(Credit: John Burek)
Nvidia all but stole the show before Computex even began with the unveiling of RTX Spark, a new Arm-based chip built with MediaTek that marks the company’s boldest push yet into the PC market. Nvidia calls it a “superchip,” positioning it as far more than just another laptop processor.
The RTX Spark takes the fight straight to Qualcomm and its Snapdragon line of Arm-based chips for PC laptops, not to mention Apple and its Arm-derived M series of Mac processors. Nvidia obviously wants to make a big splash with RTX Spark; the chip will power more than half a dozen brand-new or updated laptops later this year.
We got a first look at the entire lineup on the Computex show floor. Manufacturers aren’t saying much about pricing or availability beyond a vague “later this year,” and with only a handful of units running as functional prototypes, many details remain under wraps. Here’s a closer look, along with everything we know so far.
Asus ProArt Laptops
(Credit: John Burek)Asus will launch two new ProArt P-series laptops with RTX Spark inside this year: the ProArt P14 and P16 models, with 14- and 16-inch displays, respectively. Despite the powerful chip inside, these updated ProArt laptops measure just 0.51 inch thick for the 16-incher and 0.55 inch for the 14-inch model. Expect USB Type-C ports, HDMI 2.1 connections, USB-A ports, SD card readers, and Wi-Fi 7 support on both models.
(Credit: John Burek)Both laptops will feature OLED displays that cover 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and refresh at up to 120Hz. They’ll also have large batteries up to the maximum 99.9 watt-hours of capacity allowed on passenger flights.
Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition
(Credit: John Burek)Before Computex, Dell teased a major update to its XPS lineup (in addition to the new, more affordable XPS 13), and this is it: a super-powered XPS 16 laptop with Nvidia RTX Spark running the show. However, Dell is tight-lipped on details about this souped-up XPS 16.
(Credit: John Burek)Besides the superchip, highlights include a tandem OLED screen that supports True Black HDR 600 for pro-level content creation. Dell will also outfit this XPS 16 variant with HDMI connectivity and an SD card reader.
HP's OmniBook Line
(Credit: John Burek)HP took the opportunity to make some claims with its first RTX Spark laptops, the OmniBook X 14 (above) and OmniBook Ultra 16 (below). It's calling these “the world’s thinnest RTX Spark” products. The 16-inch laptop will measure 0.62 inch thick, while the 14-incher will be 0.53 inch thick.
(Credit: John Burek)Since Asus is already out of the gate with a nearly half-inch-thick laptop, we’ll see how long this claim holds up. HP has revealed even less than Dell with its announcement, but we did manage to scope a hearty port array on both models, including HDMI and USB-C.
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9n
(Credit: John Burek)Lenovo hasn’t shared any information about its first Yoga laptop to support RTX Spark. The scant few details we could gather from a brief first look in Taipei include top-firing speakers bookending a lattice-style backlit keyboard and a wide touchpad. The previous Yoga Pro 9i laptop lasted for more than 15 hours on our battery test, so it would be safe to expect even more longevity from this RTX Spark version.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
(Credit: John Burek)The newest Surface Laptop takes the existing 15-inch model and heavily adjusts the chassis design to accommodate Nvidia’s superchip. Microsoft shared lots of details on the laptop, including its 15-inch mini-LED PixelSense touch screen that it says is “the brightest display we’ve ever shipped.” (It's also the first Surface product to go mini LED.)
(Credit: John Burek)The Surface Laptop Ultra will have room for HDMI, USB-C, and USB-A ports, along with an SD card slot and a headphone jack. Microsoft also promises “all-day battery life.” The laptop, which measures 0.71 inch thick and weighs 4.5 pounds, will come in two shades of aluminum: Platinum (silver) and Nightfall (black).
MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+
(Credit: John Burek)Like HP, MSI is also making a bold claim with its latest Prestige Flip laptop, but this one's easier to defend: It's the first 2-in-1 device to use an RTX Spark processor. This laptop is a big-screen convertible with a 16-inch UHD+ (3,400-by-2,400-pixel) tandem OLED display with more than 1,000 nits of peak brightness (likely for HDR content only), 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, and a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
(Credit: John Burek)Like some of the others, MSI also promises all-day battery life from this Prestige version’s 99.9Whr battery. This model has quite a lot to live up to, considering the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ configuration we tested lasted for more than 42 hours in our battery test, setting a new bar.