Almost everyone knows that a PC comes with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and optionally a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). However, do you know that most modern PCs are shipping with an NPU (Neural Processing Unit)? An NPU, sometimes also known as an AI processor is specially designed to efficiently handle and process AI (Artificial intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) tasks locally on your PC.
For instance, if you want to remove the background from a picture, an NPU can do must more efficiently and faster compared to a CPU or GPU, sometimes without needing to send the image to a third-party server on the internet.
In this tutorial, we’ll show two methods to check whether your PC has a built-in NPU in it. Let’s get started.
Check if Your PC Has an NPU Using Task Manager
1. First, right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager. You can also press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut.
2. In the Task Manager, navigate to the Performance tab.
Note: If you are not seeing the tab names, click on the three-line icon in the top left corner.
3. On the right panel, if you have the NPU in your PC, you will see the NPU section. If you don’t have one then there will be no NPU section.
Use Device Manager to Check If Your PC Has an NPU
All the hardware is registered in the Device Manager. That means you can find out if your PC has an NPU using the Device Manager. Follow the below steps.
1. Right-click on the Windows logo on the taskbar to open the Power User menu.
2. In it, click the Device Manager option.
3. In the Device Manager window, look for the Neural Processors section. If you can find it, your PC has an NPU built-in. If not then your computer doesn’t have a Neural Processing Unit in it.
And there you have it! By following one of the two methods, you can find if your computer has a built-in NPU, a Neural Processing Unit. If you have any questions, comment below and we’ll answer.
