Microsoft Surface RTX Spark event RECAP — all the big Surface Laptop Ultra news and more
"[We've] reinvented the computer as we know it"
The Nvidia RTX Spark-powered Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra has been revealed and promises to be the company’s most powerful computer ever. Given that, expect this new machine to command a steep price when fully configured.
Getting right to it, the 15-inch Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599, while the higher-end dev box model costs $5,999. Pre-orders begin today, with machines from Microsoft and its partners launching on October 16. The Surface Laptop Ultra packs a 15-inch mini-LED, an RTX Spark processor, and 24GB of RAM.
Microsoft says the Surface Laptop Ultra is the world's first laptop to feature a breakaway USB-C port. While that might technically be true, this is basically Microsoft’s answer to the MacBook’s MagSafe port, which also magnetically snaps onto the laptop. Along with that, the Surface Laptop Ultra will have a streamlined design.
Naturally, there was a lot of discussion about running AI agents locally on the RTX Spark platform. We saw some demos where agents found tax records scattered on one’s PC and put them all together in a single zip file. Another demo showed an agent finding photo files and reorganizing them, even renaming said files.
Keep scrolling to watch a video of the event, along with the posts we made while it was happening live.
Watch the Microsoft Surface event
LIVE updates
Welcome to the RTX Spark event!
Hey! Tony Polanco here to get you all ready for today's Microsoft Surface RTX Spark event! The big show kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, but we'll be prepping you for what we expect to hear. This includes leaks, the future of Windows, and more. Even if RTX Spark laptops are as expensive as expected, this is exciting news for the world of computing. Keep it locked here for all the news!
RTX Spark laptops won't be cheap!
With RAMageddon driving up computer costs, it's no surprise that RTX Spark laptops won't be cheap!
As VideoCardz reports, the 14-inch HP OmniBook X starts at $2,999, while the 16-inch HP OmniBook Ultra starts at $3,199. If that wasn't shocking enough, configurations with 64GB of RAM can go up to $4,999!
Take that with a grain of salt, as even official listings like those might not be accurate once the laptops actually go on sale. Still, it's best to prepare for the worst on price.
Surface Laptop Ultra expected specs
As Windows Central's Zac Bowden reports, a major focus of today's event will be the Surface Laptop Ultra. This RTX Spark laptop is reportedly aimed at AI developers and professional creatives.
According to Bowden's sources, there will be two RTX Spark configurations, including an 18-core model with 5,120 GPU cores and a 20-core model with 6,144 GPU cores. The former will come with 24GB or 32GB of RAM, while the latter will start at 32GB and go up to 128GB.
Related to my last post, this laptop is expected to cost well over $2,000, according to Bowden.
Something new for Windows?
Microsoft said something new for Windows will be announced at the event. While we can't say for certain what it will be, Zac Bowden has some ideas.
In addition to highlighting how the Windows K2 effort has improved performance and reliability, Bowden expects to see news about an updated UI and design improvements for Microsoft's OS. We might finally see new unified memory controls that let you adjust how much RAM is reserved for the GPU on RTX Spark machines.
And of course, don't be surprised to hear a fair bit about AI. We could see a demo of how AI agents work in Windows 11, performing tasks on a user's behalf. The company already announced three in-house language models during Build 2026, and we'll likely see how well they perform on RTX Spark.
The first RTX Spark laptops
Even if the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra gets most of the shine, it won't be the only RTX Spark machine hitting the market. I expect we'll at least get a list of official manufacturers at the event, such as HP. I'm not sure if the exact prices of these machines will be unveiled during the show, but having more options should (theoretically) want to make OEMs deliver more affordable options.
Will we see new Surface Pro tablets?
I know that RTX Spark laptops will be the star of the show, but it would be nice to get even a brief update on the Surface Pro.
The last few Surface Pro tablets, including the latest released earlier this year, have been business machines. Hopefully, Microsoft will announce some consumer-focused tablets. I won't out too much hope of that happening, but you never know!
Will AI devs switch to RTX Spark?
Many AI developers use MacBook Pros, particularly with M5 Max chips, for their AI-based work. The new Mac Studio, with the extremely powerful M5 Ultra chip, will likely be another favorite for this crowd. That's something that Microsoft wants to change with RTX Spark, which is all about on-device AI development. Even if Macs aren't directly referenced today, I expect some subtle digs from Microsoft.
Who are RTX Spark laptops for?
Our own Jason England is on the ground in San Francisco for the main event. Though I disagree with his assessment that SF is like NYC with more hills (they have nicer weather and scenery there!), I do agree with his thoughts on RTX Spark.
Jason believes these machines will start around $3,000, as reports have indicated. Because of that, Microsoft has to add real value to make these laptops make sense. If it's for a single purpose, like AI development, then it will be tricky. You can just opt for a MacBook Pro for creative work, or a gaming laptop for gaming, for example.
Ultimately, the real killer app will have to be what RTX Spark machines can do beyond local agentic work. Selling such high-priced products as "AI laptops" won't cut it.
Are AI agents for everyone?
AI agents, or AI that can perform tasks without being explicitly told to do so, have been the talk of the computing town in recent months... but does the average person even care?
As Jason expressed to me on his way to the event, AI agents can be useful, for example, by giving folks a priority list based on the day's news, emails, and Slack messages. But is there enough there for the everyday person to see the benefit? Jason isn't sure, and neither am I.
