I said in my Surface Laptop Ultra review that its display features 1,344 local dimming zones, which is significantly lower than the dimming zones you'll find on a MacBook Pro with the same display tech. That results in a lot more ghosting and blooming, which can make the display feel stuttery and not smooth at times.

Notebookcheck's review claimed the Surface Laptop Ultra's display doesn't feature any local dimming at all, which naturally caused a bit of an uproar online. So, what's the truth? Does the display support local dimming or not?

I reached out to Microsoft again to see if it could clarify how the display works. The company told me that Surface Laptop Ultra does feature local dimming by default, with 5,400 LEDs across 1,344 dimming zones.

Much like any other Mini LED display, these zones adjust backlight brightness based on the content in that area. If a bright window is being displayed on a black background, the dark areas of the screen will be dimmed.

This behavior is what causes the ghosting and blooming effect on Surface Laptop Ultra, and is a side effect of Mini LEDs, especially ones with a low local dimming zone count. On my Surface Laptop Ultra in SDR, I can see the local dimming zones brightening and darkening as I move around a white window on a black background.

So, the display definitely does have local dimming capabilities. But it must be said that its performance isn't amazing compared to other Mini LEDs on the market. Whether local dimming is even working also depends entirely on your PCs settings.

The local dimming behavior is controlled by a setting in Windows Settings under System > Display > Brightness. With "Change brightness based on content" enabled, and the "Enhanced" display profile set, the local dimming support should function.

I've also found that you should turn off HDR for local dimming to be most effective. When HDR is on, the backlight is much more noticeable on dark backgrounds, likely because HDR requires much more brightness. A positive side effect of this is that this pretty much fixes the ghosting issue at the expense of local dimming performance.

So, the TL:DR is Surface Laptop Ultra does feature local dimming capabilities. You should have HDR disabled, with "Change brightness based on content" enabled and the "Enhanced" display profile set in Windows Settings for it to be most effective. On the flipside, enabling HDR reduces the ghosting and blooming issues, but decreases local dimming performance.

It must be said that the Mini LED display on Surface Laptop Ultra is somewhat disappointing. It certainly isn't as good as the Mini LED panel in a MacBook Pro, and I'm just left wondering why Microsoft didn't opt for OLED given that's what all the next-gen laptops are going with, including the upcoming MacBook Pro with touch.

Maybe, hopefully, a future firmware update can adjust and improve the performance of the local dimming behavior on Surface Laptop UItra. The most recent firmware update did fix flickering issues that people were having with the display, so anything is possible.

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The Windows Central team has had time to digest some of the new NVIDIA RTX Spark laptops that recently launched, and thanks to our in-depth reviews, I'm here to offer some insights as to which PC might be best for you.

I'm looking at Microsoft's flagship Surface Laptop Ultra — the first RTX Spark PC we reviewed — and the ASUS ProArt P16, a slightly larger option that we actually rated higher than the Surface.

Here's why the ProArt PC gained a bit of extra score over the Surface Laptop Ultra (and why that doesn't necessarily mean it's the right RTX Spark laptop for you).

Surface Laptop Ultra vs. ASUS ProArt P16: Specifications

Before I get too deep into my comparison between the Surface Laptop Ultra and ASUS ProArt P16, I put together this table for easy reference.

Standout differences at this point should be the display size and type, the port selection, and the dimensions, which I cover and explain in more depth below.

Pro-grade designs and features available in both laptops

The ProArt P16 is larger than the Surface Laptop Ultra. That's a given considering it has a larger 16-inch display. The overall footprint is a bit larger, but otherwise, the ProArt P16 comes out ahead.

The P16 weighs just 3.9 pounds (1.77kg) compared to the Surface Laptop Ultra's 4.41 pounds (2kg), and it's also quite a bit thinner, starting at 0.51 inches (12.9mm) compared to 0.71 inches (17.9mm).

The neat thing is that ASUS really doesn't make you regret that upsizing. As Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino says in his ProArt P16 review:

Rubino does give Surface a nod for its "pure premium feel," although I'm sure some will love the ProArt P16's fingerprint-resistant coating that reduces smudges.

Which laptop offers better ports?

This first wave of RTX Spark laptops is fairly unified across brands in terms of port selection. Both laptops offer three USB4 hookups (using the USB-C form factor), but only the Surface Laptop Ultra has the nifty Magnetic Connect feature on one of them.

Magnetic Connect allows a connected USB-C cable to pull away from the PC instead of dragging it off a table, much like Apple's MagSafe. It's a great feature to have, especially with a laptop at this price.

You're otherwise getting USB-A, HDMI, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack across both PCs.

Is the keyboard and touchpad different across PCs?

Speaking on the Surface Laptop Ultra's keyboard and touchpad, Windows Central Senior Editor Zac Bowden said, "This is probably the best keyboard and trackpad experience I've ever had on a Windows laptop to date."

Digging into that statement, Bowden clearly appreciated the 1.4mm tactile key travel that he called "incredibly satisfying and not at all fatiguing." The Surface's haptic touchpad is the largest ever in Microsoft's lineup, and Bowden says it "makes a huge difference in how easy it is to use."

Not to be outdone, the ASUS ProArt P16 offers deeper 1.7mm key travel and an equally enormous haptic touchpad.

Which laptop has a better webcam and speakers?

On the spec sheet, both laptops offer an FHD (1080p) front-facing webcam with IR capabilities for facial recognition.

Rubino states that "Microsoft still wins this category with Surface" and notes how HP's OmniBook Ultra with a 5MP webcam trumps both ASUS and Microsoft.

The big deal? The ProArt P16 includes human presence detection for increased security and convenience, whereas the Surface Laptop Ultra does not.

As for audio, each laptop comes with four speakers and Dolby Atmos support. Both laptops deliver some of the best sound we've ever heard, but only the ProArt P16 has top-firing speakers flanking the keyboard.

Mini-LED or OLED? Our reviewers prefer the latter

Display tech is where these two laptops really show a difference. Most noticeable is the Surface's taller 3:2 aspect ratio compared to the P16's 16:10 aspect ratio. The differences don't stop here.

The Surface Laptop Ultra has a 15-inch mini-LED screen at a 3270x2180 resolution, with 1,344 dimming zones, 1000-nit SDR brightness, and 2000-nit HDR peak brightness. It packs in a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate and Dolby Vision IQ support.

Though it's brighter than the ProArt's screen, Bowden says the mini-LED tech results in "a bit of blooming around bright elements on a dark background."

He adds that the backlight doesn't always keep up with what's on your screen, causing a slight ghosting effect in dark mode.

The ProArt P16 has a larger 16-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, and it's available in either a 3840x2400 (4K) or 2880x1800 (2.8K) resolution.

The 4K version is the primary option for models with 128GB of RAM, though Best Buy seems to offer a 4K version with 32GB of RAM. Despite a lower resolution, you still get 500 nits of SDR brightness and 1,100 nits of peak HDR brightness.

The 4K version hits 700-nit peak SDR brightness, climbing to 1,600 nits with HDR. An anti-reflective coating is included.

None of the mini-LED issues discovered in the Surface Laptop Ultra's mini-LED screen are apparent here, and you get the standard OLED perks of perfect contrast and vivid color no matter how you're using it.

It's worth noting that the P16 display offers pen support for inking. The Surface Laptop Ultra has no pen support.

NVIDIA's RTX Spark chip keeps performance close

A neat aspect we're discovering as we test RTX Spark laptops is how performance is quite similar. That's not surprising. These laptops use the same NVIDIA N1X chips in either 18- or 20-core CPU and 5120- or 6144-core GPU configs.

We tested both with the 20-core CPU and 6144-core GPU, and the Surface Laptop Ultra and ProArt P16 trade blows across benchmarks. For example, CPU performance is close enough that I wouldn't spend much time worrying about it.

The Laptop Ultra does great in lighter graphics benchmarks, though the ProArt P16 takes over in more demanding tests. Considering the ASUS laptop is thinner and lighter than the Laptop Ultra, that's a real achievement.

One area where the Surface Laptop Ultra pulls ahead is with its 1TB and 2TB M.2 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs that are way faster than the PCIe 4.0 options in the ProArt P16. Microsoft does drop back to PCIe 4.0 with a 512GB capacity.

Which laptop has better battery life?

The ProArt P16 has a larger 99.9Wh battery capacity compared to the Laptop Ultra's 92Wh, but that matters less than you might expect.

