While Windows remains the most widely-used desktop operating system in the world today, it’s no secret that PC manufacturers have spent the last several years trying to one-up Apple’s MacBook laptops in terms of hardware – enter the new Surface Laptop Ultra, a high-performance workstation designed to take on the likes of the MacBook Pro.
Microsoft says that the upcoming laptop was engineered in partnership with NVIDIA, and is designed for creators, developers, and AI engineers with heavy local workloads. One major highlight of the Surface Ultra is the NVIDIA Blackwell RTX GPU, with up to 128GB of unified memory and full CUDA support.
Microsoft says that this unified memory architecture dynamically allocates RAM between the CPU and GPU; it also allows users to run local AI models with up to 120 billion parameters simultaneously alongside 3D rendering and multi-model workflows. More importantly though, the laptop will be powered by NVIDIA’s new RTX Spark, a new processor which the company says is tailor-made for the AI era.
In addition to the new chip, the Surface Ultra will feature a redesigned thermal and acoustic system to maintain quiet operation under heavy stress. Microsoft adds that the computer can achieve all-day battery life without sacrificing performance. As for its display, the Surface Laptop Ultra uses a 15-inch mini-LED touchscreen with a density of 262 pixels per inch and a peak HDR brightness of 2,000 nits.
Available in Platinum and Nightfall color variants, the laptop also features an assortment of ports including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. Microsoft hasn’t specified any details regarding regional availability and pricing yet, however.
