AMD's new Strix Point chips are a better alternative to Snapdragon's to run Copilot Plus

Everybody talked so much about Snapdragon’s X Elite like the only alternative to run Copilot Plus and its AI complex features. And for a short while, it was, but AMD just offered a new alternative at Computex 2024. The company has just rolled out its new Strix Point laptop chips and guess what? They’re packed with support for Microsoft’s Copilot Plus features, including Recall and Live Caption. So, take a long breath and don’t just make that jump to a Snapdragon PC yet.

What can we expect from the new Strix Point offering?

AMD is stepping into the ring with its Strix Point Ryzen processors, boasting a new NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that’s all about elevating AI performance. And when I say elevating, I mean it—AMD is claiming this NPU can hit 50 TOPS (trillions of operations per second). To put that into perspective, it’s said to outperform heavy hitters like the Snapdragon X Elite and even the Apple M4.

But here’s where it gets really interesting. AMD is touting this as the first block floating point NPU. It’s a big deal and here’s why! The chip achieves top-notch AI performance without the need for quantization. If you’re not familiar, quantization is a technique often used to shrink down AI models on devices, especially smartphones. So, AMD’s approach could mean smoother, more efficient AI processing without the usual compromises.

The AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processors push the limits on what’s possible featuring the fastest APU performance⁶, the world’s most powerful NPU with 50 TOPs, and the world’s first block floating point NPU doubling the performance of 16-bit applications without sacrificing accuracy.

Jack Huynh, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Group at AMD

For those of us who love our Windows laptops but aren’t quite ready to dive into the world of Arm-based machines, this news is a breath of fresh air. And it’s not just the tech enthusiasts who should be excited. Gamers and anyone who’s been on the fence about upgrading their tech might find this development particularly enticing. After all, who doesn’t love having more options?

The first laptops sporting these Strix Point Ryzen processors are set to hit the shelves next month. Brands like ASUS, HP, and Lenovo are already on board, which means we’ll have plenty of choices. So, if you’ve been holding off on getting a new laptop because you wanted those Microsoft AI features but weren’t sure about the hardware, it looks like your wait might just be over.

Now, we wouldn’t be too excited about that new Windows Recall feature. As we’ve found out recently, the app stores everything you do on your PC in pretty much plain sight, where any rookie hacker can grab it. But the important thing is that you don’t need to get that Snapdragon laptop if you want to master your AI skills.

What do you think about the AMD Strix Point alternative? Let us know about your thoughts in the comments below.