Nvidia versus Apple: Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2599
Microsoft has announced the final details for the Surface Laptop Ultra. The 15-inch notebook with Nvidia RTX Spark N1X is available for pre-order starting at $2,599 and is scheduled to be released on October 16. Its most direct competitor: Apple's MacBook Pro.
At an event in San Francisco, Microsoft announced the final details for the Surface Laptop Ultra. The heart of the laptop is the Nvidia RTX Spark N1X, which comes in two performance tiers with either 18 or 20 CPU cores.
Nvidia's powerful chip, Microsoft's proud prices
The new chip combines a Grace CPU with a Blackwell RTX GPU. The CPU uses a hybrid configuration of performance and efficiency cores and is based on the Arm-v9.2 architecture. In the top-tier model, the CPU features ten Cortex-X925 performance cores (up to 4.0 GHz) and ten Cortex-A725 efficiency cores (up to 3.9 GHz). The 18-core version has nine cores of each type. Both versions share 32 MB of L3 cache. The GPU offers a choice of 5120 or 6144 shader cores.
The memory is designed as unified memory, meaning the CPU and GPU share the same memory pool. In the maximum configuration, 128 GB is available. Microsoft states that the laptop achieves up to 1 petaflop of AI performance and can run local AI models with over 120 billion parameters.
Source: Nvidia
The Surface Laptop Ultra is available for pre-order from Microsoft now and will officially go on sale on October 16, 2026. In the US, the base version with an 18-core CPU and 5120-core GPU costs $2599. The most expensive configuration with a 20-core CPU, 128 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of storage is $5899.99. In Europe, the base version starts at 2899 euros (incl. VAT). The variant with a 20-core CPU and 6144-core GPU starts at 4239 euros (incl. VAT). We are working to add the Surface Laptop Ultra to our range as soon as possible.
A notebook positioned against the MacBook Pro
With the Surface Laptop Ultra, Microsoft is clearly targeting Apple's MacBook Pro. In its base configuration, it is about $400 cheaper than a comparable 16-inch MacBook Pro. Nvidia compared the response time of local AI models with that of a MacBook Pro M5 and stated that the laptop starts responding up to 2.1 times faster. These are Nvidia's own test values, not independent benchmarks, as none are available yet.
Magnetic Connect and other ports
One of the most striking new features is the magnetic USB-C port, which Microsoft calls "Magnetic Connect." It is located on the right side of the laptop. According to the company, it is the world's first port of this kind integrated into a laptop. The connector attaches magnetically to the port but detaches if pulled, preventing the laptop from being pulled off the table. The magnetic function is proprietary and only works with the included Microsoft cable.
Source: Microsoft
The port remains a fully functional USB-C port. If you plug in a standard USB-C cable, you can continue to use it for power, data, and video output. Like the other two USB-C ports, it supports USB4 at 40 Gbps, DisplayPort 2.1, and up to 140 watts of charging power.
Source: Microsoft
In addition, there is a USB-A 3.1 port, an HDMI 2.1b port, a full-size SD card reader, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Further technical specifications
The Surface Laptop Ultra has a 15-inch PixelSense Ultra display in a 3:2 aspect ratio with a resolution of 3270 × 2180 pixels, mini-LED backlighting, and an IPS panel. The peak HDR brightness is 2000 nits, and the refresh rate is 120 Hz. Microsoft specifies the battery life as up to 15 hours for local video playback. The device is said to be less than 18 millimeters thick and weigh less than two kilograms. The SSD is also user-replaceable. It is available in Platinum and Nightfall colors, i.e., with a silver or dark finish.
Source: Microsoft
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