Both Rubino and Bowden were able to get around 10 hours of real-world use when not leaning heavily on the GPU. Both the ProArt P16 and Laptop Ultra struggle to put up strong efficiency numbers when that GPU is in demand, and in both cases, an AC charger should be kept nearby.

As for heat and noise, the Surface Laptop Ultra hit about 123 degrees Fahrenheit just above the keyboard. That's very hot, but at least the fans don't exceed 42 decibels.

Using the same FLIR imaging, we measured 105 degrees Fahrenheit in the same spot on the ProArt P16. That's quite a bit cooler, although the fans did climb closer to 50 decibels.

Surface Laptop Ultra vs. ASUS ProArt P16: Which should you buy?

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599.99 for a model with an 18-core CPU, 24GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The ASUS ProArt P16 starts at $2,799.99 for a model with an 18-core CPU, 24GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

If they're so similar, why the price difference?

I'm pointing to the ProArt P16's superior OLED display with pen support, its thinner and lighter design, its cooler thermals, its deeper key travel, its human presence detection, its top-firing speakers, and its larger battery.

These are all noticeable benefits, and whether or not they're worth a $200 upcharge (to start) is really up to you.

I can confidently say that the Surface Laptop Ultra is a great PC regardless of how well ASUS put together its ProArt P16, and perks like a smaller footprint, a better FHD webcam, a cheaper starting price, a magnetic USB-C port, and quieter fans could weigh heavier on your shopping list.

It's worth noting that ASUS also makes a 14-inch ProArt P14 with many of the same benefits, all in a more portable package. Starting at $2,599, it might be the perfect third option for shoppers.

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According to the changelog, this firmware update was released on October 22, 6 days after the Surface Laptop Ultra launched. It appears under the name "Microsoft Corporation System Hardware Update (200.0.7.0)" in Windows Update, and includes the following fixes:

• Resolves an issue that could cause extended reboot times.
• Resolves an issue that could cause screen flickering.
• Resolves an issue that could cause unexpected restarts.
• Includes additional bug fixes and general performance improvements.

Reviewers (myself included) had noted that the Surface Laptop Ultra's Mini-LED screen was disappointing as the display suffered from ghosting and flickering. Microsoft says the flickering issue should now be fixed with this latest update, though the ghosting issue is still present.

I also mentioned in my review that the Surface Laptop Ultra suffered from really long reboot times, which made installing Windows updates and drivers a pain as it made the process take twice as long. That issue is now also fixed as of this latest firmware update.

Other fixes include performance improvements and a reduction in unexpected restarts (BSODs,) something I am yet to encounter on Surface Laptop Ultra anyway. It's good to see Microsoft moving so quickly to improve the Surface Laptop Ultra, which is expected to get firmware updates for 6 years, until 2032.

Surface Laptop Ultra is on sale now starting at $2,599. It's Microsoft's first RTX Spark powered Surface PC, which explains why there have been some teething problems with the platform. I expect Microsoft to issue more bug fixes and improvements via firmware updates over the coming weeks.

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That distinction matters when laptops start at $2,799.99 and go up to nearly $7,000, but I have a good reason for this caveat.

ASUS has designed this new ProArt P16 (H7607) primarily for people who create more than they consume: developers, engineers, AI enthusiasts, 3D artists, video editors, and professionals experimenting with increasingly sophisticated local AI and agentic workflows.

Indeed, NVIDIA's RTX Spark N1X combines a 20-core Grace CPU, 6,144-core Blackwell RTX GPU, native CUDA support, and up to 128GB of unified LPDDR5X memory. ASUS says the latter configuration can even run LLMs with up to 120 billion parameters.

If CUDA, local inference, LLMs, agentic workflows, GPU memory, or ComfyUI mean absolutely nothing to you, there are better laptops for your money.

If those terms interest you, even if you're just starting to learn about them, things get much more interesting, and you'll want to read on.

ASUS and NVIDIA had no input, nor did it see the contents of this review, prior to publication.

ASUS ProArt P16: Price and specifications

I focused on two configurations for this review. My 3K Nano Black unit packs 64GB RAM and a 1TB SSD for $4,399.99, while the top model jumps to 128GB RAM, 2TB storage, and a 4K OLED for $6,999.99.

ASUS also offers Nano Black and Neo White, although configuration choices are strangely interdependent. Changing color can alter the display and Windows edition, so pay attention when ordering. ASUS currently lists Windows 11 Home and Pro, 3K and 4K OLED options, and memory capacities reaching 128GB.

Interestingly, Best Buy offers a model with 4K OLED, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage in that Nano Black ($3,399). While it's not cheap, it is still one of the more affordable models, and I think it's one of the more intriguing configurations for the general creator category.

But you can go even lower, as Best Buy's $2,799 model still has that 4K OLED, but 512GB of storage (you can add more later) and 24GB of RAM (obviously, RAM is the cost multiplier here in late 2026).

And don't confuse this H7607 model with the existing (and slightly older) AMD-powered ProArt P16 H7606. RTX Spark makes the H7607 a fundamentally different computer.

ASUS ProArt P16: Design and hardware

This may be ASUS's greatest achievement with the ProArt P16.

At just 3.9 pounds, it's remarkably light for a 16-inch workstation, undercutting the 4.5-pound Surface Laptop Ultra, 4.7-pound 16-inch MacBook Pro, and especially HP's surprisingly hefty 4.9-pound OmniBook Ultra 16 RTX Spark.

You absolutely feel the difference.

The ProArt measures just 0.51 to 0.63 inches thick, yet ASUS still squeezes in an enormous 99.9Wh battery.

Build quality is excellent. I'd give Microsoft and HP a very slight advantage for pure premium feel, but ASUS wins enough other categories that I hardly care. For instance, Nano Black's fingerprint-resistant coating also works surprisingly well. As someone who despises smudgy black laptops, I appreciate details like this.

Thermals are even more impressive. Under sustained heavy workloads, my thermal camera recorded around 105°F across the keyboard deck and approximately 120°F near the rear exhaust. That's a few degrees cooler than both the Surface Laptop Ultra and HP OmniBook Ultra 16 RTX Spark in my testing. Fan noise never exceeded 50dB under extreme workloads.

For something this thin, that's outstanding, since I expected sacrifices in both areas, not the opposite.

Connectivity is arguably best-in-class for RTX Spark laptops. It has three USB4 Type-C ports, with two on the left and one on the right, so I can charge from either direction, plus USB-A, HDMI 2.1b, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. To me, this is the right port configuration for this demographic on an RTX Spark laptop. I wish more companies would split Type-C ports on either side for easier charging, but some still don't.

All these small conveniences add up.

ASUS ProArt P16: Display, keyboard, touchpad, and audio

Both displays are gorgeous 16-inch OLED touchscreens with 100% DCI-P3 coverage, HDR support, and variable refresh rate from 30 to 120Hz. The 3K panel runs at 2880 x 1800 and peaks at 1,100 nits for HDR, while the 4K panel runs at 3840 x 2400, peaks at 1,600 nits for HDR, and adds ASUS's excellent anti-reflection treatment.

It's also worth noting that you get presence detection, an auto-brightness sensor, and adaptive (ambient) color, which are extra bonus display features I like to see at this price point.

Here's my controversial advice: I'd get the 3K display.

Placing both laptops together, I routinely guessed incorrectly when trying to identify them by resolution alone. Pixel peeping exposes the difference, but at normal viewing distances, 3K is plenty for 16 inches.

Unfortunately, ASUS forces the 4K configuration if you want 128GB RAM (unless you go through Best Buy, which has a 32GB model). I wish there were a 3K anti-reflective, 128GB option. That said, as someone who is a stickler for glossy displays, the 3K one is pretty good for glare, considering how much it bothers me.

I've also encountered extremely subtle flickering on my 4K unit. ASUS tells me a fix is coming, but I could also have a bum unit, so I have to have a chat with them about it.

ASUS deserves enormous credit for its display controls, though. MyASUS (its main control and configuration app) provides profiles, color gamut controls, OLED flicker-free dimming, pixel refresh, burn-in mitigation, and other OLED Care options. You can even directly adjust memory allocation to the integrated GPU, which is particularly relevant on a unified-memory machine.

Overall, I think ASUS has the best out-of-the-box software, at least compared to HP and Microsoft, with the most configuration options for audio, connectivity, display, gestures, and more, not to mention direct driver updates from ASUS, warranty info, etc. I rarely praise OEM apps, but this is the way to do it.

This is also the part where I lament some pre-installed junkware, except I didn't find any on either laptop. These are relatively clean installs (except for whatever you dislike about Microsoft's inbox apps).

