Microsoft stacks Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel and AMD chips against (last year's) MacBooks in updated benchmarks

As a seasoned tech enthusiast who has been through the ringer with various devices over the years, I must say that the performance claims of these new generation “Copilot+” PCs are nothing short of astounding! Coming from someone who spends countless hours on their laptop for work and play, every increment in speed and battery life is a game-changer.

The sheer variety of processors available – Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, Snapdragon X Plus 10-core, and even the mighty Intel Core Ultra – cater to different needs, from casual users to powerhouses like myself. The impressive speed improvements over a MacBook Air M3 are music to my ears, especially considering I’ve had my fair share of Apple products in the past.

However, let me not forget to mention the battery life! The 2x to 3x increase in web browsing and video playback hours will make it hard for any other device to keep up with Copilot+ PCs. This is a lifesaver for those of us who find ourselves away from an outlet more often than not, like when I’m on the go or camping (okay, let’s be honest – binge-watching shows on my laptop during camping trips!).

Lastly, a little humor to lighten things up: With these new Copilot+ PCs, I might finally be able to catch up on my Netflix queue without worrying about my laptop dying halfway through an episode. Who knows, maybe this will even give me the motivation to finally finish writing that novel I’ve been putting off for years!

As a longtime Windows user, I have always been intrigued by Microsoft’s latest offerings, particularly the Copilot+ PC lineup. Recently, Microsoft updated their performance comparison post between Copilot+ PCs and MacBooks, which has caught my attention. Being someone who values efficiency and power in a device, I am eager to learn more about how the new Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs stack up against other systems.

However, what truly excites me is the recent update to the Copilot+ PC performance details webpage. For months, it only discussed Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, but now it includes information about models with Intel and AMD chips as well. As someone who prefers the flexibility of using different processors, this expansion in options is a game changer for me.

I am excited to see how these new Copilot+ PCs perform in real-world scenarios and if they can provide a smooth and efficient computing experience on par with MacBooks. I will be keeping a close eye on the developments and may even consider upgrading my current system based on the performance details that emerge. Overall, this update has piqued my interest and left me optimistic about the potential of Copilot+ PCs in the near future.

It’s quite challenging for Microsoft to market Copilot+ PCs due to a lack of awareness about the product among consumers, and the fact that top AI PC lists don’t always include Copilot+ PCs. Furthermore, the term “Copilot+ PC” was initially associated with Snapdragon PCs for most of the year, but now it also includes Intel and AMD devices, which can lead to confusion as not all features are available in the Intel and AMD versions yet.

In Q3 of 2024, our market share for PCs was a modest 0.8%, translating to only 720,000 PCs with Snapdragon X chips sold during that period. However, we anticipate improvements in this sector as new chips are launched and more app developers adopt Arm computing. The introduction of Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel and AMD is expected to boost the entire Copilot+ platform substantially.

AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs

For a large portion of this year, most Copilot+ computers relied on Arm processors like the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus. Among the top Arm-based laptops, you’ll find models such as the Surface Laptop 7, Surface Pro 11, and Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge. However, it’s essential to remember that even the best Arm laptop carries the label of being an Arm PC. This statement doesn’t imply criticism but rather a recognition that, at present, there are still certain groups, such as gamers, who might be hesitant about choosing Arm PCs (more on compatibility with specific software later).

Fortunately for those requiring AMD or Intel chips, Copilot+ PCs without Snapdragon processors began shipping in the second half of 2024. As a researcher, my initial experience with the ASUS Zenbook S 14 has been favorable. This laptop operates on an Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor.

By the year 2025, there will be an abundance of Copilot+ computers, powered by either Intel or AMD processors. These machines are expected to significantly contribute to the expansion and development of the Copilot+ PC platform.

Apps on Windows 11 on Arm

A common worry about computers running on Arm processors is their compatibility with applications, as they operate under Windows 11 on Arm. Consequently, certain apps won’t run natively on these systems. Although Microsoft’s Prism emulation technology helps bridge this gap, there are still apps that may not work or perform optimally on Windows 11 on Arm. However, it is worth noting that the collection of top native Windows on Arm applications features many well-known programs and expands regularly.

Because Windows has been in use for several decades with strong backward compatibility, there are tens of millions of computer applications available. However, the large majority of these applications haven’t been recompiled to run natively on Arm PCs. Although this number might appear overwhelming, many users typically rely on a small group of essential apps. In fact, I know some individuals who primarily use just their web browser and Office software.

