PC because of AI; we're way too early into the AI PC and Copilot+ PC world to say that.

But, I do think we need to see a radical movement of developers using the NPU for AI workloads and possibly other tasks to make the silicon space that the NPU takes up not seem like a waste.

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AMD and Intel are launching their respective AI PC processors, which will spur the entire AI PC and Copilot+ systems market into a new market. Fast-forward to 2025, and the Copilot+ and AI PC market will be bigger than ever before. Let's just hope we're all offloading to those NPUs, which will get more and more powerful with each generation.

For now, we'll see AI processor by AI processor released without their respective NPUs being able to do much on their own for the everyday user right now, making the Copilot+ and AI PC seem like something they don't want, let alone need.

We need to see the NPU light up and get hammered with us, doing things for us and making our daily lives smoother, better, easier... hopefully we'll see a maturing of Copilot+ over the coming months, and Microsoft actually gets its act together and nails it, although my confidence is not high.

The AI PC processor is here whether we like it or not, along with Copilot+ and NPUs. We'll see more and more tasks offloaded to NPUs and GPUs in the future, with more players entering the race in 2025, including NVIDIA and MediaTek.

The hardware is early, Copilot+ is early, and we're not even in the toddler stage of AI PCs, but hopefully, this article gives you some more clarity, especially between the Arm and x86 architecture differences. That feels like a huge gap in marketing so far, but we look forward to AMD's impending Strix Point APU, and a few months away from now, Intel, with its Lunar Lake processors, entering the AI PC processor race.