1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best battery life
4. Best gaming
5. Best business
6. Best AMD
7. Best Apple
8. Benchmark Comparisons
9. Recent reviews
10. How to pick the best AI PC
11. FAQs
12. How we test AI PCs
13. Why trust Laptop Mag
Picking a new laptop is tough, especially when you want the latest and greatest technology. And what's more cutting-edge in 2024 than the best AI PCs from Qualcomm, Intel, AMD, and Apple?
I'll be your AI PC deep dive instructor as we find the best AI PC for you. I've lived and breathed AI PCs this year. I've spent hours at a wide variety of performance and feature demos from virtually every laptop and chip maker, and I've reviewed a handful of AI PCs, while the Laptop Mag team has now reviewed over a dozen in this nascent category. I'll eliminate any confusion around what an AI PC is and leave you with nothing but the best.
AI PCs are available in several configurations, from business laptops to gaming laptops and everything in between. The one thing that connects all of these AI PCs is an NPU machine learning core, which can help with standard features like power efficiency alongside newer features like on-device AI image and text generation software.
Our pick for the best AI PC overall is the Asus Zenbook S 14 UX5406, which pairs a stunning OLED display with outstanding performance and efficiency thanks to the Intel Core Ultra Series 2 chipset inside. If battery life is your priority, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is your pick, with over 21 hours on our test.
Let's explore the full list of the best AI PCs in 2024.
The Quick List
If you can't wait for a brand-new AI laptop, here's a quick rundown of our top picks for the best AI PC laptops. You can also follow the links to the full review to learn more about any of the computers on this list.
The best overall AI PC
The Asus Zenbook S 14 UX5406 is a standout among the wave of AI PCs in 2024. It not only delivers the solid performance and battery life that are hallmarks of the early AI PCs, but it sports a gorgeous OLED display.
The best for battery life
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 has nearly endless battery life, lasting over 21 hours on our battery test. Plus, with the Snapdragon X Elite processor, this ThinkPad features strong performance and a thin design, in addition to its astounding battery life.
The best for gaming
The Maingear ML-16 delivers dependable gaming performance with loud, clear audio and a vibrant 100% sRGB QHD display. Its Intel Core Ultra 7 processor can also handle quite a bit of on-device AI.
The best for business
The HP EliteBook Ultra brings AI to the business world, offering Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite performance, all the Copilot+ AI PC features, solid battery life, and upgraded HP Wolf Pro Security to keep your files secure.
Best for AMD fans
If you'd prefer an AMD-powered AI PC laptop, the Zenbook S16 features the latest Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, which delivers powerful performance and long battery life.
The best for Apple enthusiasts
The MacBook Air M3 already includes an 18 TOPS NPU, but with macOS Sequoia, several new AI features will be unlocked this fall. The M3 chip also delivers over 15 hours of battery life and powerful productivity performance.
Madeline Ricchiuto has covered software and hardware of all kinds over the years. She joined Future in 2019 as a tester in the hardware testing lab and moved to Laptop Mag in 2024.
The best AI PCs in 2024
Why you can trust Laptop Mag Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Best Overall
Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) is a powerful, portable AI PC laptop that offers a solid balance of performance and battery life, with upgraded memory and storage and a vivid OLED display. The Zenbook S line also has an eye-catching modern design that gives it a real premium feel.
✔️You want Intel's best AI PC processor yet: While it may not have record-setting performance, the Zenbook S 14's Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor offers a fantastic balance of performance to efficiency so you'll be able to run multiple programs with no bottlenecks and still get a full day of battery life.
✔️ You want a gorgeous 14-inch display for your next Netflix binge: The Zenbook S 14 features an impressively clear and colorful 3K OLED display panel. Watching tense drama like the Small Things Like These trailer, the Zenbook portrayed the combination of tense introspection and religious trauma the trailer deserves.
✖️You need a satisfying keyboard experience: typing on the Zenbook S 14's chiclet-style keyboard offers a soft, mushy feel with limited tactile feedback and minimal key travel. It won't make your typing worse, but if you need a satisfying typing experience, the Zenbook S 14 is not for you.
