AI PCs and NPUs: do you need one?
Short answer
An NPU is a chip section built for AI tasks. It runs features like background blur, live captions, photo tools and local AI assistants efficiently, which saves battery. Most new laptops have one. It is useful, but you do not need to pay extra for it: CPU, memory and battery still matter more.
What the NPU does
The NPU (neural processing unit) runs AI models with very little power. On Windows, Copilot+ PCs need an NPU of at least 40 TOPS for features like Recall, live captions with translation and image tools. Apple's Neural Engine does the same job on Macs and iPhones.
What matters more
For everyday use, enough memory (16 GB), a good screen and long battery life make a much bigger difference than the NPU. Heavy local AI work, like running large language models, mainly needs lots of memory and a strong GPU.
- 16 GB of memory as a minimum for an AI PC
- Check which AI features work in your language
- Cloud AI like ChatGPT does not need an NPU at all
Questions and answers
Is every new laptop an AI PC?
Most new laptops with recent Intel Core Ultra, AMD Ryzen AI, Snapdragon X or Apple M chips have an NPU. Only some qualify as Copilot+ PCs.
Do I need an NPU to use ChatGPT or Copilot?
No. Online assistants run in the cloud and work on any computer with a browser.