AI PC: should you replace your laptop?

Daniel Platteau Support & hardware AI tools

Updated on 25 October 2026 (complete rewrite, prices checked at Coolblue on 25 October 2026).

A label on almost every laptop

In 2026, you cannot buy a laptop without coming across the words “AI PC” or “Copilot+ PC”. Gartner forecasts about 143 million AI PCs shipped this year, more than half the market. So the question is no longer really “do I need an AI PC?”, since most recent machines are AI PCs. The real question for an SME: should you pay more for a better one, and should you replace laptops that still work?

What is an NPU?

A conventional computer has two computing engines: the processor (CPU), general-purpose, and the graphics chip (GPU), specialised in parallel calculations. The NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is a third engine, designed to run certain artificial intelligence tasks while using very little power.

Its power is measured in TOPS (trillions of operations per second). That is the figure manufacturers put forward.

“AI PC” and “Copilot+ PC”: not the same thing

• AI PC is a marketing term. It generally refers to any machine with an NPU, even a modest one.
• Copilot+ PC is a category defined by Microsoft, with precise requirements: an NPU of at least 40 TOPS, 16 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage.

A laptop can therefore be sold as an “AI PC” without being Copilot+, because its NPU is too weak. That is the case for the first Intel Core Ultra processors (2023-2024), whose NPU tops out at roughly 10 to 13 TOPS.

What the NPU really brings

On a Copilot+ PC, Windows 11 enables features that run on the machine itself, without going through the internet:

• Video call effects: background blur, automatic framing, noise reduction. The NPU handles them without spinning up the fan or draining the battery. This is the most tangible everyday benefit.
• Live captions with translation: useful with Dutch-, English- or German-speaking customers.
• Improved search in Windows and in your files.
• Recall: Windows regularly takes screenshots so that you can find “the document I had open on Tuesday”. On a company-managed device, it is disabled by default (see below).
• Click to Do and a few image-editing tools.

Let's be honest: many Copilot+ PC users admit they rarely use these features. They are pleasant, rarely essential.

What it does not bring

Local AI still makes little use of the NPU. If you want to run your own AI models on site, for example to keep confidential documents out of the cloud, the most common tools (Ollama, llama.cpp) still mainly use the processor and the graphics card as of mid-2026. For that use, the amount of memory matters far more than TOPS: see our comparison of hardware for local AI.

Recall: the question to ask before enabling it

Recall records what appears on the screen. In an SME, that can include customer files, payslips, health data or passwords on display. The screenshots stay on the machine and are encrypted, but they still constitute processing of personal data that must be justified under the GDPR.

Good news: on a company-managed device, Microsoft disables and removes Recall by default; it is only enabled if the administrator allows it. On a laptop bought in a shop and used with a personal account, check the setting. The details are in our article Windows 11 and AI: what an SME can disable.

Watch out for Snapdragon processors

Some Copilot+ PCs use Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, based on an ARM architecture rather than the usual Intel or AMD architecture. They offer remarkable battery life, and emulation runs the vast majority of software. But some older business software, printer drivers, VPNs, eID card readers or security tools can cause problems. Before buying them for your company, check that your software is compatible. If in doubt, an Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen AI model avoids unpleasant surprises.

Testing an AI PC before replacing your laptops

There is no need to replace the whole fleet to find out whether the AI features are useful to you.

1. A pilot machine. First equip the person who makes the most video calls or travels the most.
2. A checklist. For two weeks: your business software, the printer, the VPN, the electronic identity card, the real battery life over a working day.
3. The return conditions. A private individual buying online in the European Union has 14 days to withdraw. This right protects consumers: for a purchase in the company's name, only the seller's conditions apply. Read them before ordering the pilot machine.
4. The decision. If the pilot machine brings a real gain, extend. If not, a well-equipped conventional laptop will do.

A few Copilot+ PCs at Coolblue

Prices checked on coolblue.be on 25 October 2026, subject to change.

