# Microsoft launches Surface Laptop Ultra to rival MacBook Pro

> Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599 and pairs Nvidia's RTX Blackwell graphics with professional software support to compete with Apple's high-end laptops.
- Title: Microsoft launches Surface Laptop Ultra to rival MacBook Pro
- Summary: Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599 and pairs Nvidia's RTX Blackwell graphics with professional software support to compete with Apple's…
- Keywords: microsoft, surface laptop ultra, nvidia, rtx blackwell, professional laptops, apple macbook pro, ai specialists, content creation, technology, launches, Surface, Laptop
- Source: TechRadar — https://techradar.com/pro/microsoft-teams-with-nvidia-to-take-on-apple-macbook-pro-to-win-hearts-and-minds-of-the-creative-and-ai-market
- Published: 2026-10-08T18:05:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: microsoft, surface laptop ultra, nvidia, rtx blackwell, professional laptops, apple macbook pro, ai specialists, content creation, technology
## Microsoft unveils Surface Laptop Ultra
Microsoft has announced the Surface Laptop Ultra, its most powerful laptop device yet, with shipments beginning October 16 2026. The device starts at two thousand five hundred ninety-nine dollars.
## Three configurations target professionals
The Surface Laptop Ultra comes in three configurations costing two thousand five hundred ninety-nine dollars, three thousand six hundred ninety-nine dollars ninety-nine cents, and five thousand eight hundred ninety-nine dollars ninety-nine cents.
## Specs scale from 24GB to 128GB RAM
The entry model has twenty-four gigabytes RAM and five hundred twelve gigabytes storage. The mid-tier offers thirty-two gigabytes RAM and one terabyte storage. The top configuration includes one hundred twenty-eight gigabytes RAM and one terabyte storage. All models use the same fifteen-inch mini-LED display.
## Nvidia RTX Blackwell powers the laptop
The Surface Laptop Ultra combines Nvidia's RTX Spark platform with an N1X processor and RTX Blackwell graphics, supporting up to one hundred twenty-eight gigabytes unified memory. Microsoft targets creators, AI specialists, engineers, scientists and developers running demanding applications.
## Adobe adapts creative software for RTX Spark
Adobe is adapting Premiere Pro and Photoshop for RTX Spark. A demonstration showed an optimized Premiere Pro version rendering a scene faster. Application support matters because software must be adapted properly before users can fully benefit from the platform's Arm-based architecture.
## Missing networking ports limit AI connectivity
The laptop lacks ConnectX-seven and QSFP ports, limiting direct high-speed connectivity with DGX Spark systems that use Nvidia networking hardware. This omission could matter for AI professionals expecting the Surface Laptop Ultra to connect directly with other Nvidia systems for high-speed development workloads.
## Microsoft competes with Apple's professional machines
The Surface Laptop Ultra has a large trackpad, premium display and professional design resembling Apple's MacBook Pro. Its specifications place it against high-end professional laptops rather than mainstream Windows machines, but connectivity limitations distinguish it from Nvidia's dedicated development hardware.
## Key takeaway

Microsoft unveiled the Surface Laptop Ultra, a $2,599 professional laptop using Nvidia's RTX Blackwell graphics, shipping October 16 2026 to compete with Apple's MacBook Pro.