Buying what is considered an AI PC as your next laptop means that you're getting a system that can better handle AI tasks. While the usefulness of an AI PC hasn't yet reached a point where I'd recommend everyone rush out and buy one, those shopping for a great new laptop now can still take advantage and set themselves up well for the fast-moving world of AI.
There are AI PCs for regular productivity work, there are AI PCs with high-end designs and features, and there are AI PCs built specifically for gaming and other demanding tasks. Out of all the laptops tested and reviewed at Windows Central, I've selected nine top options that should suit most people who are shopping for a great AI PC.
Keep in mind that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are heading our way in a couple of weeks; I've added some buying advice below my picks, with pricing info and tips on how to get a great deal.
Recent updates
November 12, 2024: I've checked all options to ensure you're still looking at the best AI PCs on the market. I also added buying information surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which is usually the best time of the year to pick up a new laptop. — Cale Hunt
The quick list
Best 14-inch
Dell's XPS 14 (9440) is all-new for 2024, with a minimalist design, 3.2K OLED display, optional discrete NVIDIA Laptop GPU, and Intel Core Ultra H-series CPUs with NPU for boosted AI performance. It's a high-end 14-inch laptop that features a Copilot key on its lattice-free keyboard.
Best convertible
HP's Spectre x360 14 (2024) is a great choice for anyone who prefers a convertible laptop with the ability to rotate into tent, stand, and tablet modes. The premium laptop includes Intel Core Ultra H-series CPUs with NPU for AI tasks, as well as a 2.8K OLED touch display.
Best dual-screen
The ASUS Zenbook Duo blew us away with its smooth dual-screen operation with two high-res OLED touch displays. It's powered by Intel Core Ultra H-series CPUs with NPU, making it perfect for professionals and multitaskers who want to lean into AI tasks.
Best 16-inch
A 16-inch 3K OLED panel at 120Hz and all-day battery life are standout features, but this sleek Zenbook has AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips inside with stellar everyday performance and an NPU at 50 TOPS. If you'd like long battery life and extra power for AI tasks, this should be a top choice.
Best 14-inch gaming
Gaming laptops sized 14 inches are ideal for those who want to travel light, and the ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) can even fit into a professional setting thanks to its overhauled design. It's powered by AMD's Ryzen 9 8040 CPUs with an included NPU, as well as up to an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.
Best 16-inch gaming
The Alienware m16 R2 was overhauled for 2024 with a sleeker design and plenty of high-end features. It can handle gaming with ease thanks to the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, and its Intel Core Ultra H-series CPUs feature an NPU for boosted AI performance.
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Best Windows on ARM
The Surface Laptop 7 is the culmination of years of refinements and tweaks. Now equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite ARM64 SoC, it's more powerful and longer lasting than ever. High-res touch displays in 13.8- and 15-inch sizes are available.
Best 2-in-1
Microsoft's flagship PC is now powered by Snapdragon X chips for unreal power and efficiency, and its 13-inch 2.8K touch display now has an OLED panel for better color and contrast. It's the most versatile option in this list thanks to the detachable design, but it's priced competitively for all users.
Best business convertible
The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 9) is one of the most feature-laden and premium business laptops on the market, and its long battery life makes it great for frequent travelers. Optional 5G LTE connectivity is available, and it has plenty of security features to keep your data safe.
Our favorite AI PCs in 2024
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Best 14-inch laptop
Dell's XPS 13 Plus from a couple of years ago featured a major redesign with a seamless haptic touchpad, a lattice-free keyboard with no gaps between keys, and capacitive touch function buttons along the top row. That design has now made its way into the rest of the XPS lineup, with Dell even changing the sizes for the larger models at 14 and 16 inches.
The XPS 14 (9440) is the new XPS 15, perfect for users who want the larger display in a chassis that would have been used for a 13-inch laptop just a few years ago.
Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino reviewed the XPS 14 (9440), noting, "Besides the futuristic design, the XPS 14 brings a lot of power to what used to be Ultrabook territory. At 3.6 lbs (so not heavy nor light), it's about a pound heavier than most thin-and-lights, but in turn, you're getting a slightly less powerful miniature XPS 15 (4.23 lbs). That's awesome."
With a Copilot key on the keyboard, Intel Core Ultra H-series CPUs with NPU inside, and even an optional discrete NVIDIA RTX 4050 Laptop GPU to complement the integrated Intel Arc graphics, this is what Microsoft means when it says "AI PC." Battery life is just average when you add the discrete GPU, but that's really one of the only downsides.
