Surface Laptop Ultra with RTX Spark Launches at $2,599

Microsoft and Nvidia used a joint San Francisco event to introduce the Surface Laptop Ultra with RTX Spark, a new laptop built around Nvidia’s Spark system-on-a-chip, alongside a wave of Windows 11 features aimed at running AI agents locally and in the cloud. The laptop starts at $2,599, with pre-orders open now and shipments beginning October 16. A beefier Surface RTX Spark Dev Box starts at $5,999, and competing machines from Asus, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and MSI are set to ship the same day.

What the Surface Laptop Ultra Offers

Microsoft’s Windows and Devices chief Pavan Davuluri demonstrated the 4.5-pound laptop running GitHub Copilot and playing Gears of War: E-Day at 60 frames per second, part of what he said will be “hundreds” of AAA and indie games available on day one. Call of Duty is expected to arrive on RTX Spark hardware in 2027. Davuluri also said the laptop has the brightest peak HDR of any laptop currently available.

One hardware detail worth noting is the laptop’s new magnetic USB-C charging port, which Microsoft calls “magnetic connect.” It works similarly to Apple’s MagSafe or Microsoft’s own discontinued Surface Connect, but relies on a standardized port rather than a proprietary one, which should make cables easier to replace if one wears out.

Performance Claims Against Apple’s M5 Pro

Microsoft compared the RTX Spark chip to Apple’s M5 Pro found in the MacBook Pro, claiming the Spark is up to 2.1 times faster at generating a first AI response, 4.3 times faster at image generation, and 6.2 times faster at video generation. These are Microsoft’s own figures rather than independent benchmarks, so buyers should treat them as a starting point rather than a guarantee until third-party testing is available.

Windows 11 Leans Into Agentic AI

The hardware launch doubled as the stage for a set of Windows 11 changes centered on what Microsoft calls agentic AI, meaning software that can carry out multi-step tasks on a user’s behalf. New quick actions are coming to the Taskbar’s Search menu, letting users change settings, take screenshots, or rearrange windows using natural language, with the option to jump straight into Copilot when a request needs it.

Microsoft’s Jacob Andreou showed an updated Copilot that can access local files and local models, switching away from the cloud when privacy matters. In a demonstration, Copilot searched for tax documents, renamed and zipped them, and drafted an email to an accountant for the user to approve. Microsoft said these capabilities are rolling out over the coming months rather than at launch.

Davuluri also detailed Microsoft Execution Containers, OS-level sandboxes that control what data agents can see, which are moving to general availability. Windows will require agents to attribute actions to themselves, and IT administrators will get tools to set agent permissions once and apply them across an entire fleet of company devices.

Hybrid Intelligence and Developer Tools

A concept Microsoft calls hybrid intelligence splits workloads between local and cloud agents to cut down on token usage. Microsoft’s HydraFusion system, which manages that split, is coming to GitHub Copilot, the CLI, and VS Code on October 15, using new models including MAI Code 1.1 Flash and Nvidia’s Nemotron. Microsoft said DeepSeek V4 Flash can run locally in as little as 60GB of memory using aggressive quantization down to 1.6 bits.

Windows ML is positioned as the runtime that deploys these models across GPU, NPU, and CPU, and llama.cpp is coming to Windows ML so developers can experiment with new models at launch. Microsoft also announced DGX Spark and Station support for Windows, bringing Nvidia hardware that had previously been Linux-only to desktops from HP and Dell later this year.

The Bottom Line

At $2,599 and up, the Surface Laptop Ultra is priced for enthusiasts and professionals rather than casual buyers, and much of what makes it interesting, like local-cloud hybrid Copilot and agent sandboxing, is still rolling out over the next few months rather than available on day one. The magnetic charging port and gaming performance claims are worth watching once independent reviews arrive, but buyers should wait for real-world benchmarks against Apple’s M5 Pro before taking Microsoft’s numbers at face value.

Source: Tom's Hardware