Artificial intelligence-driven apps are still finding their place in the tech ecosystem, yet processor manufacturers have nonetheless begun to develop hardware specially designed for this purpose. The result is a new wave of so-called AI PCs, optimized to efficiently handle AI-driven processes like machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. The key to their efficiency is a new type of dedicated processor called a neural processing unit (NPU), which is specially designed to handle the complex algorithms and massive data sets that underpin AI technology.

The neat part about having an integrated NPU is that you don’t need to run AI-specific applications to benefit from its parallel processing power. For example, all video call programs use AI to blur backgrounds, and many games can use AI to generate lighting effects like ray tracing. In the years to come, it is entirely possible that the NPU will become as indispensable as the CPU or GPU, and we're already starting to see NPUs in almost every modern laptop. So we've picked out the best ones for you.

What are the best AI PCs in 2024?

The HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is not only one of the best AI PCs available currently but also one of the best laptops, period. Between its sleek convertible form factor, beautiful OLED display, and powerful Core Ultra 7 processor, HP delivers the total package with this one.

This laptop ships with either the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H or the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. Both CPUs have an integrated AI Boost NPU and Arc GPU, but we’ve focused on the 155H version for this application. We benchmarked it against last year’s in our review, and we saw a notable improvement. The 16-inch version also has the option to add a dedicated Nvidia 4050 Laptop GPU. But its merits go well beyond its performance.

The HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) also provides a stellar use experience. This laptop is both lightweight and portable, and its convertible 2-in-1 form factor allows it to be used as a tablet. The 2.8K@120Hz OLED touch display is vibrant and accurate, making it great for watching media. And we got a decent six to seven hours of battery life when using it for everyday tasks.

The keyboard and touchpad both feel great. The 4K webcam is the icing on the cake. It may not be the cheapest option in the AI PC space, but for those looking for a premium laptop, it is well worth the price of admission.

Dell's XPS lineup is always home to excellent laptops, and the all-new XPS 14 is no different. It starts with the processor, which is an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, delivering top-notch performance for day-to-day workloads along with a capable NPU for AI features. If you need extra power, you can also add an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, which enables some higher-quality gaming and worklaods like video editing at better speeds. The laptop can also be configured with up to 64GB of RAM and a 4TB SSD.

A great display is also an important part of a laptop, and the Dell XPS 14 delivers. The base model is a relatively basic IPS panel with Full HD+ resolution, but if you want the best experience possible, you want to upgrade to the 3.2K OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate that looks absolutely stunning. We tried this unit for our review of the XPS 14, and our Editor-in-Chief Rich Woods called it "a delight to use". That's no small praise. The XPS 14 also finally adds a 1080p webcam, bringing it up to modern standards.

One of the big selling points of the modern XPS lineup is its design. Learning from the Dell XPS 13 Plus od previous years, the XPS 14 looks absolutely sleek and modern. It uses a zero-lattice keyboard to create a sleek, uniform look, and the seamless touchpad is completely invisibile until you use it. The function keys are also replaced with touch-based controls, giving it an extra futuristic touch. It's a stunning laptop in either platinum or graphite colorways, and it's also very compact, though the 3.7 pounds of weight make it less than ideal for portability.

Finally, for ports, you get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader, whichi gives you some options out of the box. You might need an adapter for legacy peripherals, though.

All in all, this is an absolutely fantastic laptop, and one we have no problem recommending — though we wouldn't blame you if you want to wait for a discount considering the high price tag.

Despite being considerably cheaper than our top two picks, the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) delivers comparable performance for the value shopper. With this laptop, you can enjoy the benefits of an AI-optimized system with minimal compromises.

The Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, which vastly outperforms the last generation’s chips thanks to its integrated AI Boost NPU and Arc GPU. It also has a stunning 14-inch 2.8L OLED display, which offers vibrant colors, high contrast, and wide viewing angles. We got fairly inconsistent battery life in our review of it, though. We got as high as seven hours and 39 minutes and as low as three hours and 23 minutes.

For better or worse, the compromises that set this laptop apart from our top picks mostly relate to build quality. This laptop is not quite “ultraslim” and so will look a little bulky next to the razor-thin Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (2024). At least the Swift Go 14 (2024) has a nice port selection. Its backlit keyboard, while decent, is not quite as nice as that of the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024). Its speakers are also a little tinny. Don’t get me wrong, you still get adequate construction for the price you pay, but it’s clear that costs were cut compared to the premium AI PCs out there.

For many users, the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) is the perfect balance of value and performance. After all, you won’t find too many AI-ready PCs with an OLED display at this price point. As long as you don’t need the best of the best for your purposes, the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) is a fine choice.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is a high-performance, AI-ready laptop that is perfect for business applications. In addition to its top-notch build quality, it has a top-of-the-line processor: the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. Until we start to see Ryzen 8000G Series processors in the wild, the Core Ultra 7 CPU has very little competition in the AI space (aside from Apple).

In terms of construction quality, there is not much to be said that hasn’t already been said about this iconic business laptop. It is beloved for its carbon-fiber chassis, ultraportable form factor, and TrackPoint pointing stick. It has the same crystal clear 14-inch 2.8K@120Hz OLED display as the Gen 11 version. The Gen 12 actually ups the ante with the addition of a glass touchpad and a 1080p webcam, which is more than we typically expect from an iterative laptop release.

Lenovo boasts an all-day battery life for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12, but a more accurate figure will have to wait until we can test out this laptop’s battery for ourselves. But assuming Lenovo is at least close in their estimation, then this laptop delivers the full package as far as business use is concerned.