The 14.5-inch display comes in a couple of options, starting with a more affordable FHD+ resolution that weighs less and boosts battery life. It's a great display in its own right, but a lot of people are going to want to make the jump to a 3.2K OLED touch display with 100% DCI-P3 color, 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR500 support.
👀 Read our full Dell XPS 14 (9440) review
Best convertible laptop
Dell and HP often battle for the top spot when it comes to our favorite overall laptops. For anyone who wants a top convertible laptop, the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is an easy recommendation.
It's a premium device throughout, as evidenced by the sleek design, accented corners, and smooth aluminum chassis. The keyboard is one of the best in the business (I'm using an HP Spectre x360 16 to type this right now ... I can't get enough), and the massive haptic touchpad offers precision pointing and even some configurable shortcuts for volume and screen brightness.
HP offers up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU with integrated Arc graphics, as well as an NPU, for a boost to AI tasks. The laptop lacks a dedicated Copilot key, but it otherwise adheres to Microsoft views as an AI PC.
It's all topped off with a 14.5-inch touch display with a 2880x1800 (2.8K) resolution, OLED panel, 120Hz variable refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color, and 500 nits brightness with HDR enabled.
Windows Central Staff Writer Zachary Boddy noted in their HP Spectre x360 14 review that "You'll never get tired of using it, you'll never have to wait for it to catch up, and you'll never have to stress about leaving the house without your charger."
👀 Read our full HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) review
Best dual-screen laptop
The ASUS Zenbook Duo absolutely blew me away when it arrived, and I've loved every second with it. Before using it, I thought that dual-screen laptops were mostly a gimmick, but it has me converted.
Windows Central Editor Ben Wilson feels the same way, awarding it full marks in his Zenbook Duo review. It's not perfect — the webcam is weak, and it's thicker than your average 14-inch laptop — but it's an incredible tool for multitaskers and professionals who can benefit from having two screens ready to go at any time with minimal setup.
It's a laptop that looks like pretty much any other except for its magnetic keyboard and touchpad, which can be removed as a separate piece of hardware for wireless use. This reveals a second 14-inch 3K OLED touch display with a 120Hz refresh rate to match the main screen; pop out the sturdy stand on the back, and you have a versatile PC that stands on its own with two displays ready to go.
Battery life is very impressive, especially if you're only using one screen, and the performance is relatively snappy. It won't beat a lot of single-screen laptops with the same performance hardware, but the tradeoff is so big that won't matter for a lot of users.
ASUS offers up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H chip with integrated Arc graphics and an NPU for AI work, though it does lack a dedicated Copilot key. Speaking of the removable keyboard, there were no sacrifices for ASUS to make, thanks to deep 1.4mm key travel and a sizable Precision touchpad.
👀 Read our full ASUS Zenbook Duo review
Best 16-inch laptop
The first laptop tested with AMD's latest Ryzen AI 300 mobile CPUs comes from ASUS, and it's a beauty for anyone who needs all-day battery life from an x86-64 system. That means you don't have to worry about any limitations or emulation requirements associated with ARM64 systems.
Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson, in his Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) review, found that the laptop could last longer than an eight-hour workday, climbing to more than 13 hours in PCMark 10's Modern Office rundown. The chip has an NPU with 50 TOPS (which will be tapped more often when AMD systems get Copilot+ access starting in November), and it has tons of power.
Alongside strong performance and efficiency from the AMD chip, the laptop has a 16-inch OLED touch display with a 2880x1800 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Wilson remarked:
"Content creators will be happy with the color-accurate panel, but the Zenbook S 16 isn't a great performer outdoors in natural sunlight."
Considering you can pick up a model with a 120Hz OLED display, Ryzen AI 9 365 chip, 24GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD for about $1,400 at Best Buy, you can rest assured that you're getting a competitive price on a great AI PC powered by AMD.
👀 Read our full ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5605) review
Best 14-inch gaming laptop
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) offers respectable gaming performance in a slim chassis that's easier to carry around than more traditional 16-inch gaming devices.
It was redesigned for 2024, resulting in a more streamlined approach with an aluminum design and an understated look. It's slim, it's sleek, and it offers high-end keyboard, touchpad, and speakers.
Inside is an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU with AI Ryzen NPU managing 16 TOPS of AI-specific performance. That's better than what's currently found in Intel's first run of Core Ultra chips, and AMD is expected to triple that performance in its next-gen CPUs.