The keyboard is similarly excellent, with springy keys, 1.7mm travel, and a three-stage backlight with automatic sensing.

The enormous haptic touchpad might be even better. Haptic feedback feels superb; it supports Windows Haptic Signals, and ASUS adds gestures for brightness, volume, playback, and ScreenXpert. Those gestures are quirky, but also completely optional.

The four-speaker Dolby Atmos system is outstanding, and among the best I've heard from a Windows laptop. The 2.1MP webcam is less impressive on paper, particularly against HP's 5MP camera, but ASUS's processing produces a surprisingly sharp picture. Microsoft still wins this category with Surface.

There's even support for the optional $129 ASUS Pen 2.0. Using a pen on a traditional clamshell laptop remains awkward, but it's surprisingly handy for signing documents, marking up images, or quickly diagramming something.

ASUS ProArt P16: RTX Spark and performance

Unified memory allows the CPU and GPU to access the same large pool rather than dividing system RAM and dedicated GPU VRAM into much smaller fixed buckets. With up to 128GB available, that changes what can realistically be done locally with large AI models, complex 3D scenes, development workloads, high-resolution video, and anything else that can consume enormous amounts of GPU memory.

Then there's CUDA, NVIDIA's massively established parallel computing platform and ecosystem. For developers and creators, CUDA acceleration is fundamental to everything from AI frameworks and local inference to scientific computing and applications like Blender. Having massive unified memory alongside a CUDA-capable Blackwell RTX GPU is what makes RTX Spark particularly interesting.

I've already been experimenting with Osaurus and Hermes, combining models including Gemma 4 26B A4B, GPT-OSS-20B, Qwen3VL-8B, and Raptor 0.6 4B. I'm still learning local AI and agentic computing myself, and I'll be updating this review and writing more about that journey as I figure out what works, what doesn't, and what you can realistically accomplish locally.

Looking across all my benchmarks, however, there's another interesting conclusion: which RTX Spark laptop you buy matters considerably less for raw performance than you might expect.

The ProArt P16, Surface Laptop Ultra, and HP OmniBook Ultra 16 (review forthcoming) trade places depending on the benchmark, but they're generally clustered surprisingly close together. In Geekbench 7, for instance, the ASUS actually posts the best multi-core result of the three, while single-core performance is separated by barely anything. CUDA testing is essentially a three-way tie. The 4K ASUS scored 187,547 against HP's 187,569, a difference so tiny it is meaningless.

That's good evidence of how consistent NVIDIA's N1X platform is between manufacturers.

Graphics benchmarks reveal somewhat more variation. The ProArt P16's 11,840 result in 3DMark Time Spy trails the Surface Laptop Ultra's 12,771 and HP's 13,080 by around 7% and 9%, respectively. Speed Way and Steel Nomad tell roughly the same story, with ASUS usually sitting a few percentage points behind Microsoft and HP.

Yet even that isn't universal. In the heavier Time Spy Extreme test, the ProArt P16 actually beats both of them, scoring 6,006 compared to 5,857 for Surface and 5,492 for HP.

In other words, I wouldn't declare any of these RTX Spark laptops the definitive performance winner. We're talking about variations of the same extraordinarily powerful NVIDIA platform, and the rankings shift depending on the workload.

It's also worth remembering what ASUS has achieved physically. At 3.9 pounds and as little as 0.51 inches thick, the ProArt P16 is substantially lighter than its RTX Spark rivals while still maintaining excellent temperatures and relatively restrained fan noise. Some performance variation could plausibly be the consequence of fitting N1X into a thinner, lighter thermal envelope, but ASUS certainly hasn't compromised performance enough that I'd choose a much heavier laptop based on these benchmark differences alone.

The one performance result I would criticize is the SSD.

Both ASUS configurations are well behind the competition. Sequential reads hover around 7,300 MB/s, compared with 10,389 MB/s on the HP and a massive 14,647 MB/s on the Surface Laptop Ultra. Writes vary considerably between my ASUS configurations, too, from 4,124 MB/s on the 3K model to 6,720 MB/s on the 4K machine. Microsoft reached 12,711 MB/s.

Those ASUS numbers aren't slow in isolation, and Windows still feels exceptionally responsive, but this is a $2,800 to $7,000 workstation. Faster storage should come with the territory. At least ASUS provides a second PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot for expansion, so you can add a seriously fast SSD later.

Gaming performance is also surprisingly good. I've played Gears of War: E-Day at maximum settings without issue, while Minecraft Dungeons II looked and played fantastic aside from occasional frustrating stutters. NVIDIA's latest Game Ready Driver appears to have fixed the latter on my machine, which suggests some of RTX Spark's early gaming quirks may improve as drivers mature.

And RTX Spark is legitimately fast here. Time Spy places the ProArt P16 ahead of the RTX 5070-equipped Dell 16 Premium, while Steel Nomad and Speed Way put it comfortably ahead of an RTX 5050 Laptop GPU. A conventional gaming laptop remains the smarter purchase if gaming is your priority, but RTX Spark owners certainly don't need a second computer just to play PC games.

Ultimately, that's the performance story of the ProArt P16: ASUS gives up remarkably little despite building one of the lightest and thinnest RTX Spark laptops I've tested. Its N1X CPU and CUDA performance are right up there with Surface and HP; GPU performance is sometimes a little behind and sometimes ahead, and the only consistent disappointment is the SSD.

For a machine that's almost a full pound lighter than HP's OmniBook Ultra 16, I'll happily make that trade.

ASUS ProArt P16: Battery life

Battery life is good given what's inside (a 99.9 WHr battery, the legal limit), though Apple and Qualcomm still have an obvious efficiency advantage here, and I expect NVIDIA to improve over the coming years.

The Windows Battery Report recorded 9 hours and 58 minutes of real-world usage averaged over several weeks, including web browsing, video, messaging, and lighter creative work, basically standard laptop work with more focus on multimedia production and some lighter local AI work.

Hammer the GPU continuously with rendering, AI, or gaming and expect substantially less. Physics eventually wins.

Still, I can't say I've ever had a Windows laptop this powerful, this capable, and this thin/ligyht, and still get that kind of "regular" battery life.

Standby performance is exceptional. Leaving the ProArt P16 overnight resulted in less than 1% battery loss over 14 hours, finally making this Windows laptop behave the way I expect a modern premium portable PC to.

The included 140W USB-C charger is slightly bigger than HP's, though still compact, and ASUS gets bonus points for the excellent thick braided cable.

ASUS ProArt P16: Should you buy it?

✅You should buy this if ...

• You know the benefits of unified memory and CUDA
• You want the best RTX Spark laptop
• You want to learn about cutting-edge agentic AI workflows
• You need a light, very capable workstation for 3D creation, video editing, or coding

❌You should not buy this if ...

• You think this is just a gaming laptop in disguise
• You don't know what agentic AI is and don't care to learn about it
• You spend most of your time consuming content instead of creating it

So, should you buy the ASUS ProArt P16 with RTX Spark? Probably not.

And I mean that as a compliment.

The ProArt P16 H7607 is a specialized workstation for people operating near the frontier of what portable Windows computers can do. Someone mainly browsing the web, writing documents, editing the occasional photo, or even gaming can get an excellent laptop for dramatically less money.

But developers, creators, 3D professionals, AI researchers, and people seriously experimenting with local models and agentic workflows finally have what Windows has desperately needed: a thin, premium laptop that combines massive unified memory with NVIDIA RTX graphics and CUDA.

That's a really big deal.

ASUS then wraps that technology in what is arguably the best RTX Spark chassis on the market. And I mean that. ASUS has been killing it on design and features over the last 3 years.

At 3.9 pounds, the laptop almost feels impossibly light (for its class). The OLED display is beautiful, the keyboard and haptic touchpad are excellent, the speakers are outstanding, the ports are plentiful, the thermals are exceptional, and ASUS offers a level of hardware customization through MyASUS that competitors should copy.

Even the weird stuff is charming. My $4,399 3K review unit included ASUS's excellent $99 ProArt MD301 mouse and a protective sleeve, while the $6,999 128GB machine inexplicably included neither. ASUS notes that bundled accessories vary by country and territory, so your experience may differ.

One caveat: Those 24GB and 32GB Best Buy models are, I think, perfect, more general laptops for creators who want a premium Windows 11 experience with the latest technology. That's an easy recommendation if you can afford it.

The SSD should be faster, battery life can't match the best Snapdragon X2 or Apple Silicon laptops, and $7,000 is still an extraordinary amount of money for any laptop (though about $150 cheaper than a similarly spec'd MacBook Pro 16).

