Windows 11 desktop PCs could soon get Copilot+ AI powers, as Intel might radically switch tactics with next-gen CPUs

Ready for your Windows 11 PC to get proper AI powers? Rumor has it Intel's next-gen desktop CPUs could deliver Copilot+ features.

Skip to main content TechRadar the technology experts Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Amazon Prime Day Back to school Nintendo Switch 2 NYT Wordle today Best laptop Best web hosting Recommended reading Intel’s Nova Lake processors rumored to have unique hybrid architecture – are we moving away from discrete GPUs? Intel's Computex 2025 Panther Lake demos showcase power efficiency focus – and also hint at strong gaming performance Intel is seemingly preparing a huge Battlemage GPU reveal at Computex 2025 – and it's expected to be a higher-end offering Laptop processors are better than ever, but I still don’t give a hoot about ‘AI PCs’ - and neither should you AMD is making a handheld gaming PC chip with proper AI capabilities, but do gamers really need this? Can’t wait for AMD’s next-gen Ryzen CPUs? Zen 6 sighting hints they could arrive late in 2026, possibly packing a dream gaming chip Why now Is the time to refresh your PCs for the AI-powered future Computing Components Windows 11 desktop PCs could soon get Copilot+ AI powers, as Intel might radically switch tactics with next-gen CPUs Darren Allan 8 July 2025 A supercharged NPU with Arrow Lake Refresh – but nothing else? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Intel's Arrow Lake Refresh is rumored for the second half of 2025 These desktop CPUs supposedly come with a much more powerful NPU This will allow them to use Copilot+ features for the first time on the desktop – but gamers will be less than impressed, no doubt Intel's Arrow Lake Refresh processors, which are rumored to be the next desktop CPUs from Team Blue arriving later in 2025, may come with a surprise twist – a focus on pepping up AI. The Verge picked up an article from ZDNet Korea (translated) which claims that the main thrust of Arrow Lake Refresh will be a new NPU, and that the GPU and processor cores will remain the same as existing Arrow Lake chips. The NPU being drafted over for the next-gen desktop CPUs is said to be the one included with Lunar Lake laptop CPUs. The only other change will be 'slightly' higher clock speeds for Arrow Lake Refresh, we're told. You may like Intel’s Nova Lake processors rumored to have unique hybrid architecture – are we moving away from discrete GPUs? Intel's Computex 2025 Panther Lake demos showcase power efficiency focus – and also hint at strong gaming performance Intel is seemingly preparing a huge Battlemage GPU reveal at Computex 2025 – and it's expected to be a higher-end offering Currently, Arrow Lake desktop chips do have an NPU, but it's too weak to accelerate Copilot+ features (like AI-powered Windows search, as well as the divisive snapshot-based Recall ability, and a good few other tricks besides). With the Lunar Lake NPU on board – those notebook processors are currently used for Copilot+ laptops - desktop computers with Arrow Lake Refresh CPUs would be able to fully access those same AI powers. Analysis: A new target for Arrow Lake? (Image credit: Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images) A switch like this to focus on AI would be a pretty radical move, bringing Copilot+-exclusive features to the world of desktop PCs for the first time. What we must remember, though, is that this is (potentially) happening against a backdrop of Arrow Lake very much disappointing gamers. Indeed, as the ZDNet article points out, the previous generation of desktop silicon (Raptor Lake Refresh) has been outselling Arrow Lake by three-to-one in Korea. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Given that fact – coupled with the failed attempts to hone Arrow Lake to be meaningfully better for gaming via BIOS patches since the chips launched – if Intel is set to deploy a refresh of these CPUs in 2025 (which isn't confirmed, I should note), the company may feel that gaming is at this point a lost cause (effectively). So, in that light, a radical change such as a focus on supercharging the NPU – delivering measurable benefits for desktop PCs in terms of those Windows 11 features locked behind an 'AI-wall' as it were – might seem like an avenue worth exploring. I'm not convinced about this, mind, and I'll be waiting for other sources on the grapevine to back this up before I start to feel more persuaded that this is the direction Intel is heading in. After all, the