HP EliteBook 8 G2i 16-inch Copilot+ PC: Intel Core Ultra 7, 49 TOPS NPU, 32 GB of memory, Windows 11 Pro. View at Coolblue Affiliate link

• The bargain: ASUS Vivobook 14. At this price, a Copilot+ PC with 16 GB and excellent battery life is hard to beat. Snapdragon processor: check your software first.
• No compatibility worries: HP OmniBook 7. Intel processor, 17-inch screen, ideal as a main workstation that rarely moves.
• To go further: Lenovo Yoga Pro 7. 32 GB of memory and a powerful AMD processor, enough to try local AI models alongside everyday work.
• The business choice: HP EliteBook 8 G2i. Professional range supplied with Windows 11 Pro, latest-generation Intel processor (49 TOPS NPU), 32 GB of soldered memory, 16-inch screen, 1.69 kg. A good candidate for the pilot machine of a managed fleet.

Looking for a fixed workstation instead? Read our article on mini PCs for SMEs.

Three ways to go about it

So, replace or not?

Yes, a Copilot+ PC makes sense if:

• you make a lot of video calls, especially on battery;
• you keep your machines for five years or more: more and more software will rely on the NPU (according to the specialist press, Microsoft, Adobe and Autodesk have announced this for certain features);
• the price difference with an equivalent non-certified model is small, which is increasingly the case.

No, no need to pay more if:

• your use is limited to office software, email and online tools;
• your current laptops run Windows 11 with 16 GB and an SSD: they still have good years ahead of them;
• you mainly rely on local AI: invest in memory and the graphics card instead.

In every case: at least 16 GB of memory. It is also a Copilot+ requirement. With the current memory shortage, beware of “AI” machines sold with 8 GB.

Example: a three-person sales team

Illustrative case. Three salespeople spend half their time at customers' premises and hold one video call after another from the car or a waiting room. Their 2021 laptops last three hours on battery.

We would start with a single Copilot+ PC with an Intel or AMD processor, so as to take no risk with the quoting software and the VPN. After two weeks: battery life measured over a real day, video call quality, compatibility confirmed. If the gain is real, the other two follow; Recall stays disabled, translated captions are enabled for Dutch-speaking customers.

Test yourself

At ExsIT

ExsIT has no exclusive commercial ties with manufacturers. The first contact is free: we listen to your needs, then propose an action plan. Choice of machines based on your real uses, compatibility testing, installation, configuration of Windows AI features.

For your IT person

• Copilot+ PC: NPU ≥ 40 TOPS, 16 GB of memory, 256 GB of storage. Platforms: Qualcomm Snapdragon X (ARM64), Intel Core Ultra 200V (Lunar Lake), AMD Ryzen AI 300, then newer models whose NPU reaches 40 TOPS (check the exact reference).
• ARM64: Windows 11 on ARM emulates x64 applications (Prism); kernel drivers (VPN, antivirus, printers, card readers) must exist as native ARM64. Test before any rollout.
• Recall and Click to Do: policies Allow Recall to be enabled and Disable Click to Do (Windows Components > Windows AI) or the WindowsAI CSP via Intune. Recall is disabled and removed by default on managed devices; Click to Do is enabled by default.
• Local AI: as of mid-2026, Ollama and llama.cpp mainly use the CPU and GPU; the NPU is mostly used through ONNX Runtime, Windows ML and OpenVINO for optimised models. Judge a machine for local AI on memory and GPU, not on TOPS.

Sources

Cloudmagazin. (2026, April 22). Marché des mini-PC en 2026 : ce que révèlent IDC, Gartner et les études de marché. https://www.cloudmagazin.com/fr/2026/04/22/marche-mini-pc-en-2026-ce-que-revelent-idc-gartner-et-les/

Coolblue. (2026). Copilot+ PCs [product pages consulted on 25 October 2026]. https://www.coolblue.be/en/laptops/windows/copilot-plus

European Union. (2011). Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights. Official Journal of the European Union, L 304, 64-88. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/83/oj

Microsoft. (n.d.). Windows 11 Copilot+ PC and next-generation AI device hardware requirements. Microsoft Support. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-next-generation-ai-device-hardware-requirements-35782169-6eab-4d63-a5c5-c498c3037364

Microsoft. (2025a, December 10). Manage Click to Do for Windows clients. Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/manage-click-to-do

Microsoft. (2025b, December 10). Manage Recall for Windows clients. Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/manage-recall

PromptQuorum. (2026). Local AI trends 2027, part 2 of 10: AI PCs everywhere, NPUs still lagging. https://www.promptquorum.com/fr/prompt-bites/local-ai-trend-2027-ai-pc-npu-normalization