The AI PC trend is set to dominate the PC industry in 2024. An AI PC refers to a computer that comes equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which accelerates AI processing capabilities. Examples of AI PCs include the Intel Core Ultra and certain models of Ryzen Mobile.
However, according to Mark Hachman, a seasoned PCWorld editor, users like ourselves should not expect NPUs to revolutionize the PC industry completely. The term AI encompasses a wide range of applications, from image generation to large-scale language models (LLM) and even specific features within certain apps like Photoshop or Lightroom.
Hachman had the opportunity to test a real-life laptop utilizing the Core Ultra 7 165H and benchmark its AI processing performance against the Procyon batch mark. The results showed that the GPU still remains the primary powerhouse, with the scores as follows:
Procyon (OpenVINO) NPU: 356
Procyon (OpenVINO) GPU: 552
Procyon (OpenVINO) CPU: 196
He emphasized that while NPUs can indeed enhance the performance of certain AI tasks, ultimately, the GPU still holds more significance. Moreover, the true benefit of NPUs lies not in performance but in improved energy efficiency, which allows for longer battery life in laptops. A clear example of this is the extended video calls on Microsoft Teams and the ability of AI to suppress background noise and blur backgrounds, both of which result in reduced battery drain.
In conclusion, Hachman states that we are only just beginning to enter the era of AI PCs. While having an NPU chip is beneficial, it is not a necessity because AI can always be run on GPUs. Additionally, most users tend to utilize cloud-based AI services. Furthermore, hardware development is still ongoing, with Intel’s upcoming Lunar Lake chip set to launch in 2024, boasting three times the NPU performance compared to previous models.
TLDR: The AI PC trend is gaining traction, but NPUs are not essential for AI tasks since GPUs still play a major role. NPUs offer improved energy efficiency, resulting in longer battery life. The industry is evolving, and upcoming hardware like Intel’s Lunar Lake chip promises even better NPU performance.
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