Category Archives: Copilot+ PCs

Copilot+ PCs, Hardware Reviews, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog

The Incredible Lightness of (Some) Copilot+ PCs

Leave a comment

Things are getting interesting in the PC marketspace. In recent months, at least a couple of fairly full-featured Copilot+ PCs weighing under 1Kg (2.2 lbs) have been introduced. In January, we got the Asus Zenbook A14 (UX3407). This morning, it was the Dynabook Z40L-N. Both come in at under 1Kg, with the Asus model at 900g, and the Dynabook right at the edge (998g). Both are Copilot+ capable. And both include snazzy touch screens, offer up to 32GB of RAM, and a max SSD of  1 or 2TB. Furthermore, according to Copilot, only 1 in 20 laptops falls into this weight class, making it something of a standout in the overall category.

Incredible Lightness of (Some) Copilot+ PCs Has Appeal

Mobile workers always want fast and light mobile PCs on the job. Fast (and powerful) lets them get more work done. Light makes it easier to schlep such units while they’re on the move. Thus PC makers always work the inherent tradeoffs involved. Such ultra-thin PCs will always be limited in terms of the number of ports they sport, and run more limited mobile CPUs and chipsets. They must also be unusually careful about managing heat and ventilation, because even these less-beefy mobile CPUs (Snapdragon X1-26-100 in the Asus, up to Intel Core Ultra 7 268v (Series 2) in the Dynabook) use throttling as well as cooling to keep themselves running.

The other tradeoff: compactness costs. Neither one of these units is exactly cheap. The Portege Z40L-N with i7 (vPro), 32GB RAM and 1 TB SSD lists for US$2,220.00. The ASUS comes with a distinct price advantage: the 32GB unit with 1TB SSD and its Snapdragon X1-26-100 lists for less than half that amount: US$1,100.00. Both get rave reviews. But if I had to foot the bill out of pocket, I’d need a strongly compelling reason to double down on cost to choose the Dynabook over the ASUS model.

I’ve requested review models of both machines from their respective makers. If I get lucky, I’ll have a chance to comment on this dynamic further and in great detail. Even so, it is pretty nifty to consider what you can pick up and carry with you in the realm of today’s lightest available Copilot+ PCs.

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Thoughts & concerns, WED Blog

Pondering Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU Strategies

Leave a comment

I’m confused. Intel has recently announced a massive uptick in its latest series of CPUs. Let’s call them Core Ultra Series 2 items, in keeping with Intel’s own nomenclature. Why am I pondering Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU strategies? Because of  the ratio of Copilot+ capable packages as compared to those that do not meet those requirements.

Teasing Out Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU Strategies

Here’s a breakdown of what’s currently “in the family” of Intel Core Ultra CPUs. The number of members in each category is in square brackets to the left of the colon:

200U Series  [4] : Aims at ultra-portable devices
200H Series  [5] : Designed for high-perf laptops
200HX Series [6] : For high-end gaming laptops
200S Series  [11]: Targets desktop systems
200V Series  [10]: Meet Copilot+ requirements

Think about it: it’s a family of CPUs with a total of 36 members in all. But only 10 of them meet or exceed Copilot+ requirements. That’s just under 28%, or less than one-third, of that entire group. My question is: what does this ratio tell us about Intel’s thoughts on Copilot+ vis-a-vis the entire market for new PCs?

Understanding Intel’s Planning and Posture

Two good places to start are:
1. Mobile Processors (Series 2) Product Brief: describes and points to all of the Mobile CPUs in the family (e.g. U, H, HX and V).
2. Desktop Processors (Series 2) Product Brief: Ditto for the 11 members of the 200S desktop series of CPUs in the family.

I’m going to float a possibly absurd hypothesis: Given that less than one-third of its latest offerings support Copilot+ requirements, it looks like Intel thinks that Copilot+ PCs will make up about one-third of expected market demand for such devices. And yet, Microsoft seems to make Copilot+ PCs the impetus and cornerstone for its “2025 year of the refresh” messaging.

But with 2 of every 3 new CPUs from Intel outside that envelope, I’m inclined to think that plenty of new PCs running Windows 11 — arguably, a substantial majority — won’t be able to exploit features and functions available only on Copilot+ capable units. I have to imagine it’s about price points and specific demand niches where AI-enabled and -driven features don’t (and won’t) play.

