- The code snippet in Windows 11 Build 26100 shows that AI Explorer might be exclusive to Snapdragon X Elite PCs.
- It means that Windows laptops powered by Intel and AMD processors won't be able to deliver new AI experiences with the 24H2 update.
- Snapdragon X Elite's NPU is much more powerful than Intel's and AMD's NPU tiles.
One of the most anticipated features of Windows 11 24H2 is AI Explorer which can ingest everything you do on your PC including files, documents, interactions, etc., and make it a searchable memory. You can find key information on your PC using natural language prompts. And now, according to an X user (Albacore/@thebookisclosed), it seems the feature will be exclusive to ARM PCs.
The Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100, said to be the final RTM (Release to manufacturing) build going to OEMs, has code snippets that show the requirements for the AI Explorer feature. For AI Explorer to work, the PC must have an ARM64 CPU, 16GB of RAM, 225GB (or higher) of total storage, and the Snapdragon X Elite NPU (QCOM0D0A).
It means that upcoming Windows laptops, powered by the Snapdragon X Elite SoC, can only deliver the AI Explorer feature. PCs featuring Intel and AMD processors won’t offer the much-anticipated feature. We already know that the Snapdragon X Elite has a powerful NPU that can collectively perform 75 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
In contrast, Intel’s and AMD’s NPUs can’t match the performance of SD X Elite, delivering only up to 34 TOPS and 38 TOPS, respectively. So for a true AI PC experience, you might have to opt for a Snapdragon X Elite PC. Thankfully, the leak suggests that Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops will have at least 16GB of RAM which is great.
Besides that, a sneak peek of the first Snapdragon X Elite laptop surfaced recently from the house of Lenovo. The company is planning to release the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 (2024) and Lenovo ThinkPad T14s with the Qualcomm chipset by mid-2024. Samsung is also planning to release its Galaxy Book4 Edge with the said chipset.
Not to mention, Microsoft is holding an event on May 20 where the company will announce new Surface laptops with the Snapdragon X Elite chipset. So expect announcements on Windows 11 24H2, new AI experiences like AI Explorer, and of course, new Surface devices.
