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Microsoft and Nvidia Launch Surface Laptop Ultra with RTX Spark AI Chips

Oct 7, 10:45 PM2 min read

Drafted by AI from the sources below, fact-checked by the Ajako Taja Editorial Team · How we use AI

AI Summary

Microsoft and Nvidia have debuted the Surface Laptop Ultra in San Francisco, a high-performance AI PC starting at $2,599 designed for local model execution.

Microsoft and Nvidia leadership unveiled the Surface Laptop Ultra and a new workstation at a San Francisco event, featuring on-device AI processing powered by the new RTX Spark chip.

At an event during San Francisco’s Tech Week on Wednesday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Nvidia leadership introduced the Surface Laptop Ultra. The flagship device starts at $2,599 for an 18-core CPU model with 24GB of unified memory, while a more powerful base model starts at $3,700. TechCrunch reported that fully upgraded configurations can reach $5,900, and Microsoft has already noted that the highest-end versions are out of stock.

The new hardware is built around Nvidia’s RTX Spark chip, designed to run AI models locally and for free without cloud reliance. Microsoft also revealed the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a $6,000 workstation equipped with development tools including VS Code and GitHub Copilot CLI. Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Windows and devices, confirmed the laptop features a 15-inch display and a new magnetic USB-C port.

The devices run a revamped version of Windows 11 that introduces "Execution Containers" to help sandbox AI agents. Nadella explained that the platform is moving toward a "harnessed layer" that manages multiple models, memory, and context. According to Reuters, the launch also included news that Meta will bring its Muse AI agent to Windows, following its recent popularity on mobile platforms.

While Microsoft is targeting developers with trade-in offers of up to $1,000 for MacBooks, other manufacturers like Dell, Asus, and HP are also releasing RTX Spark PCs. The Verge noted that a maxed-out Asus ProArt P16 with 128GB of memory can cost up to $6,999.99. Preorders for Microsoft's new hardware are open now, with shipping expected to begin as early as October 16.

Background

Nvidia first announced agreements in June to develop AI-ready PCs based on the RTX Spark chip. In 2024, Microsoft introduced the Copilot+ PC standard, which set minimum neural processing requirements for AI performance on Windows devices.