Microsoft launches high-end Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia AI chip
Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 14:15 · Archive
Microsoft has released the Surface Laptop Ultra, a $5,900 Windows laptop powered by Nvidia's RTX Spark chip, designed to run AI models, games and creative software locally.
Microsoft has released the Surface Laptop Ultra, a high-end Windows laptop priced at $5,900 and built in partnership with Nvidia to showcase the company's new Arm-based RTX Spark N1X chip. The machine is designed to run demanding AI models, AAA games and creative applications directly on the device without requiring cloud connection.
The 15-inch laptop features an all-aluminium design with a large haptic trackpad and high-end finish, closely resembling Apple's MacBook Pro. Its MicroLED display reaches peak brightness of 2,000 nits in HDR mode, exceeding the MacBook Pro's 1,600 nits. The screen has a 3:2 aspect ratio and is a touchscreen, featuring 262 pixels per inch (3270 x 2180 resolution), making it what The Verge calls the brightest display Microsoft has ever shipped on a Surface Laptop.
Reviewers report the device successfully handles on-device AI workloads, gaming and content creation. Ars Technica notes it ran a 70-billion-parameter AI model and played AAA games at performance levels previously thought impossible on Arm systems. However, The Verge reports that getting the most out of the machine, especially the top-end model, requires coding experience or patience to experiment with AI models and agents.
Microsoft is positioning the Surface Laptop Ultra as a single machine for developers, AI work and gaming, attempting to appeal to users who previously needed separate devices for work and leisure. The device weighs 4.4 pounds and is lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro, though Wired reports it is slightly thicker than Apple's machine and the thickest of the new Nvidia RTX Spark laptops.
Wired notes that battery life remains a weakness compared to the MacBook Pro, preventing the Surface Laptop Ultra from fully matching Apple's machine. The Surface Laptop Ultra arrives alongside other RTX Spark laptops from Dell and Asus as the PC industry attempts to reignite consumer interest in new hardware.
How it is being reported
- Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra Review: The First Real AI PCThe Surface Laptop Ultra is a true MacBook Pro competitor for Windows, and Microsoft has never been so close to dethroning Apple—if only it weren't for the lack of battery life.Wired · 16 Oct, 14:00
- The Surface Laptop Ultra delivers on most of Microsoft's promisesMicrosoft promises one machine for dev, AI, and gaming, and mostly gets there.Ars Technica · 16 Oct, 13:00
- Surface Laptop Ultra review: a different kind of MacBook ProAfter setting up Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra, I spent five minutes just staring at it. I wasn't surprised by its MacBook Pro-like design or blown away by its bright display. I was trying to work out what I'd actually do with a $5,900 laptop. This isn't just any regular Windows laptop. Microsoft has teamed up […]The Verge · 16 Oct, 13:00
In this story: Microsoft · Nvidia · Apple · Dell · Asus · HP
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