This year’s CES show was overwhelmingly dominated by discussions surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), as anticipated. It felt like AI was the central theme throughout the event.

Particularly pronounced was the AI focus among PC manufacturers and the creators of applications that drive computing. Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs and the broader category of AI PCs highlighted the event, and it’s easy to see why. Introduced in 2024, these devices have quickly gained prominence in the market, showcasing a wide array of new laptops aimed at both consumers and businesses. Many of these models are powered by cutting-edge processors from Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and Nvidia, which are set to enhance our everyday computing experiences significantly.

For instance, HP showcased its new high-performance gaming laptop, the Omen Max 16, which gives users the option of choosing between the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 or AMD Ryzen AI 9 processors, along with Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs. This powerful combination promises the fastest gaming experience the company has ever provided, while also facilitating AI acceleration in creative applications.

In a reflection of CES’s evolution into a platform for both consumer and business-focused technology, many of HP’s new notebooks were tailored for commercial users. The standout was the ZBook Ultra G1a portable workstation, powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI Max Pro chip. While it may not cater to everyone, this machine is expected to surpass even the latest MacBook Pros with M4 chips in handling advanced graphics tasks such as 3D rendering. It boasts a beautiful OLED display with blue light reduction and the fastest Neural Processing Unit (NPU) currently available for accelerating AI tasks. Furthermore, HP introduced its EliteBook X G1i series, leveraging Intel’s new Core Ultra Series 2 processors.

Lenovo unveiled its most eye-catching product, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 laptop, featuring a unique rollable screen that expands the typical 14” display to a 16.7” size, offering 50% more visual space. Lenovo also introduced the Yoga Slim 9i, which is also powered by the latest Intel processors and is claimed to be the first laptop with an under-display camera, allowing for a screen that extends to the edges for a seamless look and an impressive 98% screen-to-body ratio.

On the portable gaming side, Lenovo introduced the Legion Go S handheld gaming device, utilizing AMD’s next-gen Z2 chip. Notably, it comes in two versions: one running Windows and another running SteamOS, making it the first licensed device to do so.

Dell also made waves at the show, primarily with its new product naming strategy that mirrors Apple’s simplicity. Moving away from sub-brands like XPS and Inspiron, Dell is consolidating its products into a straightforward naming system: Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max, each having Plus and Premium tiers. While it might take time for long-time fans to adjust, this change is seen as a smart, long-term decision.

A standout product under this new naming is the Dell Pro 13 Premium, featuring the latest AI-enabled processors and lightweight at just 2.3 pounds. Additionally, Dell announced a wide range of notebooks powered by AMD Ryzen AI Pro processors for business clients, marking a significant shift from its historically Intel-only approach, generating considerable excitement as AMD’s influence in the business sector grows.

Turning to the small business market, Samsung presented its Galaxy Book 5 clamshell and Galaxy Book 5 360 convertible notebooks, which are their first to include dedicated AI capabilities. Both models utilize Samsung’s advanced OLED display technology and run on the new commercial version of Intel’s Core Ultra processors.

In a surprising turn, Nvidia introduced the Project Digits mini desktop PC aimed at software developers and AI model creators. Featuring a robust GPU based on Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture and a Mediatek-designed Arm CPU, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang described this system as a personal supercomputer. However, it only supports a special Linux version (not Windows), isn’t suited for gaming, and starts at a hefty $3,000. Despite these limitations, it offers an intriguing glimpse into Nvidia’s future direction.

On a more accessible note, Qualcomm launched an updated version of its Snapdragon X series Arm processors, which are now integrated into PCs from brands like Dell, HP, and Lenovo. This new chip reduces the number of CPU cores from 10 to 8, bringing the pricing of Copilot+ PCs down to an attractive $799 and below while maintaining the same strong NPU for AI tasks. This ensures ongoing powerful AI performance will be available for new PC applications.

It’s important to note that while there are some applications currently utilizing the NPU for AI tasks on PCs — such as Microsoft’s Copilot features, Adobe products, and video conferencing tools like Zoom and Teams — a broader range of AI PC applications is still on the horizon. What’s exciting is that all these new AI PCs function better than their predecessors, delivering faster performance and improved battery life, regardless of current AI usage.

Since people typically keep their PCs for around 4 to 5 years, it makes sense to invest in a device that offers integrated future-proof capabilities. Plus, based on the exclusive previews I saw at CES for upcoming AI applications, the wait won’t be long.

News columnist Bob O’Donnell is the president and chief analyst ofTECHnalysis Research, a market research and consulting firm. You can follow him on Twitter@bobodtech.