The best laptops for AI in 2026

"AI laptop" is on every box this year, and it means less than the stickers suggest. ChatGPT, Gemini, and the Copilot app run in the cloud and work on any laptop with a web browser. What an AI laptop adds is the ability to run AI on the laptop itself: Windows features like Recall, photo and video tools that work offline, and, if you're curious, AI models you download and run privately.

For that, three parts matter: a chip for AI (the NPU), enough memory, and, for the biggest models, strong graphics. Here's what to look for, and the six laptops we'd buy.

What an AI laptop actually needs

• An NPU of 40 TOPS or more for Windows. An NPU (neural processing unit) is a part of the chip built for AI. Microsoft's Copilot+ PC label requires an NPU of at least 40 TOPS (trillions of operations per second), plus 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage. That label unlocks on-device features such as Recall, which lets you search everything you've seen on screen; Click to Do, which acts on text and images on screen; and natural-language Windows search.
• 16GB of memory, at least. Memory is the single spec that decides how much AI a laptop can do. 16GB is Microsoft's minimum for Copilot+; 32GB gives room for local models. Memory usually can't be added later on thin laptops, so buy what you'll need.
• Graphics memory, if you'll run big models. For running AI models yourself, a laptop with an NVIDIA RTX graphics chip, or a Mac with plenty of unified memory, is far faster than an NPU alone.

This year's AI chips, in one table

TOPS numbers aren't the whole story: memory speed and software support matter as much. But every chip in this table clears Microsoft's 40 TOPS bar, so any current laptop built on one can run today's on-device AI features. Apple says the M6's two 16-core Neural Engines are up to 1.9 times faster than the M5's.

Our picks

We chose these from makers' specifications and launch coverage, favoring 16GB of memory or more and confirmed prices. Prices are makers' list prices on the date shown.

1

Most people who want a Mac

MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)

Apple

16GB of memory comes standard and storage starts at 512GB, so the base model already meets the bar most AI features need. Fanless and silent.

• 16GB standard, up to 32GB
• Apple quotes up to 18 hours of battery life
• 15-inch model also available

Maker's price: Launched at $1,099 in March 2026; Apple raised it to $1,299 on June 25, 2026, citing memory costs. Store prices change; check the current price before you buy.

See it on eBayCertified RefurbishedSee price on Amazon

Source: Apple Newsroom, the new MacBook Air with M5

2

Windows users who want Microsoft's AI features

Surface Laptop 13-inch (Snapdragon X2 Plus)

Microsoft

Microsoft's own Copilot+ PC, with an 80 TOPS NPU, twice Microsoft's 40 TOPS minimum for Copilot+ features like Recall and Click to Do.

• Snapdragon X2 Plus with an 80 TOPS NPU
• Copilot+ PC
• Windows 11 on Arm

Maker's price: $1,199; in stores October 13, 2026. The previous model started at $899. Store prices change; check the current price before you buy.

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Source: Thurrott, Surface Laptop 13-inch with Snapdragon X2

3

A Copilot+ PC under $1,000

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (Snapdragon X2 Plus)

Lenovo

The least expensive way into a current Copilot+ PC we could confirm, with the same 80 TOPS NPU class as laptops costing far more.

• Snapdragon X2 Plus
• 16GB memory, 512GB storage
• Copilot+ PC

Maker's price: Lenovo's estimate at CES in January 2026 was $899; its own store later listed it at $969.99. Store prices change; check the current price before you buy.

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Source: Lenovo StoryHub, Lenovo at CES 2026

4

Mac users who want the most AI headroom

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)

Apple

Apple's newest chip has two 16-core Neural Engines, which Apple says run AI tasks up to 1.9 times faster than the M5. It's the pick if you want a Mac that runs AI apps and local models for years.

• Up to 32GB of unified memory
• Apple quotes up to 24 hours of battery life, its longest on a Mac
• macOS with Apple Intelligence

Maker's price: $1,999 with 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage; on sale November 6, 2026. Store prices change; check the current price before you buy.

See it on eBaySee price on AmazonEarlier MacBook Pro, refurbished

Source: Apple Newsroom, the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6

5

All-day battery on Windows

ASUS Zenbook A14 (Snapdragon X2 Elite)

ASUS

A light Copilot+ PC with outstanding battery life: ASUS claims over 33 hours of video, and Windows Central measured 23 hours 38 minutes in its own test.

• Snapdragon X2 Elite with an 80 TOPS NPU
• 16GB memory and 512GB storage in the base model
• Copilot+ PC

Maker's price: From $1,149.99 when it reached US stores in 2026. Store prices change; check the current price before you buy.

See it on eBayCertified RefurbishedSee price on Amazon

Source: Windows Central, ASUS Zenbook A14 (2026) review

6

Local AI models, gaming, and video editing

A laptop with an RTX 5070 Ti or better

NVIDIA partners

For running AI models on your own machine, graphics memory matters most. The RTX 5060 has 8GB; the RTX 5070 Ti steps up to 12GB, enough for mid-size models at good speed.

• Look for 12GB of graphics memory or more
• 32GB of system memory recommended
• Heavier, with shorter battery life

Maker's price: RTX 50-series laptops started from $1,099 for the RTX 5060 at launch in May 2025 (NVIDIA); Ti and higher models cost more. Store prices change; check the current price before you buy.

RTX 5070 Ti laptops on eBayRTX 5060 laptops on eBayRTX 50 laptops on Amazon

Source: NVIDIA, RTX 5060 laptops available now

Running AI models on your own laptop

Free tools such as Ollama and LM Studio let you download an AI model and chat with it offline, with nothing sent to the cloud. How big a model you can run depends on memory. Ollama's own guidance is a good rule of thumb:

On a Mac, the processor and graphics share one pool of memory, so all of it counts. On a Windows laptop with NVIDIA graphics, the model runs fastest when it fits in the graphics memory: 8GB on an RTX 5060, 12GB on an RTX 5070 Ti. When a model spills out of graphics memory it still works, just much more slowly.

Why laptop prices went up this year

AI data centers are buying memory chips in huge quantities, and the price of memory has risen through 2026. Research firm TrendForce warned in December 2025 that notebook makers would raise prices and trim specs, and they did: Apple raised Mac and iPad prices on June 25, 2026, citing memory costs, which took the MacBook Air 13-inch from $1,099 to $1,299. Microsoft's new Surface Laptop 13-inch starts at $1,199; the model it replaced started at $899.

Consumer Reports has warned about the quieter version: laptops that keep their price but ship with 8GB of memory where last year's had 16GB. Check the memory before you buy, especially on a deal. A Certified Refurbished laptop from last year is a good way around the increases.

When to buy

Adobe's 2026 holiday forecast names Cyber Monday, November 30, as the best day for computers and electronics, and expects discounts to shrink to 10 to 15% in December. If you need a laptop now, buy now: prices have been climbing, not falling. Our laptop buying guide covers budgets below $1,000, and our laptops page has shortcuts to new, refurbished, and best-selling laptops on eBay and Amazon.