✖️You want the best AI PC for battery life: The Zenbook S 14 gets nearly 14 hours of battery life, but some AI PCs on this list offer nearly a full day of battery. While the 13:51 battery life of the Zenbook will get most people through a day, if you want the very best battery life, the Dell XPS 13 further down this list is the better choice.
The Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) rocketed to the top to become our favorite AI PC laptop. This laptop is one of the first to feature an Intel Core Ultra 200V series processor and at just $1,499, you get a fantastic balance of performance, full-day battery life, a stunning 14-inch OLED display, plus enhanced storage and memory. So you can keep open your 57 'emotional support' Chrome tabs while still streaming music and running ChatGPT or Stable Diffusion.
Madeline Ricchiuto said in our review, "From its stunning design to its vivid OLED display panel, there’s plenty to appreciate about the Asus Zenbook S 14."
The Asus Zenbook S 14 lasted 13 hours and 51 minutes on our battery life test, so you should have no trouble leaving your charge cable at home while you head to work or to class. The Zenbook also features a scratch-resistant Ceraluminum ultralight chassis and Asus' quality customer support so you don't need to worry about any tech-related meltdowns.
The Zenbook S 14's 3K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED display is vividly colorful, capturing 82% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. at 342 nits of brightness, it can contend with most screen glare.
If you need to save money, Some of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Copilot+ PCs are a bit cheaper. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is one of our favorites of the Copilot+ lineup and starts at just $1,199, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition starts at just $999 and features the same Copilot+ AI features as the Yoga Slim 7x. If you prefer an AI PC with a larger screen, the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra has a stunning 16-inch AMOLED display. The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra also offers excellent battery life and the powerhouse combo of an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU.
See our full Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) review.
Best battery life
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s lasted an astounding 21 hours and 3 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, which is longer than any other laptop we've seen in the last year. AI PC laptops often offer better battery life, but the ThinkPad takes that to the extreme with a nearly limitless battery.
✔️You want best-in-class battery life: The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 offers plenty of quality performance, but you cannot argue with the 21:03 battery life. This actually outperforms all of Apple's M4 MacBooks so far, including the MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024) which lasted an impressive 20:46.
✔️You want a laptop that blends in at work: While the ThinkPad design is never exciting, it does a great job of disappearing into the background at work. So if you want your AI PC to parade as a generic business laptop, while refusing to compromise on battery or performance, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is the ideal choice compared to the HP EliteBook Ultra or Asus ExpertBook P5.
✖️You need solid GPU power: If you plan to use your AI PC for GPU-heavy LLM workloads or for some casual graphic design, this is perhaps not the best choice. While the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset offers great CPU power and battery life, the integrated Adreno graphics card falls flat compared to its AMD, Apple, and Intel competitors. For highly GPU-intensive work we'd recommend an AI PC with a dedicated graphics card like the Maingear ML-16 or for more general GPU workloads, we'd recommend the Asus Zenbook S14 (UX5406) or the Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 which have surprisingly powerful iGPUs.
✖️You want a vivid display for viewing your favorite content: The ThinkPad T14s has a dull FHD+ display panel measuring 70.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, nearly 20% lower than the premium laptop average.
One of the most highly anticipated features of the Copilot+ AI PC platform was the extended battery life offered by AI optimization combined with Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite chip, and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 has more than delivered on that promise.
Stevie Bonifield said in our review, "Battery life is one area where the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 really shines. It lasted 21 hours and 3 minutes in our battery test, longer than any of its rivals — longer than any laptop we’ve ever tested."
The ThinkPad T14s lasted an astounding 21 hours and 3 minutes on our battery test, outperforming even the MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024), which lasted 20:46. It also stole the battery life crown from the Dell XPS 13 (9345) which had snatched the title of laptop with the best battery life earlier this year.
But the ThinkPad T14s offers more than just incredible battery life, as it combines power efficiency with strong CPU performance thanks to it's Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (XIE-78-100) chipset and surprisingly light 2.72 pound chassis.
In fact, the ThinkPad T14s has more powerful multi-core performance than some of our favorite laptops, like the MacBook Air 13 M3 and Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M). On the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, the ThinkPad scored an average of 14,486 compared to the MacBook Air's 12,807 or the Zenbook 14's 12,358. The T14s also has better battery life than both, making it the best choice for power and longevity.
