By the end of the year some RTX 4070 laptops could be the first non-NPU machines to be given a Microsoft Copilot+ stamp
Microsoft Copilot+ PCs have been with us for a while, now, and they're ostensibly a spearhead for the fabled AI PC era. But while until now that proverbial Copilot+ sticker has only been slapped on computers with an NPU that Microsoft deems up to snuff, Nvidia now seems to be suggesting that some non-NPU systems with RTX GPUs inside will be deemed Copilot+ worthy by the end of the year.
On a recent earnings call (via Motley Fool), Nvidia's chief financial officer Colette Kress said that in Q3 the company «began shipping new GeForce RTX AI PC with up to 321 AI TOPS from Asus and MSI with Microsoft's Copilot+ capabilities anticipated in Q4. These machines harness the power of RTX ray tracing and AI technologies to supercharge gaming, photo, and video editing, image generation, and coding.»
Note the key phrase: «with Microsoft's Copilot+ capabilities anticipated in Q4».
Microsoft's official documentation states the minimum system requirements for a Copilot+ PC include «a compatible processor or System on a Chip (SoC)» which «currently includes the Snapdragon X Plus and the Snapdragon X Elite.»
No mention of GPUs, though, because the Copilot+ stamp has thus far been reserved for NPUs, these being AI-specific proccessing tiles forming part of one cohesive processor alongside CPU and GPU tiles. Typically, these NPUs offer about 50 AI TOPS.
We've known for a while that some Copilot+ PCs are going to feature RTX GPUs, but Nvidia seems to be suggesting that some such Copilot+ RTX systems will be with us by year's end.
We should note that 321 AI TOPS is exactly what the RTX 4070 mobile can offer. So, it sounds like Nvidia's saying there could be official Copilot+ RTX 4070 (and possibly lower) laptops from Asus and MSI very soon.
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