5 best AI laptops in UAE, for 2024

More and more laptops in the market are now geared to handle AI workloads. They’re different from regular laptops, in that they now incorporate what Intel calls a ‘neural processing unit’ (NPU) – a specific component of hardware that’s set aside for AI work – alongside the regular central processing unit (CPU) and graphics chip (GPU). This key piece of hardware reduces load on the other processors, and makes your laptop faster, smarter and more efficient.

While limited, there are already a variety of AI laptops cropping up – from devices with high-end designs and features, to ones specifically built for gaming. You’ll find CoPilot+ personal computers (PCs) that celebrate the AI vision of Microsoft. There’s also Chromebook Plus, which is using Large Language Model (LLM) innovations to make laptops smarter than ever before. While iOS users will have to wait a little longer to experience AI in their laptops, they can rest assured that Apple Intelligence is very close to making its debut in MacBooks.

We spoke with Shahbaz Khan, a systems administrator for a Canadian software company, with over 10 years of experience in the information technology (IT) industry. He shared why AI laptops are the future, and how to go about picking the best one for your needs.

Check out our curated list, based on our expert’s recommendations and top-rated picks, and get your new AI laptop as early as tomorrow with Prime membership.

1. Best Overall: HP Omnibook X 

Pros

Cons

If you want a Windows laptop to match Apple’s M3-powered MacBooks in performance and battery life, opt for HP’s Omnibook X. This ultraportable, 14-inch touchscreen laptop features an AI-focused Snapdragon X Elite chip. It’s thin, lightweight and great for working on the go, especially because its battery can last up to 16 hours, even with continuous web surfing. With 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage, it can keep up with demanding tasks with its fast performance. Although there are plans for the release of useful generative AI features on these machines, there are a few built-in AI tools you can already use. For instance, MS Paint has a new Cocreator feature, where you can write a prompt for what you’re trying to draw, and AI will touch it up for you (or transform it, if you’re a terrible artist). There is also a Live Captions program that can translate languages in semi-real time, among others. Reviewers wish, however, that the in-plane switching (IPS) panel on this laptop was swapped out with an organic LED (OLED) screen instead, to make their creative content truly stand out.

Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh476.60 for 12 months with select banks.

Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh511, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh569, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh726.

2. Best MacBook: Apple MacBook Pro 

Pros

Cons

The new MacBook Pro features Apple’s M3 Pro chip and a Neural Engine that’s built to rapidly manage machine learning tasks and speed up your workflow – something you’ll immediately notice if you use Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. But these are just preliminary AI features. The laptop is built for Apple Intelligence, which is launching in beta later this year, and promises to pair AI with personal context so that you’ll be able to enjoy a whole slew of genuinely useful features in all areas of your laptop. The MacBook Pro prepares for this with a 3nm microchip that offers a huge leap in performance and efficiency, along with all-new GPU architecture that makes gaming more visually complex, and improves rendering speed of demanding apps (it’s two and a half times faster than the previous generation of MacBook Pros). Apart from its AI features, the MacBook Pro performs masterfully in virtually all other aspects. Khan said: “Exceptional performance, excellent battery life, and a high-resolution retina display make [the MacBook Pro] the ideal for machine learning and AI applications.”

Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh755.13 for 12 months with select banks.

Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh539, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh901, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh1,150.

3. Best for Gaming: Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 

Pros

Cons

Khan recommended the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 for gamers, saying it is a “lightweight gaming laptop that performs well for AI workloads, and has a good battery life”. For gamers who frequently play demanding titles, a top-tier GPU is essential. The ROG Zephyrus G16 achieves this, and more, with its combination of Intel Core Ultra 9 and ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. This premium gaming laptop also features a sleek aluminium shell, and a 16-inch 2.5K OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate – perfect for immersive gaming. Content creators who rely on colour accuracy will also be suitably impressed by the bright, vivid screen used here. The laptop’s four-speaker system also shines, with punchy bass and well-balanced mids and highs. Overall, it’s a fantastic gaming PC, with an NPU-powered chip and hardware architecture that’s well equipped to handle any AI upgrades in the future. On the downside, the six-hour battery life you’re getting here will have you reaching for your power cable more frequently than you may be used to.

Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh1,274.92 for 12 months with select banks.