So what are the downsides? The ThinkPad T14s suffers from a tired design, sub-par graphics rendering, and an inaccurately calibrated display, which hold it back from taking the top spot in this category. But if you don't plan to use your AI PC for a lot of photo or video work, the ThinkPad T14s more than makes up for its shortcomings in terms of battery life and performance. In fact, with this ThinkPad, you can even dare to leave your charger at home.
See our full Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 review.
Best for gaming
Maingear ML-16 offers a powerhouse combination of an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU for dependable computing performance and smooth ray-traced graphics. And, it has a built-in NPU offering 11 TOPS of AI power.
✔️You want a powerful, budget-friendly gaming laptop: With an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and Nvidia RTX 4070 combo, the Maingear ML-16 costs just $2,199. But starting configurations go as low as $1,799 which isn't bad for a high-end gaming machine.
✔️You want a gaming laptop with quality audio: If you don't want to wear a clunky gaming headset every time you log into your favorite games, the Maingear ML-16 has the powerful audio to drown out even the worst fan noise, while still offering high sound quality at even just 50-percent volume.
✖️You want to run the latest on-device AI: While the Maingear ML-16 does have a dedicated NPU, the Intel AI Boost machine learning processor doesn't meet the stringent requirements for some of the latest on-device AI which requires at least 40 TOPS of AI power.
✖️You want a gaming laptop with good battery life: Not all gaming laptops have terrible battery life, but the ML-16 got just 4 hours and 1 minute on the Laptop Mag battery test. So if you need gaming power and power efficiency, the Maingear ML-16 is not the best gaming laptop to go for.
AI PCs offer good power efficiency, strong performance, and lightweight designs, even on gaming laptops. The Maingear ML-16 is a gaming machine with all the benefits of an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H AI CPU, with over 4 hours of battery life, dependable gaming performance, stellar productivity power, and a chassis that weighs just 4.59 pounds. While it may not be the most powerful gaming laptop on the market, it balances power, portability, and price.
Madeline Ricchiuto said in our review of the Maingear ML-16, "It’s a quality gaming experience for a price that won’t set you back several months’ rent. And it comes with a solid display, impressively loud audio, and plenty of ports to maximize your game station."
Our testing revealed that the Maingear ML-16 provides a "smooth, consistent gaming experience at FHD or QHD resolutions" compared to other gaming laptops with the same Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU. The ML-16 clocked in at 62 FPS on our Red Dead Redemption II benchmark at Medium settings and a 1080p resolution, compared to the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16's 60 FPS.
While the Maingear ML-16's 4 hours and 1 minute of battery life may not be able to beat the Razer Blade 14 2023 (8:35) or Alienware m16 R2 (6:13), it is comparable to other gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 9 which survived for just 3:43.
While the Maingear ML-16 doesn't have the same Copilot+ PC features as some of the other laptops on this list thanks to its less-powerful Intel AI Boost NPU, it does offer similar performance and efficiency as other AI chipsets, which makes it our best AI PC for gaming.
See our full Maingear ML-16 review.
Best for business
HP EliteBook Ultra offers impressive battery life, solid performance, a bright display, and increased security software. It is a quality laptop that can become your best business companion with ease.
✔️You want impressive battery life on your business laptop: Like most of the Snapdragon X-powered laptops, the HP EliteBook Ultra offers over 16 hours of battery life, so you can ditch your charge cord and hop between meeting rooms without worry.
✔️You need quality performance in an ultra-portable business machine: The HP EliteBook Ultra can handle a steady workflow of browser tabs, Photoshop, and music streaming even with games downloading in the background. While not the most powerful PC on this list, it does offer impressive single-core and multicore CPU performance in a sleek chassis that is just 0.44 inches thick.
You need to run programs that aren't native on ARM: A lot of software is now available for Windows on ARM machines, but they require emulators to run. While that can work in a pinch, if one of your most used applications can't run natively on the ARM Copilot+ PCs, its better to opt for an Intel or AMD business laptop for full Windows functionality.
✖️You need a budget business laptop: The HP EliteBook Ultra isn't the priciest PC on this list by far, but it does start at $1,699 which is pretty expensive for a non-gaming AI PC. If your small business operates on a budget, you'll either want to grab the EliteBook on sale or opt for a cheaper business laptop.