Since gaming is one of the most practical applications for AI tech, the HP Omen Transcend 14 is a great candidate for an AI-ready gaming rig. It comes with either an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H or Core Ultra 9 185H, either of which includes a powerful NPU to optimize AI tasks. On top of that, it ships with either an Nvidia RTX 4050 (6GB) or RTX 4070 (8GB) Laptop GPU. These specs make this laptop an absolute beast for gaming, deep learning, and data mining.

One of the best parts of this laptop is that it is surprisingly portable, given the inclusion of a dedicated GPU. But despite being HP’s thinnest Omen design to date, it won’t compare in portability to the numerous great ultraslim AI PCs available. Its battery life probably won’t match that of other laptops, though, at least as long as you are using that dedicated GPU to its full potential. The same goes for letting that beautiful 14-inch OLED display rip at its max 120Hz refresh rate.

Two other features worth noting about this laptop are its Wi-Fi 7 support and its keyboard. The keyboard has a unique low-profile pudding-style keycap with translucent sides, creating a cool effect with the RGB backlighting. It’s a helpful reminder that this laptop is built to run AAA game titles on the go, even though you wouldn’t know with the clamshell closed.

Creative professionals need a bit more performance than the average Joe, and the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is happy to provide. This laptop is powered by Intel Core Ultra processors up to a Core Ultra 9 185H, offering terrific performance for demanding workloads like video editing. If the CPU isn't enough, the laptop also includes up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU to enhance these workloads as well as gaming. You also get up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

That kind of performance also needs a big display to shine on, and the large 16-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio is excellent for that. It's a beautiful Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel with a super-sharp 2880x1800 resolution that can hit 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. It also has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, and it's even a touchscreen. Above the display is a 1080p webcam, too.

All of this comes in a chassis that's surprisingly thin for what it offers. It's just over 16mm thick and weighs 4.1 pounds, which is fairly light for such a big laptop. Plus, it has a lot of ports, too, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB Type-A, HDMI, and a headphone jack, plus a microSD card slot so you can import photos from your camera.

All of this adds up to one of the best laptops on the market if you need top-tier performance in a thin package. Samsung has been making excellent laptops for a while now, and this is another great one.

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) is a well-rounded productivity laptop machine that combines performance, design, and AI features into a sleek, portable package. It not only has a powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 processor but also a great set of specs. The laptop has a decently slim profile, a nice icy blue color, and a backlit keyboard. It also has a 14-inch WVA display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 2.2K or 2.8K resolution, depending on the version. The screen looks decent but has an underwhelming max brightness of 300 nits.

That’s why this laptop is better suited for handling everyday productivity tasks. Most of what you’re paying for is its powerful and efficient Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU. This processor is great for mixed use, as it has an integrated Arc GPU to handle high-end graphics and an integrated AI Boost NPU to accelerate image processing and voice assistants. This CPU has decent power efficiency, too, so we expect its battery life to be quite impressive once we have a chance to actually test it.

Although the final verdict will come once we actually go hands-on with this not-yet-released laptop, it already looks like one of the most promising mid-range laptops in its price range. This is especially true if you highly value AI functionality.

The Surface Pro 9 stands out from other AI PCs for several reasons. First, it is a tablet that is just as easy to use with the Surface Slim Pen 2 (not included) as it is to use with the Surface Keyboard (also not included). Second, it runs on an ARM-based CPU instead of an x86-based CPU. Third, it is 5G-compatible, allowing it to use mobile data networks. Though these features aren’t particularly attractive if you’re looking for a workhorse machine, they are certainly attractive if you’re looking for a portable and flexible device with AI support.

The Surface Pro 9 comes in a 13-inch form factor and is easy to take anywhere with its long battery life and 5G support. It has a touch PixelSense Flow Display with a nice 120Hz refresh rate. We got between eight and 10.5 hours of battery life during testing while using everyday productivity apps like Edge, Office, Slack, and OneNote.

Things get more interesting when we go under the hood. Unlike all the other AI-enabled CPUs featured on this list, the Surface Pro 9 runs on an ARM-based CPU called the Microsoft SQ3. It benchmarked decently when we reviewed this tablet but has a few compatibility issues for casual users. For example, Google Chrome requires an emulator to run on ARM, and Adobe Photoshop runs poorly despite native support. On the plus side, you can run Android apps from the Amazon App Store.

All this said, the AI functionality of the Surface Pro 9 is more likely to draw your interest than its CPU architecture. It not only has an integrated NPU but also some preloaded software that puts it to use. This includes Windows Studio effects, which can improve video calls with background blur, automatic framing, eye contact, and background noise suppression. It also runs AI-powered apps like Copilot or Adobe Photoshop (when you can get the latter to work).

The best AI PCs: the bottom line

Considering how new AI technology is, there are a surprising amount of AI PC options available, and they are all fairly competitive in terms of performance and price value. While there may be better choices for ultra-specific AI applications, the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is hands-down the best option for all-around AI versatility. Those looking to spend a little extra for a premium user experience might opt for the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (2024), though. Similarly, users on a budget will get comparable performance out of the more value-priced Acer Swift Go 14 (2024).

This said, there are still many new AI-powered PCs slated for release in the coming year, and we have high hopes for those powered by the likes of Intel’s Core Ultra series or AMD’s Ryzen 8000G series. We will be sure to check back in and regularly update this list as the selection grows.