Microsoft Debuts Surface Laptop Ultra on Nvidia RTX Spark, Outlines Windows 11 Changes
Microsoft unveiled the Surface Laptop Ultra, its first device built on Nvidia's RTX Spark chip, priced from $2,599 and shipping October 16, alongside Windows 11 changes and a local-AI vision at its first live event in two years.
The Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599 and will begin shipping on October 16, with pre-orders open at the time of the announcement. Microsoft first teased the machine in May 2026. Ars Technica reported that buyers can choose among several SoC and memory configurations, including a 5120-core or 6144-core Blackwell GPU and up to 128GB of LPDDR5x unified memory.
Although Microsoft presented the Ultra as a machine aimed at developers, part of the presentation was given over to graphical performance. Because the laptop allocates unified memory instead of relying on the physical VRAM ceiling of a traditional GPU, it can reassign its resources across workloads, according to the report. Microsoft showed Gears of War: E-Day running on the system, indicating that AAA titles are feasible on the hardware without a dedicated gaming GPU. The same unified-memory arrangement is intended to handle local AI development and deployment.
The event also covered changes headed to Windows 11 and Microsoft's view of how local AI and agentic workflows could reshape personal computing for developers and home enthusiasts. Ars Technica's account did not list the individual Windows features shown at the event.