At Computex 2026, Nvidia announced its new RTX Spark processor, an ARM-based chip with some impressive performance specs across a cadre of new devices: up to 1 petaflop of AI performance, a 20-core CPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory to power creative tasks with the rough equivalent power of a GeForce RTX 5070.

At the head of the pack is Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Ultra -- the flagship RTX Spark laptop and a powerhouse that doubles down on its premium branding and an edgy, aggressive branding that speaks to developers, pro creators, and AI powerusers.

Also: I saw the first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops - these 4 models will lead the new ultrabook boom

I went hands-on with the new Surface Ultra in Taipei, and have to say: it's a beast, with smooth gaming capabilities and impressive video editing performance. Of course, I tested it in the controlled space of a demo showfloor, and no benchmarking or real-world testing has been performed yet. Here's what stood out.

Microsoft went all-in with the Ultra's specs and a premium build. In fact, at Computex, none of the other new RTX Spark laptops were even allowed to be powered on. Only the Surface Ultra was running, and it powered all of the demos across every category.

The physical build is absolutely solid, even if it resembles previous Surface laptops (on the outside). The 15-inch display is a mini-LED PixelSense Ultra touchscreen with 262ppi, a 3:2 aspect ratio, and up to 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness. It's exceptionally bright for a laptop, resulting in some truly eye-popping visuals.