The Ryzen CPU is paired with up to an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU for strong gaming power, but the PC's modern design also makes it suitable for creative and design work. It will get hot to the touch when under prolonged load, but it runs without major throttling thanks to intelligent power balancing. Battery life goes from about two or three hours when gaming up to about six hours for lighter tasks.
The 14-inch OLED display is gorgeous, with a 2.8K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 500 nits brightness with HDR enabled, 100% DCI-P3 color reproduction, and NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility.
Staff Writer Zachary Boddy remarked in their ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review that "ASUS set out to perfect its 14-inch gaming laptop and kissed the feet of sublimity with the latest version." It might not have a dedicated Copilot key, but it should otherwise be considered one of the best AI PCs out there right now.
👀 Read our full ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review
Best 16-inch gaming laptop
As far as 16-inch gaming laptops go, the Alienware m16 R2 is one of the best we've ever tested. If you prefer a larger display with Intel and NVIDIA performance hardware, it should be hard to pass up.
In her Alienware m16 R2 review, Editor Rebecca Spear said:
"Its performance and how long the battery can last when running average office programs thoroughly impressed me. For this reason, the laptop will serve you well if you need to use it for work, school, and video games."
Thanks to Intel's Core Ultra H-series CPUs (up to an Ultra 9 185H), you're getting an NPU for boosted AI performance. The laptop can also be configured with up to an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, which will also help with AI apps that lean on the graphics card (looking at you, Adobe).
Other review highlights include the generous selection of ports, customizable RGB lighting, strong battery life outside of gaming, and the sleek redesign that makes it more compact than its predecessor.
It would be nice to have more screen brightness, but the QHD+ display is otherwise impressive for gaming with 240Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, G-Sync support, and 99% sRGB color.
👀 Read our full Alienware m16 R2 review
Best Windows on ARM
One of the biggest criticisms of past Surface Laptop models involved the design. It wasn't poorly designed — quite the opposite — but new models often didn't make any major changes to help sell the fresh hardware. This was true for both sizes of the laptop.
That's changed with the Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC. The new model has thinner display bezels, rounded corners on the display, an upsized touchpad using Sensel haptics, an angled underside, and clean edges. It's now even easier to replace parts, and Microsoft sells the hardware directly.
The Laptop 7 still doesn't have OLED panels, but its IPS screens are impressive. The 13.8- and 15-inch sizes have the same 201 pixels-per-inch, 3:2 aspect ratio, 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, and Dolby Vision IQ support. They even max out around 600 nits brightness. I just wish it had an anti-reflective coating.
Typing and pointing are top-notch, the speakers have Dolby Atmos, and the Qualcomm chips offer tons of power and long battery life. Windows Central Senior Editor Zac Bowden reviewed the Surface Laptop 7, noting on the subject of emulated app performance:
"On older generations of Windows on Arm chips, running even basic apps under emulation felt slower than running an Intel or AMD machine. That's no longer the case here on Snapdragon X. Many of the apps I've tried that run under emulation feel fine, with no scrolling lag or frame dropping when navigating through an app."
The Surface Laptop 7 Bowden tested hit 18.5 hours in PCMark 10's Modern Office rundown, and you should expect anywhere from 12 to 15 hours of runtime in a real-world situation.
👀 Read our full Surface Laptop 7 review
Best 2-in-1
This 2-in-1 laptop "is the most exciting version since the original Surface Pro," according to Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino in his Surface Pro 11 review.
That's mostly thanks to the inclusion of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80) and Plus SoCs with strong performance and impressive efficiency, but there are some other goodies that help sell the PC. The core 2-in-1 design remains the same, offering tons of versatility as a tablet or as a laptop, but there's a new Pro Flex keyboard with wireless capabilities, a Sensel haptic touchpad, and a more rigid core to help with wireless use.
The Pro 11 now also has an optional OLED display. The 13-inch 2880x1920 panel works dynamically between 60Hz and 120Hz, it supports VESA DisplayHDR 600 and Dolby Vision, and it hit 100% sRGB and 96% DCI-P3 color reproduction in our testing. If you'd like to spend less, the usual touch IPS display is still available.
Performance and battery life are both stellar. The X Elite (X1E-80) chip we tested even pulls ahead of the Core Ultra chip in the XPS 14 and XPS 16, with no real performance slowdown when you unplug the PC. The Pro 11 averaged about 10 hours of runtime from a charge, hitting as high as 15 hours with mixed work.