Yet none of those complaints change my overall impression.

The ASUS ProArt P16 is one of the best laptops I've ever used. For the relatively small group of people who can actually exploit everything RTX Spark offers, it may also be one of the most exciting Windows PCs in years.

And if you're simply curious about local AI and want to learn where personal computing may be heading next, the ProArt P16 deserves a spot very near the top of your shortlist.

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That includes the Dell 15 ($1,099.99 at Dell, was $1,149.99), Dell 16 ($1,199.99 at Dell, was $1,349.99), and Dell 14 Plus ($1,399.99 at Dell, was $1,579.99).

• See all deals at Dell.com

Which of these Dell laptops is best for you?

If you're looking for an affordable yet capable laptop, the Dell 15 offers the best value compared to the other laptops in this roundup.

It's equipped with a 15.6" (Non-Touch) FHD display with 1920x1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate to render images, videos, and writing with sharp details, so you don't have to squint at your work when typing or worry about blurry video feed when hosting stream meetings.

It comes with an AMD Ryzen 7000 7730U CPU and 16GB RAM that will make short work of Office, web browsing, and other productivity tasks while offering a ton of space to back up your precious files with its 1TB SSD.

However, if you've got the budget for more processing power, then go for the Dell 14 Plus Laptop.

It's won high praise from our friends at TechRadar for its 13+ hour battery, great portability due to its ultra-thin design, and 14-inch non-touch QHD+ display with 120Hz and Anti-glare protection.

Best of all, the Dell 14 Plus offers the best single-core performance for everyday use and heavy workloads thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, 16GB, and 1TB SSD.

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All the talk of passport-shaped phones, mobile multitasking, and optimized apps sent me back to the days of Microsoft's Surface Duo. A lot of the phrasing in iPhone Duo reviews could have been copied and pasted from reviews of the Surface Duo.

So, I put together a quiz to see if people can identify if a quote is from an iPhone Duo review or a Surface Duo review.

I've changed all of the quotes in this quiz as little as possible and all changes are noted with brackets. I only altered a quote if it includes something that's a giveaway like iPhone Duo, Surface Duo, Apple, or Microsoft.

I sent this quiz to a few friends and colleagues before publishing it. No one got a perfect score, and many only got 50% correct. I'm curious to see if that trend continues as more people take the quiz. Please let me know how you did in the comments!

Below are all of the reviews I used to create this quiz.

• TechRadar iPhone Duo review
• TechRadar Surface Duo review
• The Verge iPhone Duo review
• The Verge Surface Duo review
• 9to5Mac iPhone Duo review
• Tom's Guide Surface Duo review
• Tom's Guide iPhone Duo review
• Windows Central Surface Duo review

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This laptop is a great mid-range choice for students and office workers alike, with its above-average performance, battery life, and high-contrast OLED display that will help you get through the day.

Why buy the HP Omnibook 3?

Our friends at TechRadar have praised and recommended the HP Omnibook 3 in their coverage a couple of times, and it's easy to agree with them. It's a well-made laptop for school learners or desk workers who need a reliable solution for daily homework, assignments, research, creative tasks, and casual use without breaking the bank.

This laptop is equipped with Qualcomm's (8-core) Snapdragon X CPU to give it faster and more responsive performance when running apps, 16GB of RAM to help it multitask multiple apps without slowing it down, and a 512GB SSD to store precious data.

The HP Omnibook 3 also features a 14-inch 2K OLED touchscreen that displays images, videos, and livestreams with crisp and vibrant details, and a massive battery life of potentially up to 41 hours so you won't have to worry about it shutting down during work.

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The XPS 13's work-focused 16GB configuration normally sells for $999.99 at Dell, but Best Buy now has a cheaper alternative for $799.99, thanks to a limited-time 20% discount.

Why buy Dell XPS 13 laptop?

The new Dell XPS 13 has been making waves in the PC market for its shockingly high quality for an entry-level laptop.

Even our Windows laptop connoisseurs Zac Bowden and Cale Hunt were blown away by this laptop, with Cale calling it the "perfect starter PC" and Zac saying, "MacBook Neo's reign as the best deal in computing is well and truly over, all thanks to Dell".

They don't make those comments lightly because the Dell XPS 13 has plenty of features to help it live up to the hype and make it an easy recommendation for beginner PC users, students, and workers.

These include a strong battery life of nearly 15 hours per charge, a 13.4" 3K Touchscreen with 2560x1600 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate to provide crisp and detailed images and videos, and a solid, thin 0.5 inches thick chassis weighing in at 2.2lb for easy portability.

On top of that, the Dell XPS 13 has a solid and responsive keyboard, a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports to plug in useful accessories, an IR sensor for facial recognition, great-sounding speakers, Wi-Fi 7 support for faster and more stable internet connections, and decent performance for casual use and mid-level intensive workflows thanks to its Intel Core 5 Series 3 320 CPU and 16GB of RAM.

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Normally, the ASUS Zenbook A14 with its $1,349.99 price tag can seem like a hard sell compared to its cheaper (yet very capable) Snapdragon X Plus predecessor (usually $939.00 — $969.99), and its premium-grade Zenbook A16 sibling with its powerful X2 Elite Extreme CPU ($1,599.99 — $1,899.99).

Thankfully, with this 26% discount, the Zenbook A14 with Snapdragon X2 Elite is now at a smarter price of $999.99 at Best Buy, compared its siblings.

Why buy the ASUS Zenbook A14?

For starters, ASUS' Zenbook A14 laptop with Snapdragon X2 Elite offers vastly superior performance for casual use and heavy workloads compared to its 2025 Snapdragon X Plus predecessor, while also outperforming Apple's M5 chip.

Additionally, this laptop also earned high praise from us for its exceptional battery life of 17 hours per charge, crisp 14-inch OLED display that runs at 1920x1200 resolution with a max refresh rate of 60Hz, and vast selection of USB4, HDMI 2.1, and USB-A ports.

Plus, this version of the ASUS Zenbook A14 laptop also has Wi-Fi 7 support for faster and more stable wireless internet connections.

So, if you're looking for a lightweight, compact Windows laptop that will make mincemeat out of CPU-heavy apps and workflows, then the ASUS Zenbook A14 laptop with the Snapdragon X2 Elite CPU will serve you well in the office or school.

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Thankfully, Razer didn't phone it in.

The new Razer | XBOX 25 Anniversary Collection (now available) takes three existing Razer products, the BlackWidow V4 75%, Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, and Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed, and transforms them with translucent green shells, Xbox detailing, and some fantastic use of RGB lighting. Razer officially announced the limited-edition collection in August, describing it as a collaboration with Xbox celebrating 25 years of the brand.

I've now spent some time with all three, and there's one product that immediately stands above the rest.

The keyboard is ridiculously good.

The BlackWidow V4 75% is the star of the show

If I could only buy one thing from this collection, it would unquestionably be the BlackWidow V4 75%.

It's absolutely awesome-looking in person.

The translucent green chassis and keycaps make exceptionally good use of Razer's Chroma lighting because you're not simply seeing RGB through the legends. The light spills through the translucent structure of the keyboard itself, illuminating the switches and keys and giving the whole thing this glowing, almost radioactive Xbox-green appearance.

My photos don't really do it justice. I've generally kept mine predominantly green for obvious reasons, but you aren't locked into the Xbox color scheme. Razer Chroma gives you full RGB customization, including per-key lighting, while the keyboard also has two-sided underglow.

There are some lovely smaller touches, too. The spacebar carries the XBOX 25 branding; there are Xbox-inspired symbols scattered across the keycaps, and the familiar ABXY colors appear around the arrow cluster. Razer has even included a dedicated Xbox key for opening Game Bar.

But perhaps my favorite finishing touch is sitting in front of the keyboard.

The included magnetic wrist rest has Razer and XBOX 25 branding prominently printed on it in green, and that's the type of detail that pushes this beyond feeling like a basic special-edition colorway. It completes the look.

More importantly, this isn't just a keyboard that photographs well. It feels fantastic to type on (read our original BlackWidow V4 75% review for more details).

Razer uses its Orange Tactile Switches Gen-3 here, while retaining the BlackWidow V4 75%'s hot-swappable design.

At $209.99 on Razer.com, it's admittedly not cheap. But if I'm buying something specifically because it's a limited Xbox 25th-anniversary edition, I want it to actually feel special. This does.

The Basilisk V3 Pro 35K completes the look

My second favorite is easily the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K (see my review of the original non-35K Razer Basilisk V3 Pro for more info).

