How to Check If Your PC Can Run Windows 11 AI Features (Copilot+ PC Requirements Guide 2026)
Not every Windows 11 PC can run Microsoft's newest AI features. If you've been wondering how to check if your PC is a Copilot+ PC, you're not alone — millions of Windows users are asking the same question after Microsoft's big AI announcements in 2026.
The short answer: your PC needs a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of at least 40 TOPS, 16GB of RAM, and Windows 11 version 24H2 or later. Most laptops sold before 2024 don't qualify, no matter how fast their CPU is.
In this guide, you'll learn exactly what a Copilot+ PC is, the full list of requirements, and a simple 2-minute method to check whether your own device makes the cut.
What Is a Copilot+ PC?
A Copilot+ PC is Microsoft's official certification for Windows 11 computers that can run AI features directly on the device, without relying on cloud servers.
The key ingredient is an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) — a dedicated chip inside the processor designed specifically for AI workloads. By offloading AI tasks from the CPU and GPU to the NPU, these PCs can do things like real-time live translation, AI image generation, and intelligent video effects faster, more privately, and even offline.
Important: a Copilot+ PC is not a software update you can install. It's a hardware standard. If your device doesn't have the right chip, no update will unlock these features.
Copilot+ PC Minimum Requirements (2026)
Microsoft defines the Copilot+ PC standard with five hard requirements. Your device must meet all of them:
| Requirement | Minimum Specification |
|---|---|
| NPU performance | 40+ TOPS (trillion operations per second) |
| RAM | 16GB DDR5 or LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| Processor | Snapdragon X/X2, Intel Core Ultra 200V (or newer), or AMD Ryzen AI 300/400 series |
| Operating system | Windows 11, version 24H2 or later |
A few things worth noting:
- 40 TOPS is the floor, not the ceiling. Premium 2026 chips push 50–60+ TOPS, which matters if you plan to run local AI models or agent-style workflows.
- 16GB RAM is the certification minimum. For everyday work it's fine, but if you multitask heavily or experiment with local AI models, 32GB gives you much more comfortable headroom.
- Windows 11 24H2 or newer is required. Even a qualifying chip won't unlock Copilot+ features on an older Windows build.
How to Check If Your PC Is a Copilot+ PC (2-Minute Method)
Follow these steps on your Windows 11 device:
Step 1: Check for an NPU in Task Manager
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click the Performance tab.
- Look for NPU in the left sidebar, alongside CPU, Memory, Disk, and GPU.
If you see an NPU entry, click it — Task Manager shows its current utilization. If there's no NPU listed at all, your PC does not meet the Copilot+ standard. This is the single fastest check.
Step 2: Check your NPU's TOPS rating
Task Manager won't show the TOPS number, so you'll need your processor model:
- In Task Manager's Performance tab, click CPU and note the exact processor name (e.g., "Intel Core Ultra 7 258V" or "AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370").
- Search that model name on the manufacturer's website (Intel ARK, AMD.com, or Qualcomm) and look for the NPU specification.
As a rule of thumb, these families clear the 40 TOPS bar:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite / X Plus / X2 — 45 TOPS
- Intel Core Ultra 200V series (Lunar Lake) — 48 TOPS
- AMD Ryzen AI 300 series — 50–55 TOPS
Older chips like Intel's Core Ultra 100 series (Meteor Lake, ~11 TOPS NPU) do not qualify.
Step 3: Check your RAM and Windows version
- In Task Manager's Performance tab, click Memory — confirm it shows 16GB or more.
- Press Win + R, type
winver, and press Enter — confirm your Windows 11 build is 24H2 or newer.
If all three checks pass — NPU at 40+ TOPS, 16GB+ RAM, Windows 11 24H2+ — congratulations, you have a Copilot+ PC.
Which Processors Qualify as Copilot+ in 2026?
Here's the current list of processor families that meet Microsoft's standard:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, X Plus, and X2 series (ARM architecture — excellent battery life)
- Intel Core Ultra 200V series (Lunar Lake) and newer Panther Lake chips
- AMD Ryzen AI 300 and 400 series
Note that the first wave of Copilot+ devices was almost entirely laptops, since these chips were designed for thin-and-light machines. Desktop Copilot+ options — mostly mini PCs and small-form-factor business machines — started appearing in late 2025.
What AI Features Do You Actually Get?
Meeting the requirements unlocks Windows 11's on-device AI experiences, including:
- Recall — a searchable visual timeline of everything you've seen and done on your PC
- Live Captions with real-time translation — translate audio from 40+ languages into English subtitles instantly
- Cocreator in Paint — generate and refine images with AI assistance as you draw
- Windows Studio Effects — AI-powered background blur, eye-contact correction, and auto-framing for video calls
- Improved Windows Search — describe what you're looking for in natural language instead of exact filenames
Because these run on the NPU locally, they work offline and your data never leaves the device — a genuine privacy advantage over cloud-based AI.
Can You Upgrade an Old PC to Become a Copilot+ PC?
No. This is the question everyone hopes has a different answer, but the NPU is built directly into the processor's silicon — you can't add one with a RAM stick, an SSD, or a software update.
Even upgrading an older laptop to 16GB of RAM won't help if the processor lacks a qualifying NPU. The Copilot+ badge requires the complete package: qualifying chip, memory, storage, and Windows version together.
If your current PC doesn't qualify, your realistic options are to keep using cloud-based AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude all work fine in a browser on any PC) or factor Copilot+ certification into your next hardware purchase.
Should You Buy a Copilot+ PC in 2026?
It depends on how you use your computer:
Worth it if you:
- Work heavily in Microsoft 365 and want faster on-device Copilot features
- Care about privacy and prefer AI processing that stays on your device
- Frequently work offline or on unreliable internet connections
- Do lots of video calls (Studio Effects are genuinely useful)
Probably skip if you:
- Mostly live in a web browser using cloud AI tools — the NPU gives you zero acceleration there, since all processing happens on remote servers
- Are on a tight budget — the NPU adds roughly a $200–$300 premium to comparable laptops
- Already own a recent high-performance laptop that handles your workload fine
Entry-level Copilot+ laptops now start around $600–$850, making 2026 a much more reasonable time to buy than the $1,000+ launch prices of 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my gaming PC with an RTX graphics card count as a Copilot+ PC?
Not automatically. A powerful GPU doesn't replace the NPU requirement. However, many 2026 gaming laptops pair RTX graphics with qualifying processors (like AMD Ryzen AI 300 series) — check your specific CPU model using the steps above.
Is 16GB RAM really enough for AI features?
It's Microsoft's minimum for certification. For standard Copilot+ features, yes. For running your own local language models alongside everything else, 32GB is the practical sweet spot.
Will Microsoft lower the requirements later?
Unlikely in the near term. If anything, the bar may rise as AI features get more demanding — some analysts expect a 50+ TOPS baseline within a couple of years.
Do Copilot+ features work without internet?
Many do. That's the whole point of on-device AI — Recall, Live Captions, and Cocreator run locally on the NPU without needing a connection.
Final Thoughts
Checking whether your PC qualifies as a Copilot+ PC takes about two minutes: look for an NPU in Task Manager, verify your processor hits 40+ TOPS, and confirm 16GB of RAM with Windows 11 24H2 or newer.
If your device makes the cut, you're set for Microsoft's on-device AI future. If it doesn't, you're not missing as much as the marketing suggests — cloud AI tools remain excellent, and hardware prices for true AI PCs keep falling.
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