👀 Read our full Surface Pro 11 review
Best business convertible
Lenovo changed the branding for its premium convertible business laptop, but the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 remains a top option for any professionals who need a versatile PC. Its convertible hinges allow it to work in tablet, tent, stand, and notebook modes, and the optional active pen makes for easy sketching and note-taking.
It's powered by Intel's Core Ultra Series 1 mobile CPUs, with up to a Core Ultra 7 165U chip. It focuses on delivering strong battery life instead of exceptional performance, which should many people quite well. In Windows Central Editor Rebecca Spear's ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 9) review, she said:
"With the screen set to about 200 nits and the laptop doing basic tasks like attending video meetings and using common programs, the battery can last up to 15 hours and 13 minutes. I never had to worry about it running out of juice on me within a workday."
For frequent travelers and those in the field, this sort of battery life is key. Lenovo has a ton of configuration options available, including a number of 14-inch touch displays. You can go all the way up to an OLED panel with 2880x1800 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, but there are also FHD+ low-power options to really maximize battery life.
This is a ThinkPad, so you're getting a generous selection of ports, a durable design, a fingerprint reader and IR camera, and one of the best keyboards around. The touchpad is a bit narrow for our liking, but you can always use the TrackPoint system instead. As a bonus, Lenovo offers optional 5G LTE connectivity, keeping you connected everywhere you go.
👀 Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 9) review
I've been covering laptops at Windows Central since 2016, and the recent AI PC craze has certainly given me a lot more to learn about. With my own testing as well as the expert reviews done by my Windows Central colleagues in mind, I can confidently recommend these AI PCs.
How to choose the best AI PC for you
AI PCs, as defined by Intel, require a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which is a specific piece of hardware set aside for AI work, lessening the load on the processor (CPU) and graphics chip (GPU). Microsoft adds the necessity of a Copilot key on the keyboard in its definition of AI PC, and some options in this list feature the new dedicated input.
I've also included some of the best Copilot+ PCs tested and reviewed here at Windows Central, featuring Snapdragon X ARM64 chips and access to advanced AI features in Windows 11.
AI PCs really don't look any different from standard laptops, and most of the devices included here are laptops that have received regular refreshes for 2024, albeit this time with a CPU that includes an NPU.
The ASUS Zenbook Duo and Zenbook S 16 are the exceptions. The former is a completely new dual-screen laptop that I strongly recommend for any multitaskers who want the convenience of two displays in one laptop. The latter is a beautiful 16-inch creator laptop using AMD's new Ryzen AI 300 chips.
As for more traditional laptops, the XPS 14 (9440) is a premium option that fits Microsoft's definition of an AI PC. It received the futuristic redesign that we first saw in the XPS 13 Plus and features Intel's Core Ultra H-series CPUs with NPU for boosted AI performance. It's configurable with discrete NVIDIA RTX graphics, and it has a high-res OLED display option with accurate color reproduction.
If you're more interested in a convertible laptop, the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is one of the best that we've ever tested. It, too, is powered by Intel's Core Ultra H-series CPUs featuring an NPU, and it boasts a 2.8K OLED touch display.
For high-end gaming laptops, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) and Alienware m16 R2 are both standouts from recent reviews. They've both received overhauls for the new generation, and they can both deliver a high-end gaming experience from display to keyboard to performance hardware inside.
We've now also begun testing and reviewing Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus ARM64 chips. The Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 have long been some of our favorite Windows laptops, and this year's refresh with Snapdragon X has pushed them into a new class with all-day battery life and snappy performance on or off the charger.
Should you buy an AI PC on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are indeed great times to buy a new laptop. That includes the latest AI PCs with an NPU.
Black Friday lands on November 29 this year, with Cyber Monday hitting on December 2. However, the entire month of November seems to be earmarked for big sales. Many online retailers, like Best Buy, Newegg, Walmart, and Amazon, kick off Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts weeks ahead of the official dates, and I've personally been keeping track of the best deals so far.
Some of my top picks, including the XPS 14 (9440), HP Spectre x360 14, Surface Pro 11, and Surface Laptop 7 have already dropped in price in November, and I'm expecting to see further price drops as we approach Black Friday.
For example, at the time of writing the latest update on November 12, 2024, the XPS 14 is up to $300 off the regular price. The convertible HP Spectre x360 14 is up to $470 off the regular price, and the Surface Pro 11 is available for up to $150 off with a Best Buy membership.