I have to believe Intel doesn’t see Copilot+ PCs as its only, and perhaps not even as its primary focus. Is that different from Microsoft’s vision for the future of Windows 11 computing? I think it is. My primary evidence is that Intel built 26 CPUs across ultra portable, high-end gaming and high-performance laptop categories, as well as a substantial desktop category, none under the Copilot+ umbrella.Indeed, how it unfolds will be extremely interesting to watch, as market uptake indicates if Intel’s strategy is sound.

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

MS Seemingly Drops Intel Gen7-10 24H2 Support

Leave a comment

Whoa! Maybe even “Double Whoa!!” Look closely at the recently updated Microsoft Learn Windows Hardware Developer document Windows 11 Version 24H2 supported Intel processors. Careful examination shows that MS seemingly drops Intel Gen7-10 24H2 support. That’s right: everything from Gen 7 (Kaby Lake; 2016 mobile/2017 desktop) to Gen 10 (Comet Lake; 2017 for both mobile and desktop) is absent from that list. I’m concerned, and so are lots of other industry followers and reports (e.g. WinAero, Tom’s Hardware, Eleven Forum, and so forth). Can this be true?

Really!? MS Seemingly Drops Intel Gen7-10 24H2 Support

Initially, I wondered if this could be an error or oversight. But apparently, it’s a deliberate strategy aimed at OEMs. Indeed, a Windows Latest item dated today (2/17/2025) explicitly debunks this notion: No, Microsoft is NOT dropping Windows 11 support for Intel 8th, 9th, and 10th Gen chips. Though the absence of these items prompted plenty of speculation that Gen 7-10 were falling off the 24H2 table, here’s what that item states:

…first…Microsoft has renamed the document to mention the Windows 11 24H2 release. Second, the list of supported processors does not include “8th gen, 9th gen, and 10th gen Intel” chips. This led some people to believe that older Intel chips are no longer officially supported for “Windows 11 24H2.”

In response to this belief, Windows Latest asked MS directly and got this added clarification:

In a statement to Windows Latest, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 11 hardware requirements hadn’t changed since 2021.

I’ll also observe that the first paragraph of this Learn item states “…released and future generations of processors which meet the same principles will be considered as supported, even if not explicitly listed.” Guess what? That includes the “missing” Intel Gen7-10 CPUs, dear readers.

Windows 11 for AI vs. Other Flavors

Apparently MS is steering OEMs toward Intel CPUs that provide the necessary NPU and other items necessary to qualify for Copilot+ classification. It’s another logical, if vexing, consequence of the “Year of the Refresh” that MS is promoting for OEMs that want to support 24H2 fully and completely. Go figure: it seems to be something of a tempest in a teapot!

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, WED Blog, Windows 11

Copilot+ PCs Lack Fast I/O

Leave a comment

So I’ve been doing some homework. I’ve checked on the MS Copilot+ PC hardware requirements. I’ve also looked at related announcements from Qualcomm, Intel and AMD regarding reference designs for such PCs. So far, nobody’s talking about Thunderbolt 5/USB 5 (aka USB4 v2) support on such PCs. That’s kind of a shame, because supporting gear is becoming available for purchase right now (see last week’s post First TB5 NVMe Enclosures Drop for more info). Be that as it may, so far Copilot+ PCs lack fast I/O support via USB-C attached devices. That’s a shame!

If Copilot+ PCs Lack Fast I/O, Then What?

To be fair, USB4 with some degree of TB4 support is baked into the existing specfiications and reference architectures. And, FWIW, the Qualcomm SoC implementation is pretty darn good — not quite as fast as Intel’s but entirely acceptable. That tells me support for TB5/USB5 is probably coming “real soon now” (to resurrect Jerry Pournelle’s famous phrase from his Chaos Manor column).

My best guess is we’ll see a revision to Copilot+ PC specifications some time later this year (the original set emerged in May 2024). I’m thinking sometime around or shortly after the first anniversary seems pretty likely.

In the meantime, Copilot+ PC users will have to live with 3-3,500 Mbps read/write speeds typical of USB4/TB4 device chains for NVMe storage devices. The new spec should double those numbers, and make those who use external NVMe storage for videos, backups and other high-volume, high-traffic I/O applications happy.

You’ll Pay for That Pleasure, Though

If what I’m seeing for NVMe enclosure costs is any indication  — namely US$200 and up — users who buy into faster I/O sooner rather than later will pay a premium for those speeds. The Acasis 40 Gbps enclosures run US$90 (fanless) or US$110 (with fan). The same vendor’s TB5 model has an MSRP of US$299 (and is available on sale at Newegg right now for US$239). Yikes!