existence of Arrow Lake Refresh itself has been a somewhat controversial topic in the past: first, it was on, then Intel was rumored to cancel the chips, and more recently, we were told this refresh is, in fact, still happening. Skepticism aplenty is required, in short. If this does pan out, it's worth noting that gamers aren't getting nothing – faster clock speeds will help eke out some more frames per second, for sure. Although the way it's couched as only 'slightly' faster clocks doesn't sound too promising in terms of there being a decent uplift – and it's doubtful there's much room for that, anyway. The release timeframe for Arrow Lake Refresh is supposedly the second half of the year, but given this rumor – which is a weighty piece of speculation – only popping up now, this indicates a case of later, rather than sooner, in H2 2025, I'm guessing. You might also like... No, Windows 11 PCs aren't 'up to 2.3x faster' than Windows 10 devices, as Microsoft suggests – here's why that's an outlandish claim macOS Tahoe 26: here's everything you need to know about all the new features Can’t upgrade to Windows 11? This Linux project wants to save your old PC from the scrapheap when Windows 10 support ends See more Computing News Darren Allan Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013). You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Intel’s Nova Lake processors rumored to have unique hybrid architecture – are we moving away from discrete GPUs? Intel's Computex 2025 Panther Lake demos showcase power efficiency focus – and also hint at strong gaming performance Intel is seemingly preparing a huge Battlemage GPU reveal at Computex 2025 – and it's expected to be a higher-end offering Laptop processors are better than ever, but I still don’t give a hoot about ‘AI PCs’ - and neither should you AMD is making a handheld gaming PC chip with proper AI capabilities, but do gamers really need this? Can’t wait for AMD’s next-gen Ryzen CPUs? Zen 6 sighting hints they could arrive late in 2026, possibly packing a dream gaming chip Latest in CPU Intel’s Nova Lake processors rumored to have unique hybrid architecture – are we moving away from discrete GPUs? Can’t wait for AMD’s next-gen Ryzen CPUs? Zen 6 sighting hints they could arrive late in 2026, possibly packing a dream gaming chip Nvidia and MediaTek’s rumored gaming laptop chip could match the RTX 4070’s performance – and that’d be a potential game-changer for handhelds The Nintendo Switch 2 may not be Nvidia’s only handheld – a rumor says it’s building a new mobile gaming chip, and I’m excited for portable DLSS Qualcomm isn’t giving us new Snapdragon chips at Computex - but there’s a surprise waiting in September Intel's Computex 2025 Panther Lake demos showcase power efficiency focus – and also hint at strong gaming performance Latest in News PlayStation, Square Enix, and more big studios have been confirmed for Tokyo Game Show 2025 - here's what to expect Netflix might have another Suits-like hit on its hands as unlikely crime thriller makes its way onto the popular streamer's most-watched shows list Marvel Rivals season 3 is making big changes to how you earn your rewards, but you can claim extra goodies by simply watching your favorite Twitch streamer play the game Virgin River fans need to watch Netflix’s new ‘sister show’ with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes Prime Video’s best action movie of 2025? This new buddy comedy is a ‘really good, dumb’ watch that surprised me Virtuos believes the GPU capabilities of the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series S are 'comparable', making it easier to port some games that run at 60fps to the new console LATEST ARTICLES Windows 11 desktop PCs could soon get Copilot+ AI powers, as Intel might radically switch tactics with next-gen CPUs I'm a 4K Blu-ray nerd and after trawling through Amazon's Prime Day deals, here are the 4 discs I'd buy Yes, you guessed it – a wide range of Apple's MacBooks are now on sale during Amazon Prime Day, and there's a few I'd hate to miss Be quick! The Fitbit Charge 6 is back to its Black Friday price in Amazon's Prime Day sale Want the cheapest prices on Secretlab gaming chairs? I break down all the best bargains out there this Prime Day TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Contact Future's experts Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cookies policy Advertise with us Web notifications Accessibility Statement Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Please login or signup to comment Please wait...