Microsoft started name-dropping laptops called Copilot+ PCs in the middle of 2024, hyping them like the second coming of the IBM PC Model 5150. They’re “the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built” and “the most significant change to the Windows platform in decades,” it declared. But if you shear away the marketing fluff, what does the term “Copilot+ PC” mean on a practical level? What is a Copilot+ PC, anyway?
Here’s a little secret: A Copilot+ PC is essentially just a newer Windows laptop with several unique AI features. There’s a little more to it, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds.
Below, I’ve compiled a simple guide for shoppers who want to know exactly what they’re getting when they buy one of these so-called AI PCs, including their spec minimums.
First off: What is Copilot?
Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) is an AI assistant developed by Microsoft and powered by a custom version of ChatGPT by OpenAI. The Copilot app comes pre-installed on every new Windows 11 laptop, and you’ll see it pinned to the taskbar or on the Start menu when you boot up your machine. All models released since 2024 also come with physical keyboard shortcuts for Copilot. You can remap that hotkey if you don’t use it, but there will always be a little Copilot logo on it.
If you don’t have a Windows laptop, you can access Copilot on the web at copilot.com or install the Copilot app yourself for free. It’s available for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android.
So what does ‘Copilot+ PC’ mean, exactly?
Nine different laptop manufacturers make Copilot+ PCs.
Credit: Microsoft
A Copilot+ PC is a Windows laptop with a certain kind of newer processor that enables some exclusive AI-powered software features. They’re often called “AI PCs.”
Microsoft announced the Copilot+ PC category in May 2024 and the first wave of devices launched a month later, so the genre is still pretty fresh. Beyond Microsoft’s own models, Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, MSI, and Samsung all make Copilot+ PCs, too. They currently start at $699.99 and are sold at Best Buy, Amazon, and Costco, as well as on their manufacturers’ websites.
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Copilot+ PC features
The “Click to Do” tool on Copilot+ PCs is like a smarter right-click menu.
Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft’s suite of Copilot+ PC features (or “experiences,” as it likes to call them) isn’t available on other Windows laptops:
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Click to Do suggests various actions when you highlight text and images (beyond your standard “Copy”). If you select a paragraph on a website, for example, Click to Do will offer to summarize it, turn it into a list, and rewrite it in different tones.
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Improved Windows search can find files and settings on your computer without needing their exact names or correct spelling.
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Live Captions translates video and audio into English from over 44 languages in real time. It’s virtually identical to Google’s Live Caption tool for Chrome and Android devices.
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Cocreator is an image generator in Microsoft Paint.
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Image Creator and Restyle Image are an image generator and a photo-filtering tool in Microsoft Photos, respectively. Some Copilot+ PCs have an additional image enhancement feature in Photos called Super Resolution, and the full lineup will get it later this year.
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Recall takes constant screenshots of your on-screen activities and makes them searchable. It’s controversial for security reasons; in order to use it, you have to opt in to saving screenshots and enable a biometric sign-in option.
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Windows Studio Effects are webcam tools. They can keep you in frame, make your face appear better-lit, blur your background, add filters, minimize background noises, and adjust your gaze to make it look like you’re making direct eye contact. (I’ve tried that one, and it’s kind of freaky.)
Copilot+ PC requirements
A Copilot+ PC has to have an NPU — but not just any NPU.
Credit: Microsoft
In order to run these features, Copilot+ PCs have to meet some spec standards. Microsoft notes that these could change over time, but at present, they include:
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At least 16GB of RAM
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At least 256GB of SSD or UFS storage
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A processor with a decent NPU (or neural processing unit, an extra bit of hardware for handling AI tasks)
More specifically, a Copilot+ PC’s NPU has to be capable of performing at least 40 TOPS (or Trillion Operations Per Second, a metric that quantifies AI performance). Forty TOPS is on the high end among modern laptops’ NPUs, which typically max out at 50 TOPS. To boil this down, it that means Copilot+ PCs are some of the fastest laptops when it comes to AI processing.
There are currently three types of laptop processors that tick this box of having an NPU with at least 40 TOPS:
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Qualcomm Snapdragon X series processors (Snapdragon X, X Plus, and X Elite)
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Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors, aka Intel Lunar Lake (Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, 5 228V, 5 236V, 5 238V, 7 256V, 7 258V, 7 266V, 7 268V, and 9 288V)
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AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors (AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, 7 350, 9 365, 9 HX 370, and 9 HX 375)
An important aside: Snapdragon X series processors are ARM-based chips, which means they work differently than x86-based Intel and AMD processors. Because of this, they’re not compatible with certain apps that are only designed to run on x86 systems — mainly specialty apps like AutoCAD and some school software. Many top public universities actively discourage their students from getting Snapdragon-powered laptops for this exact reason. Keep that in mind if you’re shopping for a new Windows laptop; your main use case could disqualify a third of your options.
Copilot+ PC reviews: Models we love
Mashable has been testing Copilot+ PCs since the category launched, and we’ve found that they tend to score especially well on battery life — outlasting even newer Apple MacBooks. Some of our favorite models include the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, a polished-looking powerhouse that’s our top Windows laptop overall; the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition, our No. 1 convertible (and our reigning battery life champ); and the Asus ZenBook A14, an ultraportable that comes in under $1,000.
For more info, check out our guide to the best Windows laptops.
Shop our favorite Copilot+ PCs:
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