Note, Intel unveiled its specs and controllers for Barlow Ridge TB5 on January 9 (last Thursday) so it’s no wonder that PCs with such circuitry built in are hard to find right now. Go figure! Hopefully, licensees will ante up soon. I’m curious to see if once again Qualcomm will reverse engineer this stuff… The comparison slide vis-a-vis TB4, USB4 and USB3/DP from Intel’s Jan 9 announcement serves as the lead-in graphic for this very blog post, in fact.

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

Copilot+ PC High-Perf Power Plan

Leave a comment

Here’s something interesting. I’ve got a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga Slim 7i Aura 15 (aka Model 15ILL9) Copilot+ PC. It’s the Intel follow on to the Snapdragon X models let go earlier this year. In reading over Paul Thurrott’s November 14 review of that unit, I saw that defining a Copilot+ PC high-perf power plan will produce more reliable and faster output, albeit at some cost to battery life. FWIW, this accords with my own observations and experience. But by default, all Copilot+ PCs use the Balanced power plan. It gets better…

Where’s the Copilot+ PC High-Perf Power Plan?

Alas, likewise by default, Balanced is the ONLY power plan defined and available for Copilot+ PCs (and indeed, for most PCs that support the S0 sleep state). What to do? You can create one, but that involves tweaking more than a handful of settings. Wait: there’s a better way.

I went trolling around at ElevenForum.com and found a thread that linked to a Web site named  Windows Answer File Generator. It includes an entry named Windows 10 Power Configuration. Indeed, that script works for Windows 11 as well. So I used it, then downloaded the resulting file named power.bat to the afore-mentioned 15ILL9 Copilot+ PC. It ran within a Command Prompt session without issue, and shows up now as the current, in-use Power Plan:

After running the script, High Performance is the chosen Power Plan.

Good stuff! If you find yourself in a situation where you need more performance or reliability from a Copilot+ PC, this technique and its tool stand ready to help. Do yourself a favor, and give them a try…

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 10, Windows 11

MS Sez: Copilot+ PCs 5X Faster Than 2019 Models

Leave a comment

Here’s an interesting MS announcement from last week. I saw it, but didn’t read it all the way through. This morning, I read follow-up coverage (e.g. this WindowsLatest story). It’s entitled “How prepare for Windows end of support by moving to Windows 11 today.” Overall, it’s an eminently predictable bit of upgrade rah-rah. But specifically MS sez: Copilot+ PCs 5X faster than 2019 models.  I translated “5-year old PCs” from the original to get this year.

Weighing Copilot+ PCs 5X Faster Than 2019 Models

It just so happens that this cut-off equates to 10th Generation Intel CPUs (e.g. Comet Lake and Ice Lake). It also hits 3rdGeneration AMD Ryzen models (Matisse and Renoir). I’ve got 4 8th Gen Intel laptops here at Chez Tittel. I’ve also worked with 3 Copilot+ PCs (2 Snapdragon X models, and 1 Intel Aura/Lunar Lake model). My own gut feel, and my ongoing observation of resource intensive tasks — such as disk cleanup, updates, upgrades, big installs, and so forth — absolutely agrees with this claim.

If you dig into the October 31 announcement, you’ll find a section entitled “Benefits of upgrading to Windows 11.” Therein, author and MS EVP/Consumer Chief Marketing Office Yusuf Mehdi avers that when compared to Windows 10, 11 is

  • more sure and trusted
  • better optimized for speed and efficiency
  • better at multitasking
  • more accessible
  • more energy efficient

The 5x speed claim is footnoted to a May 2024 MS Learn item entitled Copilot+ PC performance details. That’s where the 5X claim gets some substance, which turns out to rest on the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core benchmark. Further investigation shows this to be a 10-minute rendering test using the Redshift engine. Looking at the laptop segment at CPU Monkey, I see the first recognizable Copilot + PC in 17th place, with a value of 1,150 (Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU) takes 1st place , with a value of 1,918).

Moving Up Probably Means Copilot+

With a handful of older PCs that I’ll need to upgrade in the next year or two, I am thinking about “what’s next” here at Chez Tittel. And indeed, most of what I’m thinking about buying into is Copilot. My first such purchase will probably be a Yoga Slim 7x (blogged July 1, 2024). It’s got a killer screen, runs like a demon, and represents a good value for its cost (~US$1,200 for 16 GB RAM, 0.5 TB SSD, and X1E-78-100 Snapdragon X CPU).