The HP EliteBook Ultra is a business AI PC laptop that prioritizes security, thanks to the included HP Wolf Pro Security. Plus, the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU allows business users to handle AI tasks on-device, keeping sensitive information away from potential security breaches in cloud-based AI.
Madeline Ricchiuto said in our review of the HP EliteBook Ultra, "Between the quality performance, impressive battery life, and vibrant display, the EliteBook can be kept up in most professional settings. While its poor graphics performance is disappointing, it will be fine for an enterprise machine."
Like the other Copilot+ laptops, the HP EliteBook Ultra has full-day battery life, quality performance, and a bright, vibrant display. So even if security is not your top priority, you're still getting a solid laptop that lasted 16 hours and 1 minute on our battery test. On our other lab benchmark tests, the EliteBook managed to stay competitive with the likes of the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M) and Apple MacBook Pro 14 M3 with a Geekbench 6 multicore score of 12,717 compared to the Zenbook's 12,707 and MacBook Pro's 11,986.
While you could use one of the other Copilot+ or AI PC laptops, like the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x or MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, as a business machine, the upgraded Wolf Pro Security makes a solid case for the EliteBook as the top choice. Lenovo and MSI skip that built-in comprehensive end-point security solution.
With a starting price of just $1,699, most other business laptops can't compete.
See our full HP EliteBook Ultra review.
Best for AMD fans
Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) offers the best of AMD's new Ryzen AI 9 series with excellent performance, long battery life, and solid graphics. Like the Zenbook S 14, it has a stunning unique design that won't look like every other laptop.
✔️You want powerful performance with solid graphics: The Asus Zenbook S 16's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and integrated Radeon 890M graphics chip offer some of the most impressive all-around performance in a premium laptop.
✔️You want the most powerful NPU on the market: While the Qualcomm Snapdragon X and Intel Core Ultra 200V processors have NPUs capable of providing 45 TOPS or more of AI performance, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX processor on the Asus Zenbook S 16 offers 50 TOPS of NPU power which is the most powerful neural engine available this generation.
✖️You need record-breaking battery life: The Asus Zenbook S 16 has enough battery life to last the average work day, surviving for 11 hours and 35 minutes on our battery test. But most other premium AI PC laptops offer far better power efficiency and longer battery life.
✖️You want a satisfying keyboard and touchpad: Much like the Asus Zenbook S 14, the Zenbook S 16 suffers from a mushy keyboard with short key travel. So if you need a laptop with a satisfying bounce and tactile activation, this is probably not the laptop for you.
This AI powerhouse isn't part of the Copilot+ PC program, but with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, it more than meets the requirements for NPU performance with 50 TOPS of AI processing power. So, if you want a top-of-the-line AI PC and Qualcomm's ARM chip won't work for you, the Asus Zenbook S16 is your best pick.
Rami Tabari said in our review, "The Asus Zenbook S16 UM5606 has the makings of a great laptop, from its incredible performance and graphics to its long battery life and stellar design."
Of course, the Zenbook does have a few drawbacks, like an unsatisfying keyboard and slower SSD, but it makes up for those shortcomings by surviving an impressive 11 hours and 35 minutes on our battery test. And it starts at just $1,399.
The Zenbook S16 scored above most of its competition on Geekbench 6, with a multicore average of 13,282. That outpaces even the MacBook Air 15 M3's 12,052 average and the Intel Core Ultra-powered Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M), which scored an average of 12,717.
So, if you need a powerful AI PC that runs Windows 11 without needing software emulation, the Zenbook S16 is the most affordable, powerful option.
See our full Asus Zenbook S16 review.
Best for Apple enthusiasts
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 offers a balance of powerful performance, battery life, and affordability, making it the most attractive Apple laptop. It also offers a comfortable keyboard, improved SSD speeds, and a bright Liquid Retina display.
✔️You want the benefits of an NPU without giving up macOS: While Apple hasn't rolled out Apple Intelligence just yet, the MacBook Air M3 still benefits from the increased power and efficiency of the neural engine. And it will get access to Apple Intelligence AI features soon. So it's a solid way to get an AI PC without switching to Windows 11.
