Why Modern Laptops Are Packed With Neural Processing Units

A Neural Processing Unit, or NPU, is a specialized chip designed to run AI workloads efficiently using a fraction of the power required by a standard CPU or GPU. While they can perform tasks like background blur and noise suppression with minimal battery drain, their widespread presence in new laptops is primarily driven by Microsoft's Copilot+ PC certification requirements, which dictate a dedicated NPU performance of 40 TOPS. Although hardware manufacturers like Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD have rapidly increased NPU performance capabilities beyond Microsoft's minimum specifications, the software ecosystem to fully utilize these chips is still lagging behind. As a result, many consumers are buying devices equipped with AI hardware they may not yet actively use.