The news
Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) launched Windows PCs built on Nvidia's RTX Spark chip at a San Francisco event on October 7, 2026. Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra uses the Nvidia RTX Spark N1X processor rather than an Intel (INTC) chip, The Register reported.
According to Nvidia's blog, RTX Spark pairs a Blackwell-generation RTX graphics processor with up to 6,144 cores and an up to 20-core Nvidia Grace CPU, linked at 600 GB/s. Nvidia says it delivers one petaflop of FP4 AI performance, a measure of low-precision math used to run AI models, with up to 128GB of unified memory shared by the CPU and GPU.
Nvidia said laptop preorders opened October 7, with availability on October 16, and compact desktops arriving in November. Participating PC makers are Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, MSI and Gigabyte, according to the company.
The Register reported the Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599 with an 18-core N1X, 24GB of memory and a 512GB drive, and tops out at $5,899 with a 20-core chip, 128GB of memory and 1TB of storage. It has a 15-inch mini-LED display. The Register said the N1X's CPU was designed by MediaTek and Arm and that Microsoft also launched an N1X mini PC development kit priced at $5,999.
Executives framed the launch around running AI agents locally. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company needed to make the desktop the most secure place for agents to execute, according to Nvidia's account of the event. Pavan Davuluri, who runs Windows and Devices at Microsoft, said the machines can run models that do not fit on a traditional laptop.
The numbers
- Surface Laptop Ultra starting price
- $2,599
- Top configuration
- $5,899
- AI performance (Nvidia)
- 1 petaflop FP4
- Max unified memory
- 128GB
- Laptop availability
- October 16
Why CEOs should care
For IT leaders, this is the first time Nvidia supplies the main processor across mainstream Windows PC brands. Fleet buyers should ask vendors about application compatibility on an Arm-based CPU, driver and management support in their device tooling, and whether security agents run natively. Pilot a small group before any broad order.
CFOs should note the price points. At $2,599 to $5,899 for the Surface model, these are workstation-class machines aimed at developers, data scientists and AI teams, not a general replacement for standard office laptops. The case rests on whether running models locally saves cloud inference spending or keeps sensitive data on the device.
CISOs get a new question to answer. Nadella pitched the desktop as a secure place for AI agents to run, but local agents with broad file access also widen what an endpoint can do. Review data access policies before agents are let loose on corporate laptops.
The bigger picture
Intel has long been the default in corporate PC procurement. Losing the processor in Microsoft's flagship Surface laptop, and facing Nvidia across eight major PC brands, adds pressure in the segment where it has been strongest.
Nvidia, meanwhile, extends its AI platform from data centers to desks. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang credited Windows as core to the company's history, saying that without it there would be no GeForce.
What’s next
Watch for independent reviews after October 16, enterprise pricing from Dell, HP and Lenovo, the November desktop launches, and Intel's response in its next product announcements and earnings commentary.
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