There will be plenty of other models to consider in the months ahead, as the Intel and AMD offerings get fleshed out alongside the earlier ARM Snapdragon X offerings. I’ll be choosing among those, or their successors, in the next year or two as I start upgrade. You should probably be thinking along those same lines. Unless and until something better comes along…

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Benchmarking, Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

Strange Yoga Slim 7 USB4 Behavior

Leave a comment

Seems like I’ve been messing about more than usual with USB ports of late. That’s why an apparent anomaly on my latest Copilot+ PC review unit — the Intel-based Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (15ILL9) — didn’t phase me for long. It delivered mSATA-level CrystalDiskMark results for a known, good, working Konyead USB4 NVMe enclosure. That is, when plugged into the right-side USB-C port. In the left-side port, its outputs ran somewhat under what I originally expected. What gives, you might ask? I’ll make some educated guesses…

More details on Strange Yoga Slim 7 USB4 Behavior

Even the Port 1 (left side) results weren’t fabulous for a USB4 NVMe device, but they’re within the realm of the expected. Here’s where things get interesting though: when I unplugged the enclosure from the left side, and plugged it into the right, the next set was much closer to expectations (and those recorded from the other side). The lead-in graphic shows left-side and right-side CrystalDiskMark results, each where you’d expect them per that ordering. Again I ask: what gives?

I can’t say with certainty, but I can guess with reasonable confidence that the device did not get properly detected the first time I plugged it in. The top 2 rows of CDM values were under 1K at left, and under 200 at right. The bottom 2 rows show random access to 4K segments, and seldom differ much across 5, 10 and 40 Gbps ports.

I do find the write values uniformly disappointing and significantly slower than what I’ve seen from Snapdragon X-based Copilot+ PCs. Could it be that Intel — the co-inventor and a major manufacturer of USB4/Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port controllers — isn’t as good at this as Qualcomm? Perish the thought. I’m thinking it may just be a lesser-grade part that’s not as fast as its Qualcomm counterpart.

Indeed, a quick jump into Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 hubs and devices lists the external NVMe as “Intel – USB4.0 SSD” and bandwidth as “40 Gbps/40Gbps (Gen 3, dual lane).” That’s exactly what it should be. So any performance differences seeming come from the parts themselves.

When in Doubt, Try a Different Device…

Just for grins I tried a different NVMe enclosure and SSD in the right-side port, then ran CrystalDiskMark again. Results initially came in nearly identical. As CDM continued through its read sequence, so did that similarity. Ditto for the write side of things with some slight improvements in the top 2 rows. I can only suggest that Qualcomm USB4 ports and controllers offer more balanced read/write performance than their Intel counterparts and better overall throughput. Isn’t that a surprise!

For those users who need max performance from external USB media, these differences might be worth considering as part of a purchase decision. Others are neither likely to notice, nor care.

 

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Thoughts & concerns, WED Blog

Snapdragon X DevKit Is Cancelled

Leave a comment

In hindsight, it’s no surprise. I signed up — and paid ~US$975 (including sales tax) — for the Qualcomm Copilot+ PC package they offered to the public in mid-July. Initial ship date was late August. Then, it slipped to late September. Finally, it was promised for mid-January, 2025. That’s when I asked kitmaker OEM (Arrow Electronics) for a refund. Last week, Qualcomm sent email  cancelling the project and refunding all orders. Ouch: the Snapdragon X DevKit is cancelled. Over. Kaput. No refund yet, either.

Why Snapdragon X DevKit Is Cancelled

For more info, read this October 18 Windows Central story Qualcomm cancels Snapdragon X Elite devkit… In an email, Qualcomm said the kit failed its “usual standards of excellence.” It cancelled the project and promised refunds for all. But gosh: they used my money and that of thousands of other would-be kit buyers for a long, long time before they killed the golden goose.

I’m not just disappointed that my planned purchase evaporated. It’s frustrating that they waited so long to cancel. I’m also ticked off that they’re still holding my money. When I cancelled my order on October 11 (see this X (Tweet) item), they promised a refund in 10 days. That’s today, generously allowing an extra day for order database updates. It’s not yet the end of the day, so it still might show up. But it hasn’t hit PayPal yet, as I write this.

