Microsoft launches Nvidia RTX Spark-powered Surface Laptop Ultra

Microsoft first announced the Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by the Arm-based Nvidia RTX Spark platform, in early June at Computex 2026. Now, at a special event, the manufacturer revealed additional specifications and announced pricing.

The laptop is aimed at developers, engineers, artificial intelligence specialists, and content creators. Microsoft calls the Surface Laptop Ultra the most powerful device in the company’s history. It is expected to compete with the MacBook Pro.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra, housed in an aluminum chassis, features a 15-inch PixelSense Ultra touchscreen based on mini-LED technology, with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 262 ppi. Typical maximum brightness in SDR reaches 1,000 nits, while peak brightness in HDR mode is 2,000 nits. Microsoft notes that this is the brightest display ever installed in a Surface device. Despite the touchscreen, there is no support for the Surface Pen or Surface Slim Pen. The haptic touchpad is 30% larger than the one on the Surface Laptop 8th Edition.

Surface Laptop Ultra models will be available with a choice of two Nvidia RTX Spark versions, offering 18 or 20 Arm cores in the Grace CPU and a Blackwell RTX GPU with 5,120 or 6,144 CUDA cores, respectively. Both RTX Spark configurations have an adjustable TDP of 45 to 80 W. The system will be able to run demanding AI models containing up to 120 billion parameters locally, without connecting to the cloud. According to the presentation, the Surface Laptop Ultra handles AI-powered image generation up to four times faster than the M5 Pro and generates video up to six times faster. Microsoft also promised that RTX Spark will support hundreds of games at launch, including both AAA titles and indie games. Thanks to the new platform, the recently released Gears of War: E-Day can deliver 60 fps at maximum settings.

Unified memory options range from 24 to 128 GB. The laptop features a removable SSD: the 512 GB version uses a PCIe Gen 4 drive, while the 1 and 2 TB variants use PCIe Gen 5. Configurations with 24 GB of unified memory come with Windows 11 Home, while models with 32–128 GB come with Windows 11 Pro.

There are three USB Type-C ports, one USB Type-A port, HDMI, a full-size SD card slot, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. One of the USB-C ports on the right side supports Magnetic Connect. According to the company, this is the first implementation of its kind for the Type-C standard. Magnetic Connect is a proprietary solution, but the USB-C port used to connect the magnetic charger retains all its standard functions, including data transfer, video output, and peripheral connectivity. A 140 W USB-C power adapter is also included.

The laptop can work with three external 4K monitors simultaneously. A Full HD 1080p camera is included for video calls. Wireless connectivity is provided by Wi-Fi 7. Microsoft claims long battery life—up to 15 hours of local video playback and up to 12 hours of web browsing. The laptop’s chassis is less than 18 mm thick, and it weighs about 2 kg.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra will go on sale on October 16, and preorders are already open. The base version costs $2,599.99 in the US. In its highest-end configuration, the laptop will be offered for $5,899.99. The device will be available in Platinum and Nightfall finishes.