I'm already a fan of the Basilisk line, and underneath the translucent green makeover, this remains a very capable wireless gaming mouse. You get Razer's Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2, HyperScroll Tilt Wheel, 13 customizable controls, HyperSpeed Wireless connectivity, and Chroma RGB.

Razer lists up to 140 hours of battery life over HyperSpeed Wireless as well.

However, once again, it's the execution of the anniversary design that makes the difference.

The translucent green upper shell lets you see hints of the mouse's internal structure, while XBOX 25 branding runs down the side. RGB lighting beneath the mouse creates a bright green glow that makes it look fantastic beside the BlackWidow.

Honestly, if you're getting the keyboard, you really should just get the mouse too (sorry about your wallet).

There's even a translucent green 2.4GHz wireless dongle! Nobody needed to do that. Razer did it anyway, and that's precisely my point about this collection. Everywhere I look, there's another little bit of attention to detail.

The Basilisk costs $179.99 on Razer.com. Yes, Razer has subsequently moved the Basilisk family forward, so you're not buying the newest generation simply because this is a new Xbox edition. But considering what you're really paying for here, namely an excellent mouse transformed into a collectible anniversary design, I'm not going to complain too much.

The Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed does exactly what it needs to

Finally, there are the Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed earbuds.

I've been using these with my ASUS Xbox Ally X, where they've made a great little companion for handheld gaming. They sound great, and the transparent green design is wonderfully nostalgic without looking cheap.

The earbuds themselves are translucent right down through the stems, while the charging case gets the same treatment with a large XBOX 25 logo across the front. It's distinctive without Razer needing to reinvent the product underneath.

To be clear, I'm not sure what else Razer could have done here.

These support both Razer HyperSpeed Wireless over 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.3, including Razer SmartSwitch, alongside up to 35 hours of total battery life. They're also IPX4-rated, and Razer lists surround-sound support across Xbox and PC.

At $119.99 on Razer.com, they're also the least expensive route into the collection.

This is how you do an anniversary collection

The three anniversary models carry roughly a $10 to $20 premium over their standard counterparts, depending on the product. That's the sort of "special edition tax" I can live with when I'm actually getting something special in return.

And, in my opinion, Razer really went over the top here.

There's a consistency across all three products that makes them feel like an actual collection, rather than three unrelated products that happen to share a logo and color. Put the BlackWidow and Basilisk together on a desk, and they look fantastic.

The translucent green plastic immediately evokes Xbox, while the XBOX 25 logos, custom keycaps, ABXY colors, wrist-rest embroidery, RGB implementation, and even that ridiculous little green wireless dongle demonstrate that somebody cared about sweating the details.

And that's ultimately why I like these so much.

Razer started with some of its best hardware rather than using Xbox's anniversary to dress up cheaper peripherals, and then went far enough with the aesthetic changes that they feel genuinely unique.

The Razer | XBOX 25 Anniversary Collection is available to order from October 20, with the BlackWidow V4 75% at $209.99, Basilisk V3 Pro 35K at $179.99, and Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed at $119.99.

These are limited edition, so don't be shocked if they sell out.

If I were choosing only one, I'd take the BlackWidow without hesitation. (But let's be honest: the keyboard and mouse belong together.)

A+ from me, Razer. This is how you do anniversary hardware.

Hit me up in the comments if you have any questions while I still have these on hand! And you can follow the rest of our XBOX 25 coverage as we round out 2026.

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That document outlines how long each Surface device will receive driver and firmware updates.

The support window for the Surface Laptop Ultra is not surprising. In fact, it's perfectly in line with other Surface devices. Microsoft splits its driver and firmware lifecycle into two different categories: devices released before January 1, 2021 and devices released on or after January 1, 2021.

Devices that shipped before 2021 receive at least four years of driver and firmware updates. All Surface PCs in that category have already reached the end of the driver and firmware lifecycle.

The Surface Laptop Ultra will continue to receive driver and firmware updates until October 16, 2032. Microsoft is quite specific about its lifecycles. For context, the newly launched Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch will only receive driver and firmware updates until October 13, 2032.

Surface Laptop Ultra owners will need to make sure their PC is running a version of Windows 11 from the prior 30 months to continue to receive driver and firmware updates.

Even when a device reaches the end of its driver and firmware lifecycle, it will continue to receive Windows 11 updates.

Firmware is low-level software built into hardware components, while drivers allow Windows to communicate with those parts. Driver and firmware updates keep everything running smoothly. They can fix hardware bugs, battery drain, and security flaws behind the scenes.

Six years is a fair time for a PC to receive driver and firmware updates. Generally, the biggest bugs and issues should be sorted by the end of the Surface Laptop Ultra's driver and firmware lifecycle.

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For example, the HP Omnibook X Flip 2-in-1, with its crisp 16-inch display, all-day battery, and next-gen performance, is currently on sale with a 25% discount for $1,199.99 at Best Buy.

Why buy the HP Omnibook X Flip 16" laptop?

This configuration of the HP Omnibook X Flip 2-in-1 is the total package when it comes to casual use and productivity efficiency thanks to its AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 CPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD, offering fast performance when running programs, transferring files, or simply booting up.

It also features a 16" 2K OLED Touchscreen that delivers vibrant colors with 100% DCI-P3 coverage for accurate colors and 120Hz adaptive refresh rates to deliver smooth visuals.

On top of that, the HP Omnibook X Flip features an NPU with 50 TOPS to help perform local AI tasks, a smart hybrid build that can swap between laptop, tent, reverse, and tablet modes, and a massive battery life of 15 hours before needing a recharge.

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Lenovo is aiming its 15.3-inch Pro 9n directly at creators handling demanding 3D rendering and video editing tasks. Its 2.5K OLED display with Pantone color validation, its four Dolby Atmos speakers, its pen-enabled haptic touchpad, and its newfound RTX performance all play into this direction.

Of course, thanks to NVIDIA's RTX Spark chip, it's also suited for local AI workflows, software development, and gaming.

I received the new RTX Spark-powered Lenovo Pro 9n laptop a couple of days ahead of the review embargo. I've been using it steadily since then to get some early first impressions before I start harassing it with benchmarking software. Here's what I've learned so far.

This hands-on was made possible by a review sample provided by Lenovo. The company had no input on the content of this article, nor did it see the article before it was published.

Lenovo Pro 9n: What's in the box?

The Yoga 9n laptop comes packaged — in a fully recyclable box — with a fairly compact 140W USB-C power adapter.

I haven't actually had to use it yet at the time of writing this portion, as all the downloads and puttering around I've done so far on the PC have only sapped the battery to about 35%. I talk about battery life, good and bad, in more detail below.

Lenovo also bundles the Yoga Pen (Gen 2) with each laptop. It's designed to work with the new pen-enabled haptic touchpad (which Lenovo calls a Force Pad), giving users plenty of space to sketch, draw, design, and write.

Lenovo Pro 9n early impressions — 3 things I already love

Lenovo's Pro 9n already has several features that stand out to me after a couple of days of use. I've rounded them up here to give you an idea of what we're working with.

I've also included some of the more concerning things I've noticed, which you'll definitely want to check out if you're thinking about buying this laptop.

Let's start with the good stuff.

Battery life seems solid ... most of the time

Battery life falls into both categories: What I like and what I'm worried about.

First impressions are very good. As mentioned, the laptop is sitting at about 35% after a day of downloads and tinkering around. That's with the PC adjusting its own power profile depending on the task at hand.

If you aren't hammering the hardware and are instead browsing the web, streaming video, answering email, etc., I'm confident that the laptop will deliver awesome battery life for day-to-day tasks.

I explain the flipside to the battery segment below.

Inking on the haptic touchpad

The Pro 9n's display accepts touch input, but it does not work with the Yoga Pen (Gen 2). Instead, the Pro 9n's new haptic touchpad measuring about 3.74 x 5.9 inches (95mm x 150mm) is pen-enabled.

As someone who rarely uses an active pen on any laptop that's not at least a convertible (allowing me to rotate the display around for tablet mode), I love this change.

The oversized touchpad provides plenty of space to work, and the feel and sound of the pen nib on the surface come out natural. The pen has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity thanks to AES 3.0, far more than I'm used to.

Lining up the touchpad area and the on-screen canvas takes a bit of guesswork, but I'll try it in more apps between now and my full review.

Display quality is outstanding

The Yoga 9n's 15.3-inch display uses a "PureSight Pro" OLED panel with X-Rite Pantone calibration, ensuring it's ready for specialized design work requiring accurate color reproduction.