I’m not holding my breath. I’m not happy, either. But that’s the way things go for those who, like me, want to stay on the edge and buy into emerging computing platforms and technologies. In the meantime, life goes on here in Windows-World, one day at a time. Sigh again…

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows Update

WU Throws First 24H2 Offer

Leave a comment

OK: I admit it. I already had 4 PCs running 24H2. Two are Copilot+ laptops (Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 and Yoga Slim 7 15ILL9) and came that way. Two others were force-upgraded: the Ryzen 5800x desktop via in-place ISO-based upgrade, and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 via the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Last Friday, I saw the Dell D7080 SFF PC had received (and downloaded) the latest release on its own. That’s right: here at Chez Tittel, WU throws first 24H2 offer. It’s done and dusted now, in fact…

Success When WU Throws First 24H2 Offer

As you can see in the lead-in graphic, I didn’t even catch the notification until the target was already through the GUI-based portion of the install. Indeed, the D7080 informed me it needed a reboot to continue that process. Once allowed to proceed, in fact, it finished up in under 15 minutes (it’s an 11th Gen i7 with 64GB RAM and a reasonably fast SSD so it moved along right smartly). It’s now upgraded and running Build 26100.2033, and WU says it’s up-to-date.

Just for grins I checked my other production level Windows 11 machines, but both of them are still standing pat with 23H2 — namely:

  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (8th Gen i7)
  • Lenovo P360Ultra SFF PC (13th Gen i9)

I’m guessing they’re either subject to the Intel Audio hold (X1) or the well-known Gen13/14 issues with 24H2. I’m going to keep watching and will report when and as those holds lift, and WU extends further offers. But gosh: it’s nice to see things working as they oughter, here in Windows-World. Cheers!

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin
Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

Intel’s Initial Copilot+ Salvo

Leave a comment

OK, then. As I was gearing up for medical adventures on Tuesday, Lenovo shipped me a new Copilot+ PC. Because I apparently munged my initial login, I wasn’t able to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Pro at first. A factory reset (described in yesterday’s blog) set things right, and I’m now digging in to see and understand what I can about this Yoga Slim 7 15ILL9 unit. So far, Intel’s initial Copilot+ Salvo seems a little less bodacious than the Snapdragon X ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 I’m getting ready to send back to the reviews team. Let me explain…

Absorbing and Interpreting Intel’s Initial Copilot+ Salvo

We’ll start with the port map (side views) of the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 15ILL9. You can see it sports 2 TB4/USB4 ports — one on each side — along with a power button, camera shutter, and USB Type A 5 Gbps, plus HDMI and 3.5mm audio jack. Very basic, very simple.

Here’s a more detailed list of its various innards:

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (8 cores/8 logical processors)
RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5x-8533 (2 modules, soldered)
SSD: WD SN740 1TB (NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4; M.2 2242)
Integrated Intel Arc Graphics 140V
Display: 15.3″ 2880×1800 Touch screen
NPU Capacity: 45 TOPS

As configured, it costs US$1,322 at the Lenovo Store. Thus, this is clearly a consumer oriented mid-range laptop. This explains why it isn’t as full featured or snappy as the T14s I’m sending back (it doubled up RAM and offered a 12-core CPU, but lists for US$1,700).

Sorry About the Bloatware…

Unlike most other new Lenovo PCs and laptops I’ve encountered lately, this one comes a bit more laden with bloatware, including:

  • Numerous Lenovo helpware items: Hotkeys, Now, Vantage, and Vantage Service (I usually keep Hotkeys and Vantage)
  • McAfee Trialware: removed
  • WebAdvisor by McAfee: removed

Initial startup also flogged numerous subscriptions including YouTube and other video items, Amazon MusicDropBox 100 TB, and special offers (that’s what Lenovo Now delivers, I’m removing it). I’d rather see this kind of thing as opt-in if I have to see it at all. Thankfully, that’s how Lenovo handled it. If flogging is required, it should be easy to circumvent.

Initial Take on the Yoga Slim 7 15ILL9 Itself

The unit offers a bright, clear display with snappy graphics and handling. By default brightness was set to 13: I had to bump it up to 60-something to see things properly. It’s pretty lightweight, too (1.53kg/3.38lbs) despite the over 15″ display with narrow bezels. The all-aluminum case in gray is sturdy and attractive enough, but not in the same league as the ThinkPad. Wi-Fi7 (Intel BE201 320 MHz) is included in all configurations, too. Chez Tittel is still on 802.11ax, though…

Overall, I like the Snapdragon Yoga Slim 7X  better than this Intel model, but that’s mostly because its OLED monitor pops like crazy. I do think the 12 cores in the Snapdragon X somewhat outperform the Ultra Core 7 256V’s 8 cores, but that could be subjective. I’ll be digging deeper into SSD and USB4 port performance in the future, but so far this offering seems like a pretty good value. See this October 12 NoteBookCheck story for more details on this nice little notebook.

Facebooklinkedin
Facebooklinkedin