How Microsoft built its MacBook Pro competitor
Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Laptop Ultra, its first laptop powered by Nvidia's new RTX Spark chip and a direct challenger to Apple's MacBook Pro. The device represents Microsoft's long-awaited high-end Windows laptop, after previous Copilot Plus PCs launched in 2024 were constrained by existing chips and instead targeted the MacBook Air market. Microsoft and Nvidia have worked together for years to develop a chip capable of delivering the performance needed for this tier of competition.
The Surface Laptop Ultra features a CNC-machined aluminium body, large trackpad, and an array of ports including HDMI and SD card slot, starting at $2,599.99 for a 24GB RAM model and reaching $5,899.99 at the top end with 128GB memory. The RTX Spark chip functions as both CPU and GPU, with the GPU designed to handle compressed 280 billion-parameter AI models locally—a capability that previously required cloud processing. Microsoft is positioning the Ultra at developers, creatives, and professionals drawn to its unified memory architecture and local AI compute capabilities, mirroring Apple's approach on its M-series chips.
- Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra competes with MacBook Pro using Nvidia's RTX Spark chip.
- Prices range from $2,600 to $5,900 for this high-end Windows laptop.
- The RTX Spark can run 280 billion-parameter AI models locally, unlike previous Windows laptops.
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Apple's MacBook Pro is one of the world's most sought-after premium laptops, favoured by creative professionals and developers for its combination of performance, design and software integration. For years, Windows-based laptops struggled to compete directly at this high end of the market, with Microsoft's Surface range instead offering alternatives at various price points.
A key advantage for Apple has been designing its own chips—the M-series processors—which are optimised specifically for its hardware and software. This gives Apple tight control over performance and allows features like running complex AI models directly on the device without needing to send data to cloud servers. Microsoft's previous premium laptops relied on chips from other manufacturers and couldn't match this level of integration.
The ability to run advanced artificial intelligence tools locally on a laptop—rather than relying on internet-connected servers—has become increasingly important to professionals in creative fields, software development, and data analysis. This shift in computing demands is what has prompted competition at the premium end of the market, where customers are willing to pay more for devices capable of handling these tasks seamlessly.