✔️You want an Apple laptop that's wallet-friendly: The MacBook Air 13 is Apple's most affordable laptop, but you aren't sacrificing much in the way of performance, usability, or design. It's a highly portable laptop with power to rival the base-level MacBook Pro. And it's significantly cheaper.
✖️You want an Apple laptop that can do everything: If you need to run intensive video and photo editing software, or if you want to game on your Mac, then the MacBook Pro with a more powerful M4 GPU is a far better choice.
✖️You need more than just two ports: Unlike the Dell XPS 13, you do get a separate MagSafe 3 charge port in addition to the two USB-C ports, but if you have plenty of accessories or need an integrated SD Card reader, it may be best to opt for the MacBook Pro 14 M4.
Here at Laptop Mag, we love the MacBook Air 13 M3. Starting at just $1,099, with education pricing dropping it to $999, the Air is a laptop we can recommend for just about any purpose. It's affordable, especially by Apple standards, and it features an excellent keyboard, fantastic performance, and outstanding endurance, which makes it a great laptop for just about anyone's needs.
As Sean Riley said in our review, "For college students, frequent travelers, or anyone who wants an easily portable laptop without skimping on performance, the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 is an easy recommendation."
With macOS 18, the M3 chips do have access to Apple Intelligence, making the MacBook Air 13 M3 one of the most affordable AI PCs on the market, with features similar to those found in Microsoft's Copilot+ PC system, like image and text generation, email summaries, and in-call recording and summaries.
Outside of the fancy new AI features coming to Macs this fall, the MacBook Air M3 boasts the same kind of all-day battery life as the other AI PCs on this list, lasting 15 hours and 21 minutes in our battery life test.
The MacBook Air is also still competitive with other AI PCs when it comes to performance, scoring a Geekbench 6 multicore average of 12,087, which isn't too far behind the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M)'s 12,707 or even the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x's 13,750. While it isn't groundbreaking performance anymore, the Air M3 still holds up well, particularly when you consider the Apple M3 chip is almost a year old.
Of course, you could choose the MacBook Pro 14 M4 instead. Thanks to its upgraded M4 chipset, it has better performance and longer battery life, but it has a much higher starting price: $1,599.
So, if you want to stick with macOS and get the best Apple Intelligence features at an affordable price, the MacBook Air M3 is the way to go.
See our full Apple MacBook Air M3 review.
Benchmark Comparisons
Click to view chart data in table format
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Asus Zenbook S 14 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 | Maingear ML-16 | HP EliteBook Ultra | Asus Zenbook S 16 | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (Higher is better) | 11,157 | 14,486 | 12,403 | 12,717 | 13,282 | 12,087 |
| Handbrake time ((MM.SS), lower is better) | 08:30 | 05:34 | 08:23 | 06:40 | 05:08 | 07:19 |
| Battery life - Web surfing (HH.MM) | 13:51 | 21:03 | 04:01 | 16:01 | 11:35 | 15:13 |
| SSD transfer speeds (MBps, higher is better) | 1,513 | 1,069 | 851 | 712 | 908 | Row 3 - Cell 6 |
| DCI-P3 Color Gamut (Higher is better) | 82% | 71% | 73% | 85% | 80% | 78% |
| Display Brightness (Nits, higher is better) | 342 | 452 | 363 | 321 | 357 | 476 |
| Hottest temperature (95 degree comfort threshold) | 97.7 | 107.6 | 119 | 112 | 105.5 | 83.5 |
Recent reviews
We review dozens of laptops annually, and while some simply don't have what it takes to make our buying guides, others are still strong options that came up short for one reason or another. Here are some of our most recently reviewed laptops that didn't make the cut, which for this page could simply mean they aren't classified as "AI PCs."
How to choose the best AI PC
There are several factors you should consider before buying an AI PC laptop.
The benefits of AI PCs are multifaceted, but portability and battery life are some of the more tangible benefits of buying a laptop with an NPU. Courtesy of AI optimization, these laptops are more efficient than their non-AI counterparts, which helps shave off some weight with thinner, smaller batteries that can still last all day on a charge. Most AI PCs we've seen have lasted for more than 10 hours on our battery test, and many of the laptops on this guide have better battery life than that.
