PC Copilot+ standard is coming to desktops thanks to Intel's new generation of processors

Microsoft's PC Copilot+ initiative is a year old, but so far it's only been available on tablets and laptops, with a few mini-PCs 'in between'. However, it looks like Intel's next generation of desktop processors, codenamed Arrow Lake Refresh, will finally bring PC Copilot+ capabilities to the desktop segment.

The biggest requirement for a PC to support all the Copilot+ PC features like Recall, Click to Do, Windows Studio Effects, and a few other advanced utilities… is to have at least one neural processing unit (NPU) capable of at least 40 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second). Intel already has desktop chips with integrated NPUs, but they deliver fewer TOPS than required, meaning they don't qualify for Copilot+ PC certification. This is expected to change with the new Arrow Lake Refresh generation.

According to a recent report, the next Core Ultra line will feature a fourth-generation NPU (NPU 4) design borrowed from Intel's mobile processors that supports Copilot+ PC, making the new chipset the first desktop processor to meet Copilot+ PC standards. In fact, AMD's latest mobile chips also have a qualified NPU, but the 'Red Team' desktop processors still do not meet some of the AI ​​capabilities requirements on Windows 11.

Along with a new, more powerful NPU, Arrow Lake Refresh is expected to bring faster clock speeds to help Core Ultra desktop chips perform better in gaming. The Core Ultra 200 series has been disappointing in this regard, and AMD's X3D chips outperform Intel's latest in gaming. However, Arrow Lake Refresh isn't expected to offer more processing cores or graphics cores. Instead, it will focus on improving AI workloads and overall performance thanks to slightly higher clock speeds.

Intel Arrow Lake Refresh is expected to launch later this year with the same LGA-1851 socket, let's wait and see!