Microsoft has never really defined why Copilot+ PCs are “Plus.” “Copilot” already makes it obvious that it’s an AI PC, but these Windows 11 AI PCs have the “Plus” branding because of the upgraded hardware and performance. According to Microsoft’s claim, AI PCs can be “up to 5x faster than a 5-year-old Windows device” and even faster than a MacBook Air with M4.
It’s always interesting to read marketing material because it shows how a company wants to frame the product, and bait consumers like you and me. I found a Microsoft document that loosely explains why Copilot+ PCs put the “plus” in productivity. As per Microsoft, it’s because these PCs take “everything Windows 11 does best” and “supercharge it.”
Well, yes. And if you think that is an overstatement, Microsoft also says that these “AI PCs are up to five times quicker than a 5-year-old Windows 10 device.” Technically, this is true because newer PCs have better processors, GPUs, storage, and hardware, but why are we even comparing today’s “AI” PCs to older PCs from 2020/2021?
The newer PCs are obviously going to be faster than those built in 2020 or 2021, and this has nothing to do with Copilot+ branding or “AI.”
“Copilot+ PCs take everything Windows 11 does best—speed, creativity, and convenience—and supercharge it,” Microsoft noted in a marketing document spotted by Windows Latest. The doc was published in December 2025, when newer Intel Panther Lake, Ryzen AI, and Snapdragon X2 CPUs were not official.
“In fact, the top-performing Copilot+ PCs are faster than the MacBook Air with M4 and up to five times quicker than a 5-year-old Windows device. That’s power you can feel in every keystroke,” the company explained.
Microsoft says Copilot+ PCs are faster with baseless comparisons
Microsoft backs up the “Copilot+ is faster” claim with a long list of benchmarks it ran between June and September 2025. In that testing, the company claims Copilot+ PCs can be up to 5x faster than an “average” 5-year-old Windows PC in Cinebench 2024 multi-core.
The results, which were never published, also show big jumps in everyday areas like web browsing.
Microsoft also says Copilot+ machines are up to 3.7x faster in AI performance than previous-generation Windows 11 “AI PCs.” For those unaware, before Copilot+ PCs were introduced, Microsoft offered Windows 11 AI PCs, but those PCs had up to just 15 TOPs of NPU. On the other hand, Copilot+ PCs have up to 40 TOPs of NPU.
In the same June–September 2025 window, Microsoft claims Copilot+ PCs can hit up to 19 hours of web browsing, up to 27 hours of local video playback, and up to 22 hours of streaming. It also compares them directly to 5-year-old PCs, confirming up to 3.9x longer web browsing battery life, up to 3.5x longer local video playback, and up to 4.4x longer streaming battery life.
On the Mac comparison, Microsoft says “top-performing” Copilot+ PCs outperform the MacBook Air M4 in Cinebench 2024 multi-core.
Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme smokes some Apple M4 chips
Again, as I mentioned, the document is from December 2025, so Microsoft is not citing the latest numbers.
As Windows Latest recently reported, Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme is one of the most powerful chips that compete with Apple M4 Pro head-to-head, but falls a bit short of M4 Max in multi-core tests.
Microsoft says you really need the Copilot Key for a good life
It doesn’t matter where you use your PC. Microsoft argues that the Copilot key is for everyone, including those who work in offices or at school, as it makes your life smoother. Microsoft does have at least three examples to justify its AI marketing.
“The Copilot key truly shines on Copilot+ PCs,” Microsoft argues, and goes on praising NPU in these AI PCs because NPU gives you “smoother multitasking and faster results when you press the key.”
Microsoft says that students no longer need to read a 20-page article before the next class, as they can just press the Copilot + S key to summarize what’s on the screen, and even turn notes into flashcards.
You can also use the Copilot key to draft emails or messages when you’re in a meeting, and regular users can plan their vacation by pressing the Copilot key on their PC.
Previously, Microsoft said everyone should upgrade to an AI PC if they want to be prepared for the next generation of computing. On the other hand, Dell is moving away from “AI PCs” to focus on gaming and other consumer needs that actually sell products.
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