HP will preinstall Perplexity’s local AI agent on Windows PCs

Perplexity will preinstall its Windows app on HP PCs, starting with the ZBook Ultra G3a mobile workstation. The app includes Perplexity Computer, an agent that can work across local files, connected services, and the web. HP plans to extend the preload across its Windows lineup in the following months.

Selected configurations will also support Portable Computer, a local-first runtime that keeps the agent harness, planner, orchestrator, and compatible models on the device. Cloud models handle tasks that require additional reasoning, with a warning before personal or sensitive data leaves the machine.

From prompt to finished file

Computer can find files in Downloads, update a local spreadsheet with current web data, revise a Word document, and create a PowerPoint presentation. More than 400 connectors extend that reach to services and applications including Snowflake, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Autodesk Revit.

For multistep work, the orchestrator breaks a request into smaller operations and routes each one to a suitable model. Perplexity says Computer can draw on more than 15 models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other AI labs, removing the need for users to select a model for every step.

Where each operation runs

Portable Computer runs on supported Windows and Linux PCs and moves the core agent runtime onto local hardware. Its harness coordinates tools, the planner divides work into steps, and the orchestrator chooses between local and cloud inference.

Calls to connected services still transmit the data required by those services, while cloud-model escalation creates a separate boundary. Portable Computer checks for personal or sensitive information and alerts the user before sending it to a cloud model.

Perplexity currently lists PPLX 27B and Qwen 3.8 27B as local models, with NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Lightning planned. Fully local tasks consume no cloud credits and can continue offline when their files, tools, and models are available on the device.

The published hardware requirements list an NVIDIA DGX Spark or a supported NVIDIA RTX GPU with at least 24 GB of VRAM. HP’s ZBook Ultra G3a uses AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 400-series processors, and Portable Computer support will depend on the selected configuration. Buyers will need to verify support for the specific ZBook SKU they choose.

Revit becomes queryable

Autodesk’s Revit integration gives the partnership a concrete professional workflow. On supported HP Windows PCs, Portable Computer can connect to the Revit 2027 Model Context Protocol server, which Autodesk is releasing as a Tech Preview. The server is a separate add-on and requires access to Revit 2027.

An architect or building information modeling manager can query an open Revit model in everyday language. Example requests include counting first-floor doors, finding doors with a specified fire rating, locating them in the building, and exporting matching views, PDFs, or schedules for reports and requests for information.

The Tech Preview server is read-only, so the agent can inspect, select, and report on model data while leaving the Revit model unchanged. Its initial role is BIM search and reporting rather than automated design or model editing.

Three companies, three incentives

• Perplexity gains prominent placement on new Windows PCs and a distribution channel that competes with Microsoft Copilot’s built-in presence.
• HP adds a working local agent stack to workstations aimed at engineers, architects, and creative professionals.
• Autodesk gives external agents a controlled interface to structured BIM data through MCP while retaining boundaries around model access.

Lower inference costs, tighter boundaries

Local inference removes cloud-credit charges from work handled entirely on the device. That can lower the marginal cost of bulk file summarization, repository-scale code migrations, and scheduled agent runs, although hardware, power, and administration remain operating costs.

Sandboxing limits how code and tools reach local files and connected applications. Teams in regulated environments will still need to review connector scopes, cloud-escalation behavior, audit logs, data retention, and administrative controls before allowing the agent to handle sensitive workloads.

Who can run what

• HP preload: The rollout begins with the ZBook Ultra G3a and will expand to more HP Windows PCs over the following months.
• Windows download: Existing users can install Perplexity from the Microsoft Store without buying HP hardware.
• Plan access: Computer for Windows is available to Pro, Max, and Enterprise subscribers on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
• Portable runtime: Local inference requires supported hardware, including sufficient GPU memory.
• Revit access: The MCP integration requires Revit 2027, Autodesk’s separate Tech Preview add-on, and a supported PC configuration.

A preinstalled Perplexity app does not guarantee that every HP configuration can run Portable Computer locally. Systems without supported local hardware can still use the Windows app and its cloud-backed capabilities.

Benchmark the bundle

Engineering teams evaluating Computer should compare task completion, local-model latency, cloud-escalation frequency, connector permissions, and auditability with an internal stack built from an MCP client and direct model APIs.

Perplexity packages model routing, connector authentication, sandboxing, and permission prompts into one desktop agent. A custom implementation provides finer control over routing and policy while assigning integration and maintenance to the team. Autodesk’s read-only Revit server extends that decision into specialized BIM workflows, where access controls and domain-specific outputs matter as much as model quality.