Windows adds NPU usage metrics

Microsoft on May 14 released Windows 11 Release Preview builds 26100.8514 and 26200.8514, adding new Task Manager readouts for neural processing unit, or NPU, activity on supported PCs. The same update also adds shared Bluetooth audio for two listeners and a multi-app camera mode that lets more than one application access the same camera stream. Microsoft published the changes in release notes for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, saying the features will arrive through its usual phased rollout for Release Preview users. ### What exactly changed inside Task Manager? Microsoft’s release notes say Task Manager now offers “improved visibility into NPU usage” on PCs that include an NPU. The company added optional NPU and NPU Engine columns on the Processes, Users and Details pages, plus NPU Dedicated Memory and NPU Shared Memory columns on the Details page. (learn.microsoft.com) The same May 14 notes say neural engines that are part of a GPU now appear on the Performance page, which Microsoft said gives a broader view of AI-related activity. Users can turn on the new columns by right-clicking a column header in Task Manager and selecting them from the menu, according to the release notes. (learn.microsoft.com) ### Why does an NPU number matter to a Windows user? An NPU is the part of a PC designed to handle certain AI workloads in dedicated hardware rather than on the CPU or GPU. Microsoft did not frame the new Task Manager fields as a benchmark tool, but the added columns make it easier to see when an app is using dedicated AI acceleration and how much NPU memory it is consuming. That gives users and IT teams a built-in way to check whether AI features are touching the hardware Microsoft has been promoting in Copilot+ PCs and other newer systems. (learn.microsoft.com) Microsoft’s own release notes tie the change to “AI-related activity,” and the placement inside Task Manager matters because Task Manager is Windows’ default troubleshooting surface. Instead of relying only on vendor tools or developer diagnostics, users can now inspect NPU activity from the same utility they already use for CPU, memory, storage and GPU checks. That is an inference from where Microsoft put the feature, based on the release notes’ description of the new columns and Performance page visibility. (learn.microsoft.com) ### Which PCs will actually show these new NPU fields? Microsoft limited the new Task Manager visibility to “PCs with an NPU,” according to the release notes. That means the columns will not show meaningful activity on systems without dedicated NPU hardware, even though Windows is also adding visibility for neural engines that are part of a GPU on the Performance page. (learn.microsoft.com) Microsoft has been expanding Windows features aimed at AI-capable PCs, including Copilot+ PC features called out in its Windows 11 version 25H2 documentation. The company’s support page for 25H2 says some AI features are specific to Copilot+ PCs, though the NPU Task Manager addition itself is described in the Release Preview notes as available on PCs with an NPU rather than only on Copilot+ devices. (learn.microsoft.com) ### What are the other features in the same update? Microsoft said shared audio lets two people listen to audio from one Windows 11 PC at the same time using Bluetooth LE Audio broadcast technology. The company’s release notes say users start it from Quick Settings, then choose two supported, paired and connected devices before selecting “Start sharing.” (support.microsoft.com) The same build adds Multi-App Camera, which Microsoft said allows multiple applications to access the camera stream at the same time. Microsoft also said Windows 11 includes a Basic Camera mode with simplified functionality for troubleshooting or for cases where a camera is not working correctly. (learn.microsoft.com) ### Where does this build sit in Microsoft’s rollout? Stephen Lines of the Windows Insider Program team said on May 14 that Microsoft was releasing the new builds across supported versions of Windows 11 in the Release Preview channel. Microsoft’s release notes say the update uses both gradual rollout and normal rollout, meaning availability can vary by device before broader release. (learn.microsoft.com) Windows Insiders in Release Preview can find the changes in builds 26100.8514 and 26200.8514 under KB5089573, according to Microsoft’s May 14 documentation. Microsoft linked those builds from its Windows Insider blog post announcing the Release Preview releases for that date. (learn.microsoft.com) (blogs.windows.com)