It might be the slim bezels, or it might be the 2560x1600 resolution; in any case, it feels a lot larger than 15.3 inches.

I haven't tested it with a colorimeter yet, but Lenovo says the screen can hit 1,100 nits peak brightness with HDR enabled. I'd wager that's about right, because this thing gets very bright and I've had only minor issues with glare.

It's super smooth too, thanks to a 165Hz variable refresh rate that can automatically lower or raise depending on what you're doing. Lenovo wanted to deliver a screen for creators, and it certainly seems like it achieved its goal.

Lenovo Pro 9n early impressions — 3 things I like less

Admittedly, these three aspects I like less could turn out to be nothingburgers once I've spent more time with the PC. In any case, here they are, including more information about battery life.

A rather plain design

The Lenovo Pro 9n's design is not exactly inspiring.

This isn't just an issue I have with Lenovo's RTX Spark PC; it's largely the same across the entire product catalog, including ASUS, Dell, HP, MSI, and Surface. I imagine second-gen devices will receive a bit more flair, especially as brands branch out into more focused approaches.

In Lenovo's case, with such an emphasis on modern creators, the plain design doesn't quite sit right. Let me know in the comments section below if you disagree with me or have more to add on the subject.

I will say that the laptop is super sleek and not nearly as heavy as I was expecting. It only weighs about 3.6 pounds (1.6kg), and it's well balanced. Port selection is also quite good, with dual Thunderbolt 4, dual USB-A, HDMI 2.1, SD card reader, and 3.5mm audio jack.

Will it overheat?

The first few hours with the Lenovo Pro 9n involved some noticeably hot surfaces, but that seems to have abated now that it's all set up and finished downloading/installing updates.

Playing games causes heat to rise, especially when the AC adapter is plugged in, and it will be interesting to monitor actual temperatures and whether or not the dual-fan system can keep up with sustained heavy loads.

Battery life ... again

As noted, battery life seems great when you aren't pushing the system with anything too demanding.

I need a lot more time with the laptop to get a better idea of how efficient it can be, and I am concerned about how long the battery will last when the PC is under heavy load, for AI work or for gaming.

I gave The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt Remastered a brief play last night, and what I saw was not exactly inspiring. I was getting about 10 minutes of gaming from each 10% of battery, with NVIDIA's Multi Frame Generation turned on and off.

Final thoughts on the Lenovo Pro 9n before a full review

Lenovo's Pro 9n has a lot to unpack, and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of what this new class of PC can do. First impressions are generally positive, although, as noted, there are some concerns about battery life and heat.

Do you have any questions that need answering regarding the Lenovo Pro 9n or the RTX Spark platform in general? Drop them in the comments section below, and I'll do my best to address them in my full review.

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Antonline is getting in on the launch-day action by offering Microsoft Surface and Lenovo laptops packed with the RTX Spark, and we've rounded up Antonline's available RTX Spark offers for your perusal.

Do note that some of Antonline's RTX Spark laptop offers are only up for pre-order, while others are not in stock yet, so check back on its website frequently for stock updates.

What is the RTX Spark?

The RTX Spark is a brand-new ARM-based superchip platform designed by NVIDIA to make a PC more efficient when running high-end PC games and local AI-workflow tasks securely without compromising its performance.

The RTX Spark has an NVIDIA Grace CPU that can support up to 20 cores for boosted performance efficiency, and its Blackwell-generation RTX GPU has gaming performance rates on par with the RTX 5070 graphics card,

Additionally, the RTX Spark can support up to 128GB of unified RAM between its CPU and GPU, and it can generate up to 1,000 TOPS to boost its power when running local AI workflows.

One of our tech experts, Zac Bowden, recently benchmark-tested the RTX Spark and concluded that, and I quote, "RTX Spark is a super interesting chipset. It's forward leaning in a lot of ways, built on the Arm64 architecture that delivers serious performance and great efficiency. While its N1X CPU is just okay, its Blackwell RTX GPU really shines.

This is the first time we've seen RTX 4070-5070 level performance in an SoC that is this small and efficient. It's optimized for AI workloads, which is its strongest workflow by far. Quantized AI models run great, and with up to 128GB of unified memory, most mainstream models will fit entirely on the GPU without a hitch."

Zac also mentions that while it's great for content creators and gamers, the RTX Spark is best recommended for workers who run AI models locally all day, develop software, crunch complex data, and manage source code using thin laptops.

So, If you're one of those hard-working data crunchers in need of a powerful productivity laptop, then laptops built with the RTX Spark are for you.

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That trend ends this weekend.

I have a 10-hour round trip to contend with, and after playing around with Lenovo's Pro 9n laptop powered by NVIDIA's new RTX Spark chip this past week, I'm ready to make it earn its accolades.

Can it really be my one-stop device for AAA gaming AND for work, just like what was advertised countless times in the lead-up to launch? Here's what it needs to prove to me.

What the RTX Spark platform needs to prove on a 10-hour trip

There are several key points that I want to confirm, and a 10-hour road trip seems like the perfect testing ground as I work on a full review of the Lenovo Pro 9n.

There are some areas where I do expect the RTX Spark platform to fall short, which I've also noted below.

Is ray tracing worth turning on when I'm not near an AC adapter?

One of the RTX Spark platform's biggest selling points is its Blackwell-class RTX GPU supporting all of NVIDIA's latest upscaling and frame-gen goodies.

I already gave The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt Remastered a try with ray tracing and multi-frame generation turned on, and although it looked glorious on the 15.3-inch OLED display, it sapped battery by about 10% every 10 minutes.

That doesn't bode well for efficiency, but I'm curious to see if I can dial it in by lowering settings like resolution or refresh rate. I really want ray tracing to be a worthwhile option without AC power.

Can I replace two devices with one?

Is having everything contained within the same PC actually simpler? Long-time gaming laptop users will probably say yes. Heck, I'd lean towards an affirmative if I wasn't testing it out myself this weekend.

But there are two sides to this question.

On one hand, it's nice to have a dedicated gaming device that I can put away when it's time to focus on work. On the other hand, I'll have a lot more room in my bag without an extra charger and an encased gaming handheld. A standard controller is much easier to slip into my bag.

The Pro 9n will have to handle any work I throw its way and be ready to switch to gaming on the fly, all while balancing heat and battery life.

Can the battery survive a real travel day?

The Steam Deck, and any gaming handheld for that matter, can be extremely efficient or inefficient depending on the game you're playing. The same ultimately goes for RTX Spark laptops.

Considering I plan to split time evenly between work — involving writing, hotspot web browsing, photo editing, etc. — and gaming, I'm hoping that one or the other doesn't leave me out to dry.

I do have the ability to plug in if required, and that will be another test of how much heat is created in a cramped cabin as the battery recharges.

Where I expect my RTX Spark laptop to fall short

Gaming handhelds are ergonomic, comfortable, and don't produce a lot of heat. A lot of that goes out the window when using a 15.3-inch laptop.

Sure, I'll have an ergonomic gamepad in hand part of the time, but I'll need to keep the laptop on my lap while gaming. Will it get too hot to handle? Will I feel too cramped in my seat? In those cases, I'll no doubt be wishing for my Steam Deck.

What I need from you

My testing results from this weekend will inevitably end up in my full Lenovo Pro 9n review that I'm already working on, and act as the most compelling evidence as to why I did (or didn't) give up my Steam Deck for an RTX laptop.

I'm more than open to other suggestions on how to test the gaming/work balance on the RTX Spark platform. I urge you to drop your most pressing questions in the comments section below, and I'll do my best to address them.

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Unlike most Surface PCs we see ship these days, the Surface Laptop Ultra is a lot of firsts for Microsoft. It's the first ultra-class Surface Laptop, designed from the ground up to compete squarely with high-end professional creator or developer mobile workstations.

It's also the first Surface to ship with a new silicon partner in the way of NVIDIA and the RTX Spark, which the entire ecosystem is rallying around to give Windows on Arm a shot in the arm. It's also Microsoft's first ever Mini LED screen, and the world's first laptop to ship with magnetic USB-C charging.

What I find fascinating about Surface Laptop Ultra however is that it exists because Microsoft's own developers and engineers wanted it. They built this laptop for themselves. It feels like the company got tired of looking over the fence at the MacBook Pro, and decided "why don't we just make our own version of that?"

It really is Microsoft's most powerful and most capable Surface PC ever, and a great stage for Windows. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best Surface PC for everyone. I've been testing the laptop over the last 8 days, and here are my thoughts on Microsoft's new flagship computer.

