I cover AI for a living these are the 5 things Id check before buying an AI PC during Amazon Prime Day

Date:
Tue, 23 Jun 2026 09:50:33 +0000

Description:
Don't rush into buying an AI PC without understanding what you're really getting.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The AI PC market has become incredibly confusing. Microsoft , Intel , AMD , Qualcomm, Apple and laptop makers are all selling 'AI PCs', but do you really know what youre actually getting? And do you really need an 'AI PC' anyway?

Meanwhile, Microsoft appears to be expanding some Copilot+ features beyond dedicated neural processing units ( NPUs ), potentially blurring the distinction further.

What you need, then, is some way to tell whether you're buying a genuinely useful AI machine or just an expensive sticker. You want to be sure that whatever you buy, it will still be relevant in two years.

In short, there are five key things to check in order to make sure that your PC really is an 'AI PC'. They are: Minimum RAM NPU vs GPU Copilot+ requirements Does it have AI features youll actually use? Is there enough space on the SSD? Lets look at them in turn: 1. At least 16GB of RAM (preferably 32GB) AI features are memory-hungry. If you look at the deals on Prime Day laptops this week youll see that a lot of them are discounted because they're older models with 8GB RAM. That's already becoming
restrictive for modern Windows use, and it's especially limiting if you want to run local AI tools.

The main exception to the rule is the MacBook Neo from Apple, which only
comes with 8GB of RAM, but thanks to a 16-core neural engine can run the new Siri AI. Its a great laptop for experimenting with AI, but advanced users
will require more RAM.

Rule of thumb: Skip any 'AI PC' with 8GB RAM, the MacBook Neo being the only exception. 2. A processor that actually supports Copilot+ features Many laptops are being marketed as AI PCs simply because they contain an NPU. That doesn't necessarily mean they support the full set of Microsoft Copilot+ experiences such as Recall, Click to Do, Cocreator, Live Captions, and so on.

The NPU is much more efficient at AI tasks than a CPU or a GPU, so youre
still going to need one if youre looking for a machine thats equipped for AI.

For an AI laptop, running Windows Id look for: Qualcomm Snapdragon X series, recent AMD Ryzen AI chips, or recent Intel Core Ultra chips that explicitly support Copilot+.

When it comes to Macs, avoid ones with Intel chips completely. You need an Apple silicon processor, which are designated M processors, or in the case of the MacBook Neo, the A18 Pro. The M1 is pretty old now, since it came out in November 2020, but it will still support Apple Intelligence features. To make better use of the newest Siri AI features, due in macOS 27 Golden Gate , this fall, get the latest processor you can afford. The current version is the M processor is the super-fast M5 . 3. Battery life that benefits from AI hardware One of the genuine advantages of NPUs is efficiency. If a laptop
only manages five or six hours of real-world battery life, then the AI hardware isn't delivering one of its biggest promised benefits.

Rule of thumb: Expect all-day battery life if you're paying a premium for an AI laptop. If the laptop says less in its specs, then avoid. 4. AI features you'll actually use Remember, you dont need an 'AI PC' to just run ChatGPT or Gemini in a browser, or using their native apps. Since subscription services like ChatGPT and Gemini do all their processing in the cloud, the
capabilities of your PC arent really the issue here.

However, to make use of AI features that are part of the operating system , like Copilot in Windows and Siri AI in macOS, you will need a machine thats classified as being AI capable. Also, some apps, like Photoshop , make use of the NPU in your PC when generating AI images, so they'll perform better with the correct hardware.

The question to ask yourself is, are you really going to be using these things?

Ask yourself whether you'll realistically use features like Live translation, AI image generation, AI-powered search and AI photo editing? Many people are paying extra for features they'll never touch.

Rule of thumb: Buy the laptop first, the AI second. 5. A fast SSD with
enough space for local AI Some newer AI tools run locally rather than
entirely in the cloud. If youre going to be using these sorts of tools (and the application is usually in programming) then you'll need to consider the speed and size of your SSD .

So while a bargain laptop with 256GB storage and 16GB RAM might look attractive, youll find you hit the storage limits once Windows, some games, apps and photos have been installed. And if youre even thinking of installing a local AI model, it wont do at all.

Rule of thumb: Aim for at least 512GB SSD, ideally 1TB. Today's best Prime Day AI PC deals (US) Save 38% Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024): was $1,349.50 now $834.99 at Amazon This Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024) comes with Windows 11 and is a genuine Copilot+ PC. It has 13.8-inch Touchscreen Display, Snapdragon X Elite (12 core), 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage. This Prime Day
Deal features a massive 38% off. Read more Read less View Deal Save 20% ASUS Vivobook S16 Laptop: was $1,095.14 now $879.99 at Amazon This ASUS Vivobook S16 Laptop, Copilot+ PC has an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 with XDNA NPU, 16GB Memory and 1TB SSD. The Amazon Prime Day deal knocks a healthy 20% off its price. Read more Read less View Deal Save 21% Acer Aspire 16 AI Copilot+ PC: was $799.99 now $632 at Amazon This Acer Aspire 16 AI Copilot+ PC has a large 16-inch WUXGA 120Hz 100% sRGB display, and comes with a Snapdragon X
processor and 16GB LPDDR5X RAM with a 512GB SSD. This Amazon Prime Day deal knocks 21% off its price. Read more Read less View Deal Today's best Prime Day AI PC deals (UK) Save 18% Microsoft Surface Laptop: was 1,699.99 now 1,399.99 at Amazon This Microsoft Surface Laptop is a Copilot+ PC with a 15-inch Touchscreen, Snapdragon X Elite processor and a whopping 32GB Memory and a 1TB SSD. Thanks to Amazon Prime Day there's 300 off, making it a great deal. Read more Read less View Deal Save 36% HP OmniBook 5 Next Gen AI 16" Laptop: was 699.98 now 449.99 at Amazon The HP OmniBook 5 Next Gen AI 16-inch Laptop is a CoPilot+ PC with a Snapdragon X1-26-100 processor, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. You'll find it at a very tempting 449.99 this Amazon Prime Day. Read more Read less View Deal Save 31% ASUS Zenbook A14: was 769.99 now 529.99 at Amazon This ASUS Zenbook A14 OLED UX3407QA Copilot+ PC laptop has a 14-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) OLED screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon X1-26-100 processor, a 16GB RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD. You get 31% off thanks to Amazon Prime Day. Read more Read less View Deal More Prime Day deals in the US Amazon Devices : Fire Sticks & Echo from $18 Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99 Apple : MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29 Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99 Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99 Headphones : 50% off Beats, Bose &
Samsung Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199 Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186 Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99 Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing Vacuums : Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34 More Prime Day deals in the UK Amazon Prime : sign up for a 30-day free trial Amazon Devices : Fire TV, Ring & Blink from 24.99 Amazon Haul : up to 30% off Apple : AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price Appliances : up to 45% off
Ninja, Tefal & Sage Beauty : up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B Essentials : household goods from under 10 Fashion : up to 50% off Father's Day : up to
50% off gifts & drinks Headphones : up to 50% off Laptops : from 149.99 Tablets : Samsung & Lenovo from 125 Toys : up to 25% off Lego and Tonies TVs
: from 129.99 Vacuums : up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from 36.99 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/i-cover-ai-for-a-living-these-are-the-5-th ings-id-check-before-buying-an-ai-pc-during-amazon-prime-day


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