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On November 3, 2026, Microsoft published a hardware development roadmap for Windows AI PCs, dividing PCs into four capability tiers by memory capacity, from entry-level models with 8GB of memory at around $500 to workstation-class systems equipped with 512GB of single-card VRAM. According to Semiconductor Industry Vertical and Horizontal reports, the roadmap also lists in advance the codenames of next-generation processors from vendors such as AMD Ryzen AI 500 (Medusa Point), Intel Core Ultra Series 4 (Nova Lake), and Snapdragon Next that have not yet been officially announced, among which Nova Lake's NPU 6 AI engine INT8 compute power can reach up to 74 TOPS. The report points out that the core benchmark for tiering has shifted from the 40 TOPS NPU threshold of Copilot+ PCs two years ago to memory capacity and the scale of models that can be supported. As of press time, neither AMD nor Intel has confirmed the official commercial names of their next-generation client processors.
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Nov 5
Semiconductor Industry Observer
Microsoft discloses Windows AI PC hardware roadmap, pre-exposing next-generation chips from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm
Microsoft disclosed the Windows AI PC hardware roadmap, dividing PCs into four capability tiers by memory capacity, from entry-level models with 8GB of memory at about $500 to workstation-class systems with 512GB of single-card VRAM. The roadmap also pre-lists next-generation processor codenames not yet officially announced by vendors, including AMD Ryzen AI 500 (Medusa Point), Intel Core Ultra Series 4 (Nova Lake), and Snapdragon Next, among which Nova Lake is expected to feature the NPU 6 AI engine with INT8 compute up to 74 TOPS. As of press time, neither AMD nor Intel has confirmed the official commercial names of their next-generation client processors.
Nov 4
TechSpotRelated discussion
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Semiconductor Industry Observer
Microsoft discloses a four-tier roadmap for Windows AI PCs, revealing in advance the codenames of AMD and Intel's next-generation chips
Microsoft disclosed the Windows AI PC hardware roadmap, classifying PCs into four capability tiers by memory capacity, ranging from entry-level models with 8GB of memory at about $500 to workstation-class systems equipped with 512GB of single-card VRAM. The roadmap also lists in advance the codenames of next-generation processors that vendors have not yet officially announced, such as AMD Ryzen AI 500 (Medusa Point), Intel Core Ultra Series 4 (Nova Lake), and Snapdragon Next; among them, the NPU 6 AI engine of Nova Lake can reach up to 74 TOPS of INT8 compute power. The core benchmark for tiering has shifted from the 40 TOPS NPU threshold of Copilot+ PCs two years ago to memory capacity and the scale of models that can be supported.
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Phoenix TechnologyRelated discussion
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Electronic Technology Application
Microsoft unveils four-tier roadmap for next-generation Windows AI PCs: segmented by memory from 8GB to 128GB
Microsoft has unveiled a four-tier roadmap for next-generation Windows AI PCs, dividing product tiers by memory configuration: 8GB of memory corresponds to entry-level devices, Copilot+ PCs require at least 16GB, and the creator PC and supercomputer categories can reach 128GB and above. Mainstream AI devices are primarily supported by the AMD Ryzen AI 500 series and Intel Core Ultra Series 4 platforms, while the high-end categories are planned to adopt NVIDIA RTX Spark, next-generation Intel Core Ultra, and next-generation AMD platforms. The roadmap does not provide specific launch dates, complete specifications, or corresponding end-product arrangements for the related chips.
Phoenix Technology
Microsoft's Windows 11 hybrid intelligence AI PC roadmap revealed, hardware divided into four tiers
Source @9550pro shared a slide titled "Windows is the home of hybrid intelligence," showing that Microsoft divides AI PC hardware into four tiers. The lowest, Tier 0, covers Windows PCs with 8GB of memory, with processors including Intel Core 3/4 series, AMD Ryzen 100/200 series, and Snapdragon X or X Plus; Tier 1 is Copilot+ PCs with 16GB to 64GB of memory; Tier 2 targets developers and creators who build and run AI models locally; the highest tier is supercomputers with more than 128GB of memory, used to run frontier large models locally. Microsoft previously introduced the concept of "hybrid intelligence" at a San Francisco launch event, emphasizing combining cloud AI with local computing power to handle user tasks on Windows 11.
Nov 3
cnBeta
Microsoft unveils AI PC development roadmap: from 8GB entry-level machines to 128GB supercomputer-class devices
Microsoft unveils a tiered roadmap for AI PCs, dividing them by memory into Tier 0 (8GB), Tier 1 (16GB to 64GB), and high-end "supercomputer-class AI PCs" (above 64GB, with some reaching 128GB). Tier 0 uses Intel Wildcat Lake, AMD Ryzen 100/200, and Qualcomm Snapdragon C/X series, priced at about $500; Tier 1 all meet the Copilot+ PC standard and are equipped with Intel Core Ultra 3 Panther Lake, AMD Ryzen AI 400, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 series. High-end devices target developers and enterprises and can run larger-scale models locally.
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