This review was made possible thanks to a review unit supplied by NVIDIA & Microsoft. Neither company had editorial input and did not see the contents of this review prior to publication.

Price & Availability

Surface Laptop Ultra is Microsoft's most expensive Surface Laptop to date. It starts at an eyewatering $2,599 for the entry-level configuration with 24GB of RAM, 512GB SSD storage, and an 18-core RTX Spark with 5,120 GPU cores. That's an expensive laptop, and it only gets worse the higher you climb up the specs ladder.

The model I've reviewed is the very top end configuration, with a crazy 128GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and a 20-core RTX Spark with 6,144 GPU cores. That model will set you back $5,899, which at these prices basically makes this a $6,000 laptop. That's an insane amount of money to spend on a laptop, but this configuration only really exists for professionals who need the extra power to run local agents and data crunching.

For video creators, gamers, and prosumers, you'll be more than well served with the lower tier models with 24-32GB RAM. All models come with the same mini LED screen, speaker setup, ports, keyboard, and trackpad. It's also available in Platinum or Nightfall colorways (aka, silver and black.)

Design & Ports

We have to start with how this thing looks, and we do need to address the fruit-shaped elephant in the room. Yes, Surface Laptop Ultra looks an awful lot like a MacBook Pro. I wouldn't blame the layman for even thinking it was a MacBook Pro from a distance. The square edges, large trackpad, and minimalist design echo the MacBook Pro from pretty much every angle.

But I'm not here to tell you that's a bad thing. The MacBook Pro is a beautiful device, which is to say Surface Laptop Ultra is also very beautiful. In fact, I think it even improves upon the MacBook Pro's design in subtle ways. The keyboard deck isn't surrounded by a plastic bezel like on MacBook Pro, instead it's softly indented into the metal keyboard deck which looks lush and seamless.

The corners on Surface Laptop Ultra are also a little rounder than the MacBook Pro, a design choice that trickles down from the corners of the chassis to the keys on the keyboard, and corners on the trackpad. It's an entirely consistent and well thought out design, which I highly appreciate.

Microsoft also doesn't suffer from the godawful notch that you'll find on a MacBook Pro. Surface Laptop Ultra's display bezels are uniform along the left and right, and slightly thicker on the top to accommodate the Windows Hello IR face unlock sensors, which are much better than a fingerprint reader.

I should also mention that the display hinge on this laptop is perfectly tuned. It opens with one finger, and is perfectly balanced to provide a satisfying level of friction as you open and close it. It's also rock solid when typing, meaning it doesn't wobble around at all when on a desk.

The port selection is good enough. It features three USB-C ports, a USB-A port, a 3.5mm audio jack, HDMI 2.1, and a full-sized SD card reader. Of course, the star of the show in the ports department is Microsoft's clever magnetic USB-C port, which replaces the proprietary Surface Connect charge port found on older Surface Laptops.

It's great to see a laptop manufacturer attempting to innovate and improve on the universal USB-C standard. Here, we have a USB-C port that is compatible with all your USB-C peripherals, but it's also magnetized, and with the included charging cable, magnetically snaps to the device just like Apple MagSafe, while using the same universal USB-C port.

How did Microsoft do this? Well, most of the innovation is actually on the cable side. On the laptop itself, the only real change is that the USB-C port is slightly wider at its opening, but the rest of the USB-C port itself is typical in its design. Microsoft placed magnets on either side of the port, and redesigned the USB-C connector that's attached to the cable to allow for the magnetic connection to be seamless.

The cable's male USB-C end is shallower than a normal USB-C connection. This allows for it to connect to the USB-C port without clicking in, which is what locks a cable to a USB-C port normally. Instead, the magnets hold it in place, which enables the breakaway design that differentiates this USB-C port from the rest.

That does mean the USB-C cable that comes included only works with Surface Laptop Ultra, and only in this particular port. Microsoft realized this would be a problem, and designed the power brick that comes with Surface Laptop Ultra in a way that allows the magnetic cable to attach to the brick instead. The other end of the charging cable is a normal male USB-C end, which connects to any USB-C port you want.

So you can still use the Surface Laptop Ultra's power brick and cable on any device or any port you like, you just have to plug the magnetic end into the power brick first. It's a genius design, and proves that Microsoft really thought of everything when it comes to this unique magnetic USB-C experience. I love it, and I hope to see it on more laptops in the future.

Surface Laptop Ultra is available in just two colorways: Platinum and Nightfall. To me, I think the Platinum version looks the nicest, but the Nightfall version looks clean too. The good news is the dark color does a relatively good job at fending off fingerprints thanks to an anti-fingerprint coating that has been applied to the chassis.

Display & Features

Surface Laptop Ultra ships with Microsoft's first ever mini-LED display, which delivers better contrast and brighter peak brightness over your standard LCD that has been found in all other Surface Laptops to date. Unlike an LCD, the Surface Laptop Ultra's mini-LED screen packs 1,344 local dimming zones, which allows the laptop to dim darker areas of the screen that don't need as much light.

This number is not as high as the mini-LED screen on the MacBook Pro, and this results in a bit of blooming around bright elements on a dark background. If you use Windows in light mode, this will almost never bother you. But in dark mode, in a dimly lit environment, it becomes quite a bit more apparent.

The backlight also takes a fraction of a second to keep up with what's going on on your screen. If you move a bright window around on a dark background, you'll notice the backlight brightening and dimming around the edges of the window. This gives off a slight ghosting effect which degrades the 120Hz refresh rate somewhat. It isn't noticeable at all in light mode, however.

This all leads me to say I wish Microsoft had opted for an OLED panel on the Surface Laptop Ultra. I've been daily driving OLED displays for the better part of a year now, and a mini-LED panel just isn't a vibrant or contrasty as an OLED display can be. The mini LED display is good, but not the best on the market, and it's certainly no OLED.

Microsoft tells me it opted for mini LED over OLED primarily for the brightness and efficiency gains. At 2,000 nits peak brightness, it is the brightest screen ever put on a Surface. But Tandem OLED displays are also very capable of reaching similar peak brightness levels these days, and so I feel the benefits of a mini LED screen don't carry much weight here.

If you're coming from a standard LCD, the mini LED screen will be nothing but an upgrade to you. It's color accurate, very bright, and its high resolution and 120Hz make reading text and scrolling webpages look and feel great. But if you're coming from a MacBook Pro mini LED screen, or an OLED display, you will notice the downgrade in contrast and more noticeable blooming.

• What is Mini LED? Everything you need to know about display tech

The display is also a touch screen, which is the case on pretty much all Surface PCs since the line began in 2012. Microsoft truly believes that touch has a place on the laptop form factor, and I agree with it. Being able to reach out to tap on a notification or hit OK on a window prompt is really nice, even if I don't use it all the time.

For pen lovers, sadly the Surface Laptop Ultra does not support pen input. Microsoft dropped pen input from the Surface Laptop with Surface Laptop 7, and the Surface Laptop Ultra has not restored it. This makes sense however, as the screen does not lay flat so drawing on it would be uncomfortable.

I also want to mention the fact that Surface Laptop Ultra features a user upgradeable SSD drive. That means you don't have to splash out on the most storage at the checkout screen. You can opt for a lower amount, and when you finally fill it, upgrade the SSD to something larger later down the line. You can't say that about the MacBook Pro.

Unfortunately, Surface Laptop Ultra is missing a key quality of life feature that I have come to enjoy on other flagship Windows laptops over the last year: presence sensing capabilities. My daily driver is able to wake up and go to sleep whenever I approach it or walk away, and Surface Laptop Ultra is missing this functionality entirely. A crying shame.

It's also missing all Copilot+ PC features currently. Microsoft tells me that RTX Spark is a Copilot+ PC capable chip, but that the suite of Copilot+ PC features aren't yet ready for the platform, and to expect them to show up in the coming months. The RTX Spark has a 50 TOPS NPU that will power these experiences when they finally do arrive.

Keyboard & Trackpad

Surface has always delivered excellent keyboard and trackpad experiences, but Surface Laptop Ultra might be on a whole other level. This is probably the best keyboard and trackpad experience I've ever had on a Windows laptop to date. The keyboard is comfortable, tactile, and quiet, with 1.4mm key travel which is incredibly satisfying and not at all fatiguing.

The keys themselves are slightly rounder than the keys found on Surface Laptop 8, which I think is more comfortable and looks nicer as a result. It features a three-stage backlight, a Copilot key (which can be changed,) and a dedicated microphone mute key. It's pretty much perfect in every way.

