Microsoft's Mini AI PCs: A New Era of Computing at CES 2025

Microsoft's mini AI PCs are on the way

Asus became the first PC manufacturer to announce a mini PC that's Copilot Plus capable in September. It then revealed the full specs of its upcoming NUC 14 Pro AI last month, ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that kicks off next week. Asus' mini PC even has a Copilot button on the front and is almost identical to the size of Apple's latest Mac Mini. The timing of Asus' spec drop came on the same day that Taiwanese company Geekom revealed three new mini PCs that it will showcase at CES. Geekom is releasing a mini PC with AMD's Strix Point CPUs inside and one with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor, meaning both will be Copilot Plus compatible. The third model is powered by Intel's unannounced Arrow Lake-H laptop processors, which are unlikely to have an NPU sufficient enough to be Copilot Plus compatible.

Would you replace your desktop with a Microsoft mini AI PC?

Microsoft is set to showcase mini AI PCs at the Consumer Electronics Show as part of its 50th anniversary initiatives, following the introduction of its Arm-based Copilot Plus laptops in June, according to Tom Warren from The Verge, reported on Notepad. Six months after the laptops' launch, new mini PCs will deliver the AI performance necessary for features like Recall, Click To Do, and AI-powered image generation and editing in Windows 11. These products may enable Microsoft to better compete with Apple's Mac Mini. Asus announced its NUC 14 Pro AI mini PC as the first Copilot Plus-capable device in September. The company revealed its full specifications last month, ahead of CES, including a dedicated Copilot button on the front and dimensions comparable to the latest Mac Mini. On the same day as Asus' announcement, Taiwanese company Geekom disclosed its plans to showcase three new mini PCs at CES, each equipped with different processors. One model features AMD's Strix Point CPUs, while another uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor, both of which support Copilot Plus. A third model is based on Intel's unannounced Arrow Lake-H laptop processors, which may not have the required NPU for Copilot Plus compatibility. Experts anticipate CES will reveal further details about Windows OEMs launching additional Copilot Plus mini PCs, as the event often serves as a platform for Microsoft's latest hardware initiatives. Last year, Microsoft encouraged OEMs to incorporate a Copilot key into their laptop keyboards. Asus' decision to include a Copilot button suggests Microsoft's active collaboration with PC manufacturers. Geekom's introduction of Qualcomm chips marks a significant expansion of Qualcomm's technology beyond laptops. Although the Snapdragon Dev Kit aimed for release alongside Copilot Plus laptops in June, it faced delays due to manufacturing issues. Qualcomm hinted that the Snapdragon X Elite chips may soon be integrated into mini PCs or all-in-one PCs. Do we need an AI PC any time soon? Copilot Plus features have not yet been made available on traditional desktop PCs, as Intel's latest Core Ultra desktop CPU, released in October, does not meet the 40 TOPS requirement set by Microsoft. Future advancements from Intel and AMD will determine whether more powerful NPUs for desktop processors will be prioritized. While Copilot Plus features are currently confined to Windows PCs, Microsoft aims to extend the Copilot assistant to a wider range of devices. Sources indicate that Microsoft is exploring the integration of Copilot on unexpected hardware, aligning with recent statements from Windows chief Pavan Davuluri regarding the potential for dedicated AI hardware innovations. Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, mentioned in an interview that "devices that see the world, that you wear on your body" combined with AI could offer valuable applications, including image recognition. Mehdi also highlighted opportunities in wearable health devices, an area Microsoft is considering as it establishes a new AI health unit led by CEO Mustafa Suleyman, who has recruited a team to develop this initiative. Although Microsoft has moved away from the fitness wearable market since discontinuing the Microsoft Band in 2016, there appears to be a renewed interest in partnering with manufacturers to provide AI-driven health solutions.