Copilot+ laptops arrived in power at CES 2026…simply as Home windows left NPUs behind
Months in the past, Microsoft introduced that each Home windows 11 PC could be an “AI PC”, even the non-Copilot+ ones. Then why is everybody pushing Copilot+ AI PCs at CES 2026? The trade lastly caught as much as Microsoft’s Copilot+ necessities—with a giant NPU push from Intel particularly—however Microsoft isn’t explaining why we should always care.
I’m seeing a wave of Copilot+ PCs at CES 2026, nevertheless it looks like they’re chasing an AI PC technique that Microsoft has already deserted. With Microsoft now downplaying NPUs and few purposes benefiting from them, the nice NPU push doesn’t really feel essential. That’s very true for the reason that Home windows AI Foundry will use GPUs and CPUs for AI purposes as an alternative of NPUs, because the preliminary Copilot Runtime did.
NPUs appear much less essential to the way forward for AI on Home windows, whilst they’re beginning to pop up all over the place. Did Microsoft get distracted simply as its PC {hardware} companions crossed the end line?
At CES 2026, NPUs lastly really feel quick sufficient
When Microsoft unveiled Copilot+ PCs, the corporate required NPUs able to at the least 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
This was an enormous blow to Intel. Most Intel-powered machines have been delivery with NPUs able to 13 TOPS at finest, apart from Lunar Lake-powered machine with NPUs able to 48 TOPS. 2024 was “the yr of the AI PC,” however even all through 2025 most laptops I reviewed couldn’t muster the specs wanted for AI options on Home windows 11.
I spoke to PC producer PR individuals who confirmed me the brand new variations of laptops I reviewed final yr. “And it’s a Copilot+ PC,” they are saying proudly. It appears they’ve lastly caught as much as the necessities.
The NPUs everybody’s speaking about at CES
Intel’s Core Extremely Collection 3 (Panther Lake) {hardware} is the massive advance at this yr’s CES, provided that Intel was to this point behind on NPUs earlier than. Core Extremely Collection 3 has a 50 TOPS NPU and in addition guarantees huge enhancements to multithreaded efficiency, however we’ll should run our personal benchmarks to see simply how huge an improve it’s in follow.
Whereas Intel’s Lunar Lake {hardware} was Copilot+ PC-capable, it was severely restricted on multithreaded efficiency, which meant that an Intel laptop computer had no hope of working Copilot+ PC options until you had been prepared to make huge efficiency sacrifices and prioritize low energy consumption and lengthy battery life.
Foundry / Mark Hachman
AMD’s Ryzen AI 400 sequence {hardware} contains an NPU able to 60 TOPS, and it’s coming to each laptops and desktop PCs. Whereas AMD has been delivering succesful NPUs for some time—in contrast to Intel-powered laptops—it’s a rise from the 50 TOPS NPUs within the Ryzen AI 300 sequence. Nevertheless, with so few purposes benefiting from the NPU, that bump of 10 TOPS gained’t be noticeable to the typical laptop computer purchaser, even when it seems like an improve on a spec sheet.
Qualcomm is extraordinarily pleased with its TOPS speeds, highlighting that the Qualcomm Hexagon NPUs on Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Plus {hardware} ship 80 TOPS of efficiency. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X platform was the massive launch associate for Copilot+ PCs, and Qualcomm is as soon as once more forward. However because it was throughout the flashy Copilot+ PC launch, there nonetheless isn’t an excellent argument for NPUs simply but.
All these new processor platforms are actually delivering absolutely succesful NPUs that can find yourself in laptops from all the massive PC producers. Going into 2026, Copilot+ PC-capable NPUs are lastly turning into far more frequent. However will it matter?
All Home windows 11 PCs are actually AI PCs
Again in October, Microsoft revealed its plan to make each Home windows 11 PC an AI PC. Right here’s what Yusuf Mehdi instructed reporters on the time:
“We did all of this years of labor that allow us get to the purpose of understanding what’s the fitting option to deliver AI in. We’ve realized lots from that—you already know, what options resonate. And one of many huge issues that I believe actually got here to us is, whereas Copilot+ PCs actually are the tip of the spear and are gaining, you already know, quick traction, the massive factor was, let’s deliver that AI functionality to all Home windows 11 PCs and make it actually easy for anybody to strive it. So, that has been the massive factor.”
As we flip the nook and head into 2026, it doesn’t sound like Microsoft is all that enthusiastic about NPUs anymore! And that’s with out even mentioning the Home windows AI Foundry. Builders can use it to put in writing AI apps that carry out inference on GPUs, CPUs, or NPUs. It replaces the Copilot Runtime, which required an NPU on Copilot+ PCs.
Copilot+ PC options haven’t taken the world by storm
I used to be in a Lyft earlier this week in Las Vegas. After asking me what I did for a dwelling, the driving force talked about he was nonetheless utilizing Home windows 11. “There’s in all probability a more moderen model by now, proper?”
No, I defined: Home windows 11 continues to be the newest model. You get some additional AI options in case you have a more moderen PC—however solely sure newer PCs.
On these Copilot+ PCs, you don’t get additional Copilot options. As a substitute, you get minor options like Home windows Studio Results webcam results, picture technology within the Pictures app, Home windows Recall for looking out your PC utilization, and Click on To Do for taking fundamental actions on textual content.
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
Based mostly on Microsoft’s discuss delivering extra AI options to all Home windows 11 customers, I don’t anticipate NPUs to grow to be the crown jewel of the Home windows AI expertise sooner or later. If something, I anticipate the alternative: I can image a Home windows 11 replace that delivers Copilot+ PC options to a greater variety of machines, letting your PC’s GPU energy options like picture technology and textual content summarization. That’s what I hope to see.
Microsoft ought to’ve by no means required NPUs for Copilot+ PC options. Even my $3,000 gaming PC nonetheless can’t run Copilot+ PC AI options, which is astonishing contemplating the truth that a speedy discrete GPU continues to be one of the simplest ways to run extra “critical” AI instruments like LM Studio.
