The Verge's staff spent a week testing Nvidia's new Arm-based RTX Spark N1X processor across five laptops, including Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra, Asus's ProArt P16, Lenovo's Yoga 9n and HP's OmniBook Ultra. All units share the same 20-core CPU with 6,144 CUDA cores, though a cheaper 18-core variant with fewer CUDA cores also exists, with prices ranging from $2,599.99 to $6,999.99. The chip combines RTX Blackwell graphics with large unified memory pools of up to 128GB, aimed at running local AI models.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-16
Microsoft has released the Surface Laptop Ultra, a premium Windows-on-Arm laptop built with Nvidia to showcase its new RTX Spark chips, which are designed to run AI models locally alongside demanding games and creative software. The top-spec model costs $5,900 and features a 15-inch 3:2 MicroLED touchscreen reaching 2,000 nits, an all-aluminum design, and a new Magnetic Connect charging port built into a USB-C port.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-16
NVIDIA's RTX Spark platform pairs a Blackwell GPU with large unified RAM, targeting AI developers who want to run large local models like a 125B-parameter Qwen3.8-Flash-Next variant. NVIDIA says the chips deliver RTX 50-series gaming features including DLSS 5, with performance comparable to an RTX 5070 at 1440p, and a new DLSS Frame Generation mode that pushed Cyberpunk 2077 to 280fps. Being Arm-based, RTX Spark relies on Microsoft's Prism emulator for x86 compatibility, with NVIDIA naming supported titles like Gears of War: E-Day, NBA 2K27 and World of Warcraft: Forever, and says it is working with anti-cheat vendors on multiplayer support.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-15
Nvidia has introduced RTX Spark PCs, compact desktop systems built around its chips, which reviewers note resemble a shift PC makers may follow in laptop design going forward. The devices run on an architecture requiring emulation for some software and are built with AI workloads as a core consideration, rather than an add-on.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-15
Tom's Hardware obtained an early unit of Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra equipped with Nvidia's new RTX Spark Superchip, featuring 20 CPU cores, 6144 CUDA cores, and 128GB of LPDDR5X-9400 RAM. The outlet compared its performance against a 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple's M5 Max chip, though launch embargoes restricted disclosure of battery life, build quality, and display details until full reviews arrive later.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-15
Nvidia is launching RTX Spark laptops on October 16th, its first major push into Arm-powered Windows PCs since the ill-fated Surface RT. The company says these machines will run existing Windows software including Adobe, Office, Blender, and games with kernel-level anti-cheat, alongside local AI workstation capabilities with up to 128GB of RAM.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-15
Adobe VP Deepa Subramaniam said the company has rearchitected Photoshop, Premiere and Substance 3D Painter to run on NVIDIA's new RTX Spark system-on-chip, which brings local AI processing to Windows laptops and small desktops aimed at creatives. Subramaniam claims the optimized apps run twice as fast on AI-driven tasks and general editing workflows, with improvements including real-time previews in Photoshop, faster rendering and color-grading in Premiere, and quicker texturing and file handling in Substance 3D Painter.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-15
Nvidia and Microsoft launched the RTX Spark line of laptops, which pair an Arm-based CPU with a Blackwell GPU and unified memory to run AI models locally. Microsoft built a new 'Get Started' flow in Windows that lets users find, install and launch an AI agent in two clicks, with agents distributed and updated through the Windows Store. Hermes, Perplexity, and OpenClaw are the first supported agents, with more expected to follow.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-15
A Verge laptop reviewer describes starting to experiment with running AI models locally rather than relying on cloud services, citing privacy concerns about sharing personal data with companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic. The testing includes Apple's new M5 Ultra Mac Studio and upcoming Windows RTX Spark machines with up to 128GB of RAM, starting with the open-source self-hosted tool Hermes Agent, which runs free when used with local large language models.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-11
During a recent event, Nvidia and Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop Ultra alongside new Windows PCs powered by Nvidia's RTX Spark chip. They described this as the start of the 'agentic PC' era, emphasizing enhanced processing capabilities driven by Windows updates, Nvidia's latest chips, and AI advancements. This development suggests a shift toward more powerful, AI-enabled devices capable of handling tasks traditionally reserved for cloud-based systems.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-08
Microsoft announced the upcoming release of its Surface Laptop Ultra, set for October 18, with a base price of $2,599. The device features a 15-inch HDR display, Nvidia RTX Spark processor, up to 128GB of memory, and a sleek aluminum design, emphasizing its focus on AI and creative workflows. The launch was highlighted at a San Francisco event attended by top executives from Microsoft and Nvidia.
zdnet.com
· 2026-10-08
Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop Ultra, featuring Nvidia's new RTX Spark SoC with up to 6144-core GPU and 128GB memory, available from October 16. Alongside, the company revealed the RTX Spark Dev Box, a high-performance AI development machine with 128GB memory and a custom Windows 11 build, capable of delivering one petaflop of AI compute power. These products aim to enhance AI and gaming capabilities for developers and enthusiasts alike.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-08
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