These examples might seem like relatively robust discounts, but I'm expecting to see far deeper sales as we get closer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That includes gaming laptops like the ROG Zephyrus G14 and Alienware m16 R2. The former PC was on sale last week with about $250 off, which can get a lot better during Black Friday.
The latter PC has been on sale at Dell for weeks, with up to $500 off a high-end model. That's very tempting, and with even $400 off a baseline model, getting a Core Ultra 7 155H CPU and RTX 4060 Laptop GPU for $1,200 is a great deal.
Some retailers are already offering Black Friday/Cyber Monday price protection, which saves you the worry about overspending ahead of the rush. If you see a great deal now on a device you want and it's price protected, there's really no reason not to buy ahead of time. However, if there's no price protection, you might want to wait for Black Friday proper to see how low prices can drop.
What is an AI PC?
The definition of "AI PC" is still murky, but Intel and Microsoft have been leading the way so far in attempting to set guidelines.
Intel says an AI PC requires a modern CPU, GPU, and NPU with AI acceleration capabilities, while Microsoft adds Copilot software and a Copilot key on the keyboard as requirements.
The NPU is a new addition designed specifically to perform AI tasks, helping take some of the load off of a system's CPU and GPU. While a GPU is still used, in many cases, for AI acceleration, more general AI tasks can absolutely benefit from the NPU.
We know that Copilot+ features in Windows 11 require at least 40 TOPS (Tera Operations per Second) of NPU power, which is so far only possible with Snapdragon X and AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips. Unfortunately, Qualcomm has some sort of exclusive deal with Microsoft, and you'll only find Copilot+ on PCs with a Snapdragon chip. That's expected to change later this year or early next year.
We know that Intel's "Lunar Lake" processors will have an NPU with 48 peak TOPS, but the chips aren't yet available in laptops. On NVIDIA's side, it claims that a bunch of its RTX-powered laptops will soon be able to run Copilot+.
What's the difference between Copilot+ PCs and AI PCs?
AI PCs have been around for a while, but Copilot+ PCs have arrived to shake things up (and make things more complicated for buyers). The difference between Copilot+ PCs and AI PCs ultimately comes down to NPU performance and access to certain AI features.
In a general sense, an AI PC has a CPU, GPU, and NPU designed for local AI acceleration. This includes PCs with a discrete GPU with specific cores for AI, but it also includes laptops with modern Systems-on-Chip (SoC). Laptops with Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm hardware can be considered AI PCs.
Copilot+ was announced by Microsoft as a term for new AI features in Windows as well as the laptops capable of running them locally. The new AI features — including Windows Recall, Live Caption, enhanced local Cocreator, improved Windows Studio Effects, Auto Super Resolution, and more — are only available on PCs with an NPU capable of at least 40 TOPS.
While there was originally some sort of deal between Microsoft and Qualcomm for Copilot+ on Snapdragon X chips, a recent announcement during IFA 2024 has revealed that the latest Intel and AMD mobile chips will be getting access to Copilot+ starting in November 2024.
What AI PC is best for students?
Students of all ages are headed back to school, and the lure of an AI PC is undoubtedly tempting. The uses for AI in your laptop are still what I'd consider limited, but the tools continue to improve and I admit that I often tap in for some quick help when writing, taking notes, or brainstorming.
If I'm recommending an AI PC for the average student, it's likely going to be one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X SoC inside. Something like the Surface Pro 11 or Surface Laptop 7 provides all-day battery life, snappy performance even on DC power, high-end touch displays, and sleek designs. They're perfect for long days of lectures and labs, and they're easy to carry around in a backpack.
For students who require discrete graphics performance or who don't want to fiddle with ARM64 emulation, I'd suggest taking a look at the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, the Dell XPS 14, or even the ASUS Zenbook S 16 (though it lacks a discrete GPU).
Do you really need an AI PC?
Most people don't need to rush out and buy an AI PC at this point, but anyone shopping for a new device might find it hard to avoid a system with an NPU. Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm chips have saturated the market, and the new Copilot+ PCs will be tempting for anyone who values performance and efficiency. There's a good chance that you'll end up buying an AI PC anyway even if you don't set out with the specific goal in mind.
The usefulness of an AI PC is only going to increase as we see more apps and operating systems integrate AI, so it's not a bad idea to at least consider one of these laptops as your next device.