On-device AI is another key benefit of the AI PC platform, though we are still in the early days of generative AI, so those features will be upgraded and added as Microsoft, Apple, Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm all flesh out their AI platforms. But at a minimum, all of the AI PCs have a dedicated NPU and can tackle on-device AI tasks like image and text generation. While some have more powerful NPUs than others, all of these AI PCs can run your favorite large language model.
Regarding minimum specs, we recommend a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus, AMD Ryzen 8000 series, Intel Core Ultra 100 series, or Apple M2. You'll also want to go for at least 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD minimum for extra memory and storage for your AI tasks.
Other deciding factors that can make your AI PC life even more successful are the same as most other laptops, including a comfortable keyboard, a sensitive touchpad, and a bright, vivid display. So you can enjoy your laptop for more than just its generative AI capabilities.
FAQs
What does an AI PC do?
AI PCs are specialized laptops built to run AI workloads. They also offer great battery life and general performance. All laptops will be AI PCs at some point in the future, but for now, they're a bit more of a niche category. Essentially, any computer with an NPU machine learning processor is an AI PC.
You can use an AI PC to run on-device AI models like GPT-4 or Stable Diffusion. AI PCs can generate text and images, provide live translations, and better video filters for your next Zoom meeting. One of the key differentiators is that these tasks are handled at least in large part by the NPU, which helps free up the CPU and GPU for other tasks.
You can also use an AI PC to browse the web, play games, edit photos and videos, or function as your work laptop. They're a versatile category of powerful, efficient laptops that fill various needs.
What specs do I need for a good AI PC?
While you can run generative AI programs like GPT-4, Stable Diffusion, or Dall-E on older processors, you'll want to opt for a newer, high-end CPU and NPU combination if you plan to do a lot of on-device AI.
An AMD Ryzen AI processor gets you the most powerful NPU. A Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor offers the best combination of powerful NPU and CPU performance. The Intel Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" series gives you a strong NPU with solid CPU and GPU performance for additional AI support. While the Apple M3 gives you access to the Apple Intelligence AI software suite, the M4 will be better optimized for AI workloads and will be the better choice once that CPU becomes available in laptops.
If you're using mostly cloud-based AI software, you can use a processor with a less powerful NPU, because the cloud server will run the AI model for most of your AI usage. However, in that case, you'll still want a laptop with a decent processor and some extra RAM to get a timely response.
How we test AI PCs
We put each laptop we review through extensive benchmark testing using synthetic and real-world tests before it goes to our reviewers. Our reviewers evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers, and heat management.
In our benchmark testing, we use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut of the laptop's display. For performance testing, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 6 and 3DMark professional graphics tests. A Geekbench 6 multicore score of 10,000 or higher is needed for AI workloads. While AI PC laptops don't need to be great at gaming, a higher score on 3DMark benchmarks can indicate good image generation capabilities.
With AI PC laptops, we also use machine learning benchmark tests like Geekbench ML, Geekbench AI, UL Procyon Computer Vision, and UL Procyon Image Generation. These tests use real AI workloads and models to test a laptop's AI performance capabilities. Most of these tests can target CPU and GPU performance on AI workloads, but as NPUs are the defining factor of AI PCs, we tend to focus on NPU performance for these benchmarks.
To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop with compressing a 4K video to 1080p resolution and duplicating a 25 GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics test is the Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark with medium settings at 1080p and native resolution. On gaming laptops we run additional benchmarks including Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Cyberpunk 2077, and Assassin's Creed: Mirage.
We also test the laptop's cooling capabilities by playing a 15-minute 4K video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop, such as the keyboard, touchpad, and underside, to determine whether it is too hot to be safely used on your lap or if it should be relegated to a desktop.
Last but not least, our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. For MacBooks and premium Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptops, a runtime of over 9 hours is considered a good result, whereas gaming laptops and workstations that can stay powered longer than 5 hours deserve praise. We expect over 10 hours of battery life with AI PCs, though many AI PC laptops get around 14 hours of battery life.
These tests, in addition to our reviewers' extensive hands-on testing, help us offer you a clear and comprehensive view of every laptop that comes through Laptop Mag.
Why Trust Laptop Mag
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We are 100 percent independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades and continues to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.
Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.
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