What Does an NPU Actually Do, and Does Your Laptop Need One?
Quick Answer: An NPU (neural processing unit) is a part of the processor designed to handle AI tasks efficiently without relying entirely on your laptop’s CPU or GPU. An NPU on a laptop like the Dell 14 Plusor Dell 16 Plus can accelerate supported AI features, free up the CPU and GPU for other work and handle some AI tasks while using less power.
If you’re shopping for a new laptop, you’ve probably noticed a lot of new jargon, including “AI PC” and “NPU.” Or maybe your laptop still works fine, but you’re wondering if it’s worth upgrading to take advantage of these new features, or whether they’re mainly hype.
An AI PC is one that has a “neural processing unit” (NPU) to handle the increasing number of computing-intensive AI tasks that newer laptops are built to do on your local machine. Microsoft’s Copilot+, for example, enables you to...
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