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. Recent reviews
9. How to pick the best AI PC
10. How we test AI PCs
11. Why trust Laptop Mag
I know how tricky it is to pick a new laptop, especially for someone who wants the latest and greatest technology. And what's more cutting-edge in 2024 than the best AI PCs? Qualcomm, Intel, AMD, and Apple are all concentrating on AI with their latest chipsets, and software leveraging AI is everywhere.
To make buying your new laptop easier, I've curated this guide to the best AI PCs to reduce confusion and leave you with nothing but the best.
Of course, 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 adds an additional type of processor to each AI PC laptop. The NPU can help with standard features like efficiency but also new features like generative AI images and text.
One of my specialties is processors, and here at Laptop Mag, we review more than 100 laptops each year from every major brand, including configurations using all of the major chip makers. So you can be sure this list will be kept up-to-date with the latest and greatest AI PCs on the market so you can make the most informed purchase possible when you're ready to take home that new AI-powered laptop.
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
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x has everything you could want or need in an AI PC. It offers a good balance of price and performance, a stylish design, and over 14 hours of battery life.
The best for battery life
The Dell XPS 13 9345 has nearly endless battery life, lasting over 19 hours on our battery test. Plus, with the Snapdragon X Elite processor, this XPS 13 has strong performance and an ultralight design, in addition to its stellar 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.
Best Overall
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is our favorite of the Copilot+ PC laptops. Starting at $1,199, you get balanced performance, full-day battery life, a fantastic keyboard, and a sharp OLED display. So you can stream video and open up your 32 comfort Chrome tabs while still enjoying the best of the Copilot+ AI programs like Live Captions and Co-Create.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x lasted 14 hours and 14 minutes on our battery life test, so you should have no problem making it through an entire work or school day. The Slim 7x also boasts Lenovo's solid build quality and customer support, which makes it a fantastic choice for any AI enthusiast on the go.
Why buy the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x instead of the MacBook Air? While the Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 is on this list thanks to its great battery life and excellent performance, Apple hasn't unleashed its Apple Intelligence feature. The M3 benefits from battery and performance optimization thanks to its onboard NPU, but it doesn't have the on-device AI capabilities of a Copilot+ PC.
If you need to save money, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition starts at just $999 and features the same Copilot+ AI features as the Yoga Slim 7x. If you'd prefer an AI PC with a larger screen, the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra has a stunning 16-inch AMOLED display, excellent battery life, and the powerhouse combo of an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU.
See our full Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x review.
Best battery life
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 Dell XPS 13 9345 more than delivered on that promise.
The XPS 13 9345 lasted an impressive 19 hours and 1 minute on our battery test, dethroning the MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max and its 18:05 battery life for the laptop with the best battery life. But the XPS 13 has more to offer than just all-day battery life, as it combines power efficiency with strong performance from the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite XIE-80-100 chip and an incredibly svelte 2.6-pound chassis.
In fact, the Dell XPS 13 9345 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 XPS 13 scored an average of 14,635 compared to the MacBook Air's 12,807 or the Zenbook 14's 12,358. The XPS 13 has better battery life than both, making it the best choice for power and longevity.
So what are the downsides? The XPS 13 suffers from a shortage of ports (two USB4s), a cramped keyboard, 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 video editing, the XPS 13 more than makes up for its shortcomings in terms of battery life and performance. In fact, with the XPS 13, you can even dare to leave your charger at home.
See our full Dell XPS 13 9345 review.
Best for gaming
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.
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
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.
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
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.
As our reviewer stated, "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
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.
While the M3 chips don't have the same dedicated on-device AI features as the Copilot+ laptops, Apple is bringing AI to macOS soon. With Apple Intelligence, the MacBook Air 13 M3 will be 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 M3 instead. It has better performance and longer battery life but 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.
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. 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, 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.
How we test AI PCs
We put every laptop through extensive benchmark testing — both synthetic and real-world—before sending it to our reviewers. We 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.
When we test AI PCs, we use a few additional AI benchmarks and workloads to gauge their AI prowess, including Geekbench ML, UL Procyon AI Image Generation, and UL Procyon AI Computer Vision.
To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop with converting a 4K video to 1080p resolution and duplicating a 4.97GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics test is Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark with medium settings at 1080p and 4K resolution.
We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. 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.
These tests are complemented with extensive hands-on testing from our reviewers who critique everything from the laptop's materials to the feel of its touchpad.
Why Trust Laptop Mag
Laptop Mag reviews over a hundred laptops yearly, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming.
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.
Future Publishing, one of the world's largest technology publishers, enforces our editorial trustworthiness. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.
