Microsoft releases Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia chips

At an event during San Francisco's Tech Week, Microsoft unveiled the specifications and pricing for its new Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia's RTX Spark chip. The laptop is available in two base configurations, starting at $2,600 and $3,700 for a version with a more robust processor. Upgrades for memory and storage can push the price up to $5,900, though Microsoft noted that this top-tier model has already sold out. Additionally, the company introduced the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a developer-focused workstation starting at $6,000 that comes pre-loaded with developer tools including VS Code, GitHub Copilot CLI, WSL, and PowerShell 7.

These devices run a redesigned version of Windows 11 that introduces Execution Containers, a feature designed to make sandboxing AI agents easier. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella explained that the update helps orchestrate multiple models, context, and memory, making the operating system a foundation for anyone's agent. The hardware is optimized for local, free AI model execution, featuring specialized CPUs, GPUs, unified memory, and enhanced cooling systems to handle heavy workloads.

To lure developers away from Apple's ecosystem, Microsoft is offering a trade-in discount of up to $1,000 for users swapping a MacBook Pro for the new Surface hardware. While tailored for AI development, the machines are also marketed for gaming, video processing, and content creation. Alongside Microsoft's announcement, Dell revealed details for its own Nvidia-powered machine, the Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition PC, which is available for preorder at Best Buy for $3,800 with shipments expected later in October.