Microsoft reports that approximately 93% of all app usage time occurs within applications designed for Arm-compatible devices. Out of these, around 87% of the total app usage time is spent in apps specifically tailored for native Arm versions, although not all users may be utilizing the native version. Microsoft emphasized that apps running on Snapdragon X Elite devices using emulation are more than twice as fast as Arm devices from the previous generation when running Windows.

The presented statistics demonstrate that Arm-based PCs could be suitable for daily computing for a significant number of users, yet they reveal a void in the platform. If one out of ten applications you utilize is not designed for Arm, you might not consider an Arm-equipped computer. I concur with Microsoft that emulated apps have improved significantly, but they are still not native. Additionally, there are certain applications that don’t operate on Windows for Arm altogether.

Copilot+ PC findings

Throughout the year, Microsoft assessed the performance, battery life, and software applications on Copilot+ computers. The initial evaluation was completed in May 2024, followed by another round of testing in September 2024 after Intel and AMD-powered Copilot+ PCs had been released. During this latter phase of testing, Microsoft also compared Copilot+ PCs to MacBooks running macOS Sequoia. Since M4 MacBooks weren’t available until November 2024, the comparison focused on Copilot+ PCs against M3 MacBooks instead.

Below are all the claims listed by Microsoft:

Performance

Top Copilot+ PCs are up to 58% faster than MacBook Air M3
Copilot+ PCs are up to 5 times faster than the most popular 5 year old Windows PCs still in use today
Copilot+ PCs have up to 47% faster AI performance than MacBook Air with M3

Battery

Copilot+ PCs deliver up to 22 hours of local video playback
Copilot+ PCs deliver up to 15 hours of web browsing
Copilot+ PCs deliver up to 2.3x more battery in local video playback than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs deliver up to 3x more battery in web browsing than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs deliver up to 3x more battery in web browsing than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today

Apps

Over 93% of the total minutes that users spend in apps today are in apps compatible with Arm devices
87% of the total app minutes that users spend in apps today have native Arm versions, providing the most efficient and performant app experience
Emulated apps on devices running the Snapdragon X Elite are over 2x faster than on previous generation Windows Arm devices running Windows 11 22H2

AMD processors

Copilot+ PCs powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series are up to 38% faster than a MacBook Air M3
Copilot+ PCs powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series are up to 4.4 times faster than the most popular 5-year-old Windows PCs still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 deliver up to 18 hours of local video playback
Copilot+ PCs powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 deliver up to 11 hours of web browsing
Copilot+ PCs powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 deliver up to 2x more battery in local video playback than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 deliver up to 1.9x more battery in web browsing than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today

Intel processors

Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel© Core Ultra 200V are up to 2.7 times faster than the most popular 5-year-old Windows PCs still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel© Core Ultra 200V deliver up to 2.3x more battery in local video playback than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel© Core Ultra 200V deliver up to 2.4x more battery in web browsing than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today

Qualcomm processors

Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors are up to 58% faster than MacBook Air M3
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite are up to 5 times faster than the most popular 5 year old Windows PCs still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite have up to 44% faster AI performance than MacBook Air M3
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite deliver up to 22 hours of local video playback
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite deliver up to 15 hours of web browsing
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite deliver up to 2.3x more battery in local video playback than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite deliver up to 3x more battery in web browsing than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 10-core are up to 27% faster than a MacBook Air M3
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 10-core are up to 4 times faster than the most popular 5 year old Windows PCs still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 10-core have up to 42% faster AI performance than MacBook Air M3
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 10-core deliver up to 19 hours of local video playback
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 10-core deliver up to 15 hours of web browsing
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 10-core deliver up to 2.1x more battery in local video playback than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 10-core deliver up to 2.6x more battery in web browsing than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 8-core are up to 18% faster than a MacBook Air M3
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 8-core are up to 3.7 times faster than the most popular 5-year-old Windows PCs still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 8-core have up to 46% faster AI performance than MacBook Air M3
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 8-core deliver up to 21 hours of local video playback
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 8-core deliver up to 16 hours of web browsing
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 8-core deliver up to 2.4x more battery in local video playback than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today
Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Plus 8-core deliver up to 2.8x more battery in web browsing than the most popular 5 year old Windows devices still in use today

2024-12-31 21:40

Microsoft stacks Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel and AMD chips against (last year’s) MacBooks in updated benchmarks