When will I NEED an NPU?

I would like to buy a 15-16 inch laptop with no number pad in the next couple of weeks.

Based on Paul’s reviews I would like to buy one with an AMD AI Zen 5 processor and think having an NPU will future proof the purchase (cannot be Snapdragon due to incompatibly with scanner).

However, I cannot find such a device from a vendor that will provide decent onsite support (ie Dell, HP, Lenovo).

There are some options without an NPU, some currently discounted.

Hence, my question – by what approx. year will I actually really ‘need’ an NPU with 40+ TOPS?

I guess a fall back would be to buy a 14 inch with an AMD AI Zen 5 given I primarily use an external monitor, but would prefer 15-16 inch.