4. Best for Productivity: Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 

Pros

Cons

The AI-accelerated Surface Laptop 7 is also our pick for the best Windows AI laptop, and for good reason. This 2024 model has all the bells and whistles you’re looking for: a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, and the new Copilot+ AI experience, which involves an NPU that can generate complex AI computations in under a second. While this 13.8-inch laptop doesn’t have an OLED screen, its HDR-supported display is still beautiful, with a high refresh rate of 120Hz. It’s light and portable, with a snappy keyboard, a 1080p webcam, and a well-balanced array of ports – all useful features for productivity. However, its AI Copilot+ integration is where it truly shines. The Copilot chatbot, for instance, can be enabled with various plug-ins for more optimised conversations – for instance, you can get it to help you shop for specific products, or find the cheapest flight that still meets your specific standards. The Cocreator feature in Microsoft Paint transforms your drawings into AI-generated images, while Image Creator lets you type into a prompt to bring your vision to life. You can also turn on Windows Studio Effects to enhance your video calls; for instance, it lets you blur distractions in the background or improve lighting. Live Captions are also useful whether you’re attending seminars, or recording lectures at university. Reviewers are ecstatic about the 15-hour battery life on this laptop. On the downside, it’s not powerful enough to handle demanding gaming titles.

Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh341, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh569, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh726.

5. Best Convertible: HP Spectre x360 

Pros

Cons

A two-in-one laptop that’s optimised for AI? Sign us up! HP Spectre x360 is one of the best convertible laptops you can get right now, both for its AI features and general performance. It has a sleek design, with a smooth aluminium chassis, and a large haptic touchpad that offers precise pointing and handy configurable shortcuts. Its 14.5-inch OLED touch display features 120Hz variable refresh rate, and is enabled for HDR (high dynamic range) – this means top-quality visuals, with no lag or stuttering. Although the laptop lacks a dedicated Copilot key, it does have an Intel Evo Core Ultra 7 155H CPU with integrated Arc graphics, as well as an NPU for a boost to AI tasks. Thanks to its high-speed RAM and storage, the laptop is cool, quiet, fast and responsive, no matter how demanding the task. Reviewers have used it successfully for both gaming and editing video content, with no issues. Its battery life is impressive, too; the Spectre x360 will last for a full day without the need for a recharge. However, because of its razor-thin design, ports are limited here, so it may be wise to invest in a USB hub.

Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh377.25 for 12 months with select banks.

Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh454, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh475, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh605.

How are AI laptops different from other laptops?

Unlike traditional laptops, AI laptops are built with a focus on the intensive demands of artificial intelligence and its related programs. The NPU, for instance, can only be found in an AI laptop – it efficiently handles all AI and machine learning tasks natively, rather than via cloud processing, so you don’t need the internet to use it.

AI laptops can be incredibly useful for professionals in the fields of healthcare, data science, research, finance, gaming and cybersecurity, says Khan. These intelligent devices can help you automate tasks, improve decision making, and increase overall efficiency.

So, it’s important to first understand how much you’re actually going to be using AI, and whether you need a dedicated laptop for it. AI is at work on our laptops most of the time, according to our expert. For instance, if your background is blurred on a video call, that’s AI in action. If you’re only going to be using AI for such occasional interactions, any laptop with an NPU can make your tasks more efficient.

But if you’re going to do more advanced tasks, like offline AI image generation for your graphic design business, resource-heavy video editing, or running large deep learning models – like fraud detection in cybersecurity, or setting up a virtual assistant for your website that learns how best to respond over time – you’ll need a more powerful device with a dedicated GPU, as well.

Features to look for, when buying an AI laptop

Khan said: “When looking for the best laptops for AI tasks, whether for development, machine learning, or deep learning, you want devices with powerful processors, ample RAM (random-access memory), and efficient GPUs.”

He outlined some factors to look out for, before finalising your purchase:

Graphics processing unit (GPU): A powerful GPU is essential for deep learning.

Random access memory (RAM): The laptop should have at least 16GB of RAM, but 32GB or more is recommended for larger datasets and complex models.

Central processing unit (CPU): Look for multi-core processors (for instance, Intel i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 7/9) for faster processing.

Storage: SSDs (solid state drives) are preferable for better speed, and larger storage helps manage datasets.

Display: A high-resolution display can be beneficial for visualisation tasks.

Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.