Neural Processing Unit (NPU)

Neural Processing Unit( NPU )

An NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is a specialized hardware component that accelerates machine learning and AI workloads, such as deep learning inference and training. It focuses on operations like matrix multiplication and other calculations common in neural networks, delivering high efficiency for AI tasks compared to general-purpose CPUs or GPUs.

NPU on Windows

On Windows systems, NPUs are integrated to support AI workloads in various applications, including real-time object detection, voice recognition, and natural language processing.

AI Integration in Windows

Windows 11 and later versions provide DirectML, a machine-learning API that supports hardware acceleration, including NPUs.
Windows leverages NPUs in tasks such as enhanced video processing, intelligent background blurring, and optimizing AI features in applications like Microsoft Office.
Windows ML Framework:

Microsoft provides the Windows ML framework to run ML models efficiently on hardware, including CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs.

Many modern laptops and PCs come with NPUs, especially those designed for high-performance AI workloads. Devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, which include the Hexagon DSP (a form of NPU), are common examples.