Microsoft has announced the release date and pricing for the Surface Laptop Ultra. The new 15-inch laptop starts at $2,599, significantly lower than Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro which costs $2,999. It's aimed at the same market of creators and developers. Microsoft says it's designed for "demanding creative work, software development, AI, engineering and 3D workloads."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra – Features
The Surface Laptop Ultra is a major effort by Microsoft to expand its presence in the high-performance laptop market, directly competing with Apple. The device uses the Nvidia RTX Spark chip, which includes an Nvidia Blackwell RTX GPU with up to 6,144 cores and an Nvidia Grace CPU with up to 20 cores. This combined power gives users the ability to perform demanding tasks such as high-resolution video editing, 3D modeling, and software development with increased computing power requirements.
One of the key features of the Surface Laptop Ultra is its support for up to 128GB of integrated memory, making it ideal for professionals who need plenty of RAM to handle multiple applications simultaneously. In addition, the laptop's new thermal architecture allows for efficient heat management, ensuring the system stays cool even under heavy use.
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The RTX Spark is an Arm -based chip , so the laptop runs Windows on Arm with x86 applications using Microsoft's Prism emulation . This approach allows the device to run a wide range of applications while maintaining the power efficiency and performance that Arm-based systems offer.
According to Microsoft, the Surface Laptop Ultra is its most powerful notebook to date. It features the “brightest, sharpest, and most vibrant display” Microsoft has ever used on a Surface device, with a peak HDR brightness that is 25% higher than the M5 MacBook Pro. The mini-LED display is touch-enabled and supports gestures and navigation, but not pen input. This display offers excellent image quality, making it ideal for content creators who demand accurate colors and high resolution.
The Surface Laptop Ultra’s lightweight build, combined with a large tactile trackpad and upgradeable storage, make it a versatile choice for professionals on the go. Microsoft even adopted a MagSafe equivalent, adding support for Magnetic Connect. The company says Magnetic Connect is “theworld’s first integrated USB-C magnetic charging in a laptop.” This innovation offers convenience and security when charging the device.
See also: Surface Pro and Laptop: Cheaper with 8GB RAM without Copilot+
The device features three USB-C ports, one USB-A port, one HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, providing a wealth of connectivity options for users. This variety of ports ensures that users can easily connect peripherals and external displays, making the Surface Laptop Ultra ideal for business use.
Along with the Surface Laptop Ultra, Microsoft announced the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box priced at $5,999 to compete with devices like the Mac Studio and Mac mini. It is equipped with an Nvidia RTX Spark and offers up to 1 petaflop of AI performance with support for AI models up to 120B parameters. This device is aimed at professionals involved in developing and training AI models, offering exceptional computing power.
See also: Microsoft introduced the Surface Laptop 7 with an Intel chip
Microsoft offers bonuses to users who give up their MacBooks
Microsoft is offering a bonus to customers who trade in their MacBooks. MacBook owners can get up to $1,000 in cash back when they buy a Surface Laptop Ultra in exchange for an eligible MacBook. This offer aims to entice Apple users to try out Microsoft's new product by offering financial incentives for switching platforms.
The Surface Laptop Ultra is launching on October 16.“We’re confident that once today’s creators and developers experience everything the Surface Laptop Ultra has to offer, they won’t look back,” Microsoft’s website says. The Surface Laptop Ultra will compete directly with Apple’s rumored OLED MacBook , which could also be called the Ultra. The MacBook Ultra is expected to feature a touchscreen, M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and a thinner and lighter design.
