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With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier

Microsoft’s AI plans for OEM will introduce more features to your next PC

Due to additional hardware, the PC’s cost may rise

4 min. read

Published onMarch 27, 2024

published onMarch 27, 2024

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Amongst all tech giants, Microsoft is pushing for artificial intelligence most extensively. It’s integrating AI into more and more products and improving the feature set on the native OS, Windows. Besides that, Microsoft has an ideal AI PC in mind, plans for which have already been shared with OEMs.

So far, Microsoft hasn’t disclosed these plans to Windows users. But, with each passing day, we are getting more and more information about Microsoft’s idea of AI PCs. It’s got both additional hardware and software support!

What does Microsoft’s idea of an AI PC look like?

Microsoft’s AI PC includes anNPU(Neural Processing Unit), the most recent CPU and GPU, Microsoft Copilot, and a dedicatedCopilot key.

NPU is critical to the artificial intelligence capabilities of the PC since it aids in performing AI-related and machine-learning tasks. It’s a hardware chip embedded in the CPU. Only new-age PCs that boast AI capabilities ship with an NPU. Most older ones don’t have it!

The latest CPU(Central Processing Unit)and GPU(Graphics Processing Unit)requirements indicate Microsoft’s effort at delivering superior performance. Besides, the two, CPU and GPU, will complement the NPU, elevating the AI standard.

As for Copilot, it is Microsoft’s flagship AI-based chatbot set to take on the likes of Gemini. Microsoft has been focused onenhancing Copilot, addingmore features, improving functionality, andboosting device support. The dedicated Copilot key will ensure easy access.

How are OEMs responding to the change?

OEMs have been enthusiastic about AI PCs as they have a chance to recover from losses accrued since the post-COVID era. AI support is one of the major reasonsPC prices are expected to rise in 2024.

So far, we have seen significant developments at Intel’s end toward an AI PC. Its latest, theIntel Core Ultraseries, codenamedMeteor Lake, adds AI capabilities to the PC. The recently releasedLenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 5 seriesships with theMeteor Lakeprocessor.

Intel, in itsofficial blog post, explains the idea of artificial intelligence on a PC,

Detailing how it would work, Intel’s blog post reads,

AMD has also been making strides in the field of AI. Results from several tests conclude thatAMD Ryzenis better thanIntel Core Ultra. Remember, the latter has only been out for a few months, andIntel has big AI plans. So, we may witness improved performance fromIntel Meteor Lake.

However, there’s some apparent confusion between Microsoft and device manufacturers on the definition of AI PCs.

As per Microsoft, an AI PC has a dedicated Copilot key, which puts theLenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 5and the Asus ROG Zephyrus series out of contention due to the absence of the Copilot key, even though they ship with AI capabilities. Other products released before Microsoft shared its guidelines will also miss theAI PCtag.

Microsoft’s own offering, theSurface Pro 10andSurface Laptop 6, released recently, have anAI PCsticker, which aligns with the tech giant’s approach to promoting AI-ready PCs.

The cost of AI PCs is a concern

With additional hardware like NPU, the latest CPU and GPU, and changes to the design, the cost of production will increase. Subsequently, you will have to shell out a higher sum to get an AI PC compared to a regular PC now.

While an AI-powered PC will benefit some, it won’t make much of a difference for most of us. Besides, even PCs without an NPU canrun Windows Copilotand other OS-orientedAI features. So you are not missing out on anything!

Are you willing to pay more for an AI PC? Share with us in the comments section.

More about the topics:AI,Copilot,microsoft

Kazim Ali Alvi

Windows Hardware Expert

Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows PC. He’s specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem.

Long-time Windows user, Kazim is ready to provide a solution for your every software & hardware error on Windows 11, Windows 10 and any previous iteration. He’s also one of our experts in Networking & Security.

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Kazim Ali Alvi

Windows Hardware Expert

Kazim is specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem.

With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low#

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app#

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities#

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount#

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier#

Microsoft’s AI plans for OEM will introduce more features to your next PC#

What does Microsoft’s idea of an AI PC look like?#

How are OEMs responding to the change?#

The cost of AI PCs is a concern#