Clues in Windows 11 suggest Microsofts big AI feature for 24H2 update will be for Snapdragon X Elite laptops only

Date:
Thu, 18 Apr 2024 11:22:43 +0000

Description:
Is Microsoft going to push harder with ARM-based Windows 11 laptops by exclusively giving them its kingpin AI feature?

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Windows 11s incoming linchpin feature for the 24H2 update , which is theoretically AI Explorer, might be exclusive to ARM laptops only if a fresh clue dug up in Microsofts desktop OS means anything.

On X (formerly Twitter), a regular leaker on the subject of Microsoft, Albacore, made the revelation that theyd found the hardware requirements for AI Explorer baked into the code for Windows 11 preview build 26100 ( which is supposedly the RTM version of the 24H2 update ). Turns out Windows 11 build 26100 (purported 24H2 RTM) contains the AI Explorer requirements baked into the OS ARM64 CPU 16GiB of RAM 225GiB system drive (total, not free space) Snapdragon X Elite NPU (HWID QCOM0D0A)I guess that's one way to drive ARM64 adoption pic.twitter.com/ZbQf4KY1BN April 18, 2024 See more

Those system requirements call for 16GB of RAM (not a surprise), a system drive of at least 225GB (thats total size, as opposed to free space), and an ARM processor (very definitely a surprise).

In fact, these requirements stipulate an ARM CPU and specifically a
Snapdragon X Elite NPU.

What this means, in theory, is that AI Explorer is designed to run only on Snapdragon X Elite laptops (the Qualcomm SoC is ARM-based, in case you didnt guess). This further means that if you have an AMD or Intel (x86) processor
in your laptop or desktop PC, then you wont get AI Explorer. Analysis: Exploring all the possibilities

This is a pretty huge deal because AI Explorer is as far as we can discern from the rumor mill the key feature for AI PCs, and the most important step forward in terms of using AI with Windows 11 in the 24H2 update. It pretty much sounds like the wow moment for Copilots capabilities, allowing natural language searches to find anything on the PC (Find me that document which has all the settings for my TV).

Therefore, for it to be only happening on ARM-based PCs, and not Intel or AMD devices, is a different kind of wow moment we guess. A wow, wait a minute I dont get this? moment, more to the point.

We should stress that we need to be very cautious going by leaks, especially clues that have been dug up deep within the workings of the OS. We dont know this is happening for sure, by any means this is just a suggestion. (Image credit: Qualcomm)

So, what are the chances of it happening? Well, it seems unlikely that Microsoft would put a hard limit on its best feature happening outside of ARM devices. While the company is clearly placing a lot of weight on the Snapdragon X Elite, and ramping up Windows in ARM in general with AI PCs, surely excluding Intel and AMD PCs from the fun would be going too far right?

What we might entertain is the possibility that initially, AI Explorer might be just for Snapdragon X Elite laptops and later, itll get a broader rollout to Windows 11 devices of all kinds, including those without ARM CPUs.

A limited exclusive, if you will, and the key point why this might be necessary is the NPU, as the Snapdragon X Elite has a much faster Neural Processing Unit which accelerates AI workloads. Its possible that
current-gen chips, with their much weaker NPUs that dont meet the requirement of 45 TOPS (trillions of operations per second, a measurement of power in relation to AI tasks), simply arent up to the job of running AI Explorer. Or at least, running it fast enough to be impressive.

The Snapdragon X Elite boasts an NPU with 45 TOPS, and so this might be why
AI Explorer will be for systems with this SoC only just to begin with. Then, when Intels Lunar Lake chips boasting 45 TOPS or AMDs Strix Point (at a similar level), arrive later this year, those mobile ranges will be good to
go with AI Explorer. So, Microsoft will open up things more at that point.

This is pure guesswork, of course. Theres also another potential benefit for Microsoft itll give folks another reason to pick up a Snapdragon X Elite-toting laptop when they emerge, in theory in June (though AI Explorer itself wont arrive until 24H2 features are dropped , likely in September, it should be noted).

Microsofts own Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are such AI PCs thatll
use that Snapdragon chip, of course. (As a side note, we can presume these devices will have an entry-level floor of 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage
given the other requirements floated above and thatd be interesting in itself).

Microsoft is on a big push to get Windows on ARM truly off the ground, after all, so this could all be part of that strategy. However, surely the requirement for ARM to drive AI Explorer would be a temporary one if it happens and Intel plus AMD CPUs would join the party eventually? Well, time will tell, but theres certainly no reason why they shouldnt with the next-gen laptop chips from Teams Blue and Red. You might also like... Forget Apples M4 MacBooks Lenovos Snapdragon X Elite laptops have been spotted Watch out:
soon some older PCs will lose Windows 11 support Dont make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/clues-in-windows-11-suggest-micros ofts-big-ai-feature-for-24h2-update-will-be-for-snapdragon-x-elite-laptops-onl y


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