Microsoft Unveils Surface Laptop Ultra Powered by NVIDIA’s RTX Spark

Microsoft has announced the Surface Laptop Ultra, a 15-inch laptop it describes as its most powerful device to date. The machine utilises NVIDIA’s RTX Spark system-on-a-chip, which integrates 6,144 Blackwell GPU cores and 20 Arm CPU cores to deliver high-end graphics and artificial intelligence performance. Positioned as a direct competitor to the Apple MacBook Pro, the device features a MiniLED Ultra screen, a large trackpad, and standard connectivity ports including USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and a full-sized card reader. It is scheduled for release this autumn, with pricing details yet to be disclosed.

The Surface Laptop Ultra represents a strategic pivot for Microsoft’s high-end hardware division, moving away from the experimental designs of previous generations. The original Surface Book was noted for being bulky with outdated hardware, while the Surface Laptop Studio took two generations to reach its potential and carried a high price tag. This new model adopts a traditional laptop form factor with no unusual hinges or removable screens, aiming to appeal directly to power users seeking a straightforward, high-performance machine.

At the core of the device is NVIDIA’s RTX Spark, a chip designed to compete with AMD and Qualcomm in the consumer PC market. NVIDIA claims the RTX Spark offers 1 petaflop of AI performance, encompassing its GPUs, CPU, and neural processing unit. The company states that its graphics performance is comparable to the RTX 5070 laptop GPU, while maintaining a power draw between single digits and 80W. This launch follows a long-standing collaboration between Microsoft and NVIDIA to optimise Windows 11 for Arm-based devices, a significant effort given that a previous attempt to use an Arm-based NVIDIA chip in the original Surface portable resulted in a $900 million write-off.

Microsoft Corporate VP of Surface Andrew Hill stated in a briefing that the Surface Laptop Ultra is "the most powerful thing we've ever made." The device features a new 15-inch MiniLED Ultra screen capable of up to 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness and includes the largest trackpad Microsoft has ever built. Weighing under 4.5 pounds, the laptop is available in black and dark silver finishes, mirroring the aesthetic and weight specifications of its primary competitor.

Microsoft Corporate VP Brett Ostrum described the machine in an announcement post as belonging in the hands of "world makers," emphasising its capability to push boundaries. The Surface Laptop Ultra is part of a broader ecosystem shift, with hardware partners including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI also developing devices for release this autumn using the RTX Spark chip. While the hardware specifications suggest a strong entry into the premium market, the final pricing strategy remains undisclosed, leaving investors and consumers to await further details before the autumn launch.