RTX Spark machines will be aimed at the "prosumer," but it'll be interesting to see how this filters down to cheaper Arm machines, such as those powered by Snapdragon X2.
The future of software prices
"Vibe coding" is another AI trend that's all the rage now, with folks able to create apps simply by telling an LLM what they want. If this becomes popular, what will happen to existing apps that you have to pay a premium for?
For example, Jason has been trying an app called Photon Studio, which is effectively an AI-recompiled version of Photoshop that you can download for free. While an app like this could eliminate the need to pay for a Creative Cloud subscription, it could also be a death blow to the software industry if folks can just create the apps they want.
Less than 30 minutes away!
The big show is about to start soon, so make sure you're comfortable and have a drink and snack ready. Pardon the pun, but expect sparks to fly during the event!
We are in the building!
Jason England has arrived at the event! The space appears small from the photo, but the lighting in there is certainly moody! I wonder if this is a precursor to what some of these RTX Spark machines will look like?
Things are about to get ULTRA
Just got in. Things are about to get ULTRA 💻 https://t.co/gdVSAAfHjkOctober 7, 2026
Jason posted this on X, which shows more of the venue's interior. Everyone is getting seated!
WE ARE LIVE
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has taken the stage to kick off the RTX Spark event!
Building the frontier ecosystem
Nadella says today's event will be monumental for the world of computing. He says there are 3 core pillars of an ecosystem: trust, intelligence, and human ambition. The idea for today's show is how to bring those pillars to Windows. The core anchors will be: Agent 365, Microsoft IQ, and Copilot.
Agents 365
Pavan Davuluri takes the stage to discuss AI agents. He says that with the tools MS has, they can make agents do more on Windows.
Agents in action
Divya Venkataramu now takes the stage to show how agents will work on Windows. She is particularly focusing on safety, which is smart, since AI agents can have so much control over one's PC or organization.
Discussing models
Microsoft is bringing enhanced AI models to Windows. The feat is getting these massive models onto portable devices, such as laptops. MAI Code is one such model, as is Nvidia Nemotron. We're told the latter will work great on RTX Spark (naturally). What was once the domain of cloud models will now be available on-device.
Code clean up
Kayla Cinnamon now takes the stage for a live demo. She shows how the AI automatically selects the best local model for the task. You can set a task, and it will continue working on it on its own. One neat thing is that you'll see color-coded tabs that let you know which tasks have been completed on-device and which ones were completed in the cloud.
Upgraded Windows Search experience
The Windows Search bar will be enhanced to do more for you via new actions. Such actions include adjusting the volume, sending texts to friends, make the system to go dark mode, and many other actions. You can also call up the new Copilot app from Search.
The new Copilot
Copilot is getting new features. This includes local actions that run directly on your machine, access your files, and use local models that run on your computer. These three things turn your machine into a personal AI factory.
More local AI demos
We now see a demo of Perplexity AI taking photos on your PC and altering them to your liking. Muse is also coming to Windows.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra revealed!
Now we're getting to the good stuff! The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra, which the company says is the most powerful laptop it has ever built, is finally being revealed.
The model shown appears to be a 16-inch model in a sleek black colorway. It certainly looks like a MacBook Pro! Not only can it code, but it can also run games like Gears of War: E-Day at a smooth 60 frames per second.
Inside the Surface Laptop Ultra
The Surface Laptop Ultra has some interesting features, including MagSafe-like magnetic charging. The laptop will have up to 128GB of RAM, advanced cooling, a relatively thin and portable design, and a vivid 16-inch display. Color me impressed!
Creating 3D assets on Surface Laptop Ultra
Thanks to RTX Spark, 3D models can come to life on the Surface Laptop Ultra. The laptop supports a range of traditional video-editing formats and local AI to make it all possible. What used to take days now takes hours. MS claims 2.1x faster token time than the MacBook Pro. Quite a claim!
The Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2599 and goes up to as much as $5999 for the dev box. Pre-orders start today and begin shipping next Friday from both Microsoft and OEM partners.
Huang and Nadella take the stage
Jensen Huang, Satya Nadella, and Sriram Krishnan now take the stage to discuss what we've seen and what is coming next. Jensen starts by highlighting how integral Windows has been to Nvidia, with Windows 95 making it possible to connect a GPU to a PC thanks to DirectX. The companies also laid the groundwork for CUDA.
Why is Windows right for AI agents
Nadella speaks on the importance of running agents locally. The main reason is security, as having agents running via the cloud isn't exactly secure. How this will work in the real world remains to be seen, but it's good to see these CEO's making sure that folks feel safe using AI agents on their computers.
More AI agent talk
The executives are continuing their discussion about AI agents and their potential importance. Again, agents aren't likely to be useful for most people, but for coders or managers, they should be extremely useful, provided they work as intended.
Jensen is excited for the Surface Laptop Ultra
Haung is expressing his excitement for the Surface Laptop Ultra, which he says is a machine that can do it all. Now, he wouldn't say the opposite, but as a nerd, I'm also pretty excited about what this machine can do. Even if the agents stuff isn't for me, the gaming and creative potential seem huge.
And that's a wrap!
The show's over folks! The Surface Laptop Ultra announcement was certainly the highlight, but I'm sure the AI discussions will be interesting to businessess and individuals interested in running models on device.