But what I really want to talk about is the trackpad. It's the largest trackpad ever fitted to a Surface, and that makes a huge difference in how easy it is to use. There's so much room for activities, and you'll never find yourself at the edge of the trackpad because you needed to drag a file and ran out of room.

Palm rejection is also very good. I never once had an issue with the trackpad being in the way when typing, which means Microsoft has done a good job at ensuring the trackpad's side isn't impeding the typing experience. The trackpad itself is haptic, and feels great to click on, with strength adjustability in Windows Settings so you can really dial in just how strong that haptic feedback is.

But the new trackpad also supports Windows 11's new haptic system, which introduces subtle haptic feedback when interacting with different UI elements across Windows. When you snap an app window, or drag files across folders, you'll feel haptic bumps under your finger in the trackpad that are different from the usual click down sensation it provides. It's genuinely great.

Camera & Audio

It's a Surface, so you can and should expect great cameras and microphones on Surface Laptop Ultra. The webcam is a 1080p shooter that looks more than fine for video calls, Teams meetings, and recorded presentations. In low light, the image does get a little noisy, but not any more than any other high-end webcams on the market.

The shining star in this department are the built-in studio mics, which are very very good. They sound studio quality, with rich bass and far-field mics that do a very good job at tuning out background noise to ensure the things that you are saying are captured clearly and well.

I also need to take a moment to talk about the built-in speakers on this laptop. They are superb. Again, probably the best I've tried in a Windows laptop to date, and give the MacBook Pro 14-inch a run for its money. There's a clear sound stage, highs are crisp and bass is rich.

Performance & Battery

I've already published an in-depth look at the performance of RTX Spark on Surface Laptop Ultra, which you can read here if you're interested, so there won't be raw performance benchmark numbers in this review.

The TL:DR for that however is that the RTX Spark is a powerful chip, with okay CPU performance but great GPU performance. It's capable of playing most games at 1440p high settings above 60fps, and top end configs can fit large AI models directly onto the GPU for faster processing. But it trails behind the latest high-end Apple Silicon, and is more in-line with current-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite or last-gen Apple M4 Pro in overall performance.

By default, the 128GB Surface Laptop Ultra ships with its unified memory in a 50/50 split configuration. Users are free to adjust this in the NVIDIA app, which is good for when you need to give either the system or your GPU more RAM for whatever task it is you're completing. It requires a restart to apply, which frustratingly takes a long time on the Surface Laptop Ultra.

Performance is great for the most part. In day to day usage, it's blazing fast and is able to crunch through pretty much any workload I'd want to throw at a mobile workstation such as this. With that said, there are a couple of oddities related to performance that I feel I should mention.

Compared to other devices I have on hand, the Surface Laptop Ultra sometimes takes twice as long to restart. I'm talking over 2 minutes from hitting restart to being back on the lock screen, which is about double the amount of time it takes all the other laptops in my possession. Microsoft says they are investigating.

Surface Laptop Ultra also ships with the "Best Power Efficiency" profile set by default. This is unusual, as most Surface PCs ship with their power profile set to balanced. Microsoft says it does this to maximize battery life, but that does come at the cost of performance.

I've found that overall performance can be slashed by up to a quarter or even half when in this default mode. So if you want to make the most of your RTX Spark PC, be sure to change the power mode in Windows Settings to either Balanced or Best Performance. I usually set the on-battery mode to Balanced, and the plugged in state to Best Performance.

On the subject of battery life, the Surface Laptop Ultra's endurance is just fine. It's not class leading by any stretch, but I can definitely get through the work day without much fuss, though this will depend on your workload. Our Procyon battery life benchmark test lasted around 14 hours, and in real world use I was getting close to about 10.

But if your workload heavily leans on the GPU, you can expect to halve that number. The GPU is quite efficient for the power it outputs, but it's still a GPU and it's still hungry. So if you know you'll be using the GPU a lot throughout the day, you'll want to bring the charger with you.

With that said, sleep endurance is very good for the level of power this laptop outputs. I put the laptop to sleep at about midnight, and open the lid 10 hours later, and it's only drained one, maybe two percent from the battery. Very good on that front!

Under max load, the Surface Laptop Ultra gets quite warm. While the keys themselves remain at an okay temperature, the top part of the keyboard deck gets very toasty. I measured 123 F at its hottest under max load, which is approaching "oh that's hot" territory.

I also noticed quite audible coil whine when under max load on my Surface Laptop Ultra. This isn't a problem in day to day use, but whenever the GPU is being used, I can hear buzzing coming from inside the keyboard chassis. If you're sensitive to that kind of thing, it will annoy you.

Fan noise is acceptable even at max load. I measure around 42 decibels at its loudest, and that was after running a benchmark for 10 minutes. In normal use, the fans rarely come on, though it does run slightly warm on your lap as a result.

Conclusion

✅ You should buy this if ...

• You are a software developer utilizing on-device AI
• You live and breathe large language models and agentic workflows
• You need a beefy GPU in a portable and efficient package
• You need lots of RAM

❎ You should not buy this if ...

• You aren't interested in AI or agentic workflows
• You only need a PC for standard productivity tasks
• You occasionally game or edit video (get something cheaper)
• You want something thin and light

Surface Laptop Ultra is great, but it's not something I can comfortably recommend everyone go out and buy, especially at these high prices. At the base level, it doesn't offer enough to justify the added cost over a Surface Laptop 8 with 24GB RAM. You do get the more beefy GPU and "better" display, but that comes at the cost of portability and battery life.

The Mini LED screen isn't the upgrade I was hoping it would be. For those who have only ever used a standard LCD their whole life, I'm sure you will appreciate the added brightness. But the ghosting issue is annoying and I think most people will notice it. I would have much preferred an OLED on a laptop this expensive.

Battery life is also just okay, which, again, for a laptop of this size and weight, leaves something to be desired. You can get longer day to day use out of a thinner and lighter Surface Laptop 8, which I think most people would prefer over the raw power that Surface Laptop Ultra offers.

And that brings me back to my original point. This isn't a laptop for everyone. It's a laptop for those who know they need it, and it's mainly for AI developers and high-end content creators. If you find yourself leaning on local agents to complete tasks for you, or enjoy generating images and videos using AI models, this is the laptop for you.

If you're someone who just needs a laptop for productivity tasks that includes a little bit of photo and video editing, and sometimes some gaming, there are cheaper laptops out there that will do that job very well.

Is this the MacBook Pro for Windows? I think it is. But it's not the perfect MacBook Pro alternative just yet. RTX Spark isn't at the same level as high-end MacBook Pro silicon, the Mini LED screen isn't best in class, and battery life could use some improvement.

Those tablets aren't really direct competition to the Surface Pro, but they do have a feature I'm envious of. The nanomatte screen on one of those Amazon Alexa tablets would be perfect on a Surface Pro.

Matte displays reduce glare by diffusing light. Because the screens bounce light in different directions, the image can appear grainy. An extreme example of this is if you get a cheap matte screen protector for your phone, but even a premium PC with a matte finish can look a bit grainy.

The nanomatte display Amazon uses in its new tablets etches the screen in a way that aligns with the pixels of the display. Amazon praises the displays for providing "a first-of-its-kind cinematic viewing experience, with incredible contrast retention in bright conditions and text that feels like it’s sitting on top of the glass."

I'm not sure I agree with the claim that it's a world first. Apple's nano-texture technology is similar to what Amazon unveiled. But even if Amazon is not a pioneer in the space, it has a device with a screen I'm envious of.

Microsoft has been oddly resistant to anti-glare displays. Surface was late to the party on adding them to any device and has been selective with where it offers the screens.

Even as recently as this year, Surface Laptop 8 shoppers needed to choose between an anti-glare display or 5G connectivity.

Our Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino argued back in 2020 that Microsoft needed to use anti-reflective displays in Surface PCs. Anti-reflective screens are different from anti-glare displays, but both aim to improve visibility in bright environments.

Microsoft has yet to fully embrace anti-glare screens and it holds back Surface hardware.

The anti-glare display of the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro also has a texture that makes pen usage feel more natural. The screen is meant to make it feel like you're writing on paper, not a perfectly smooth piece of glass.

It's not surprising that a device made by Panay has features that would fit perfectly on a Surface. He shaped the Surface brand as much as anyone, and he took his expertise over to Amazon.

But as I mentioned earlier, the Alexa tablets are not competitors to the Surface Pro, so they can't serve as replacements either. The Alexa tablets run on Android and have access to the Google Play Store. That's a welcome change to the locked-down Fire Tablets of the past, but it's a far cry from a Windows-powered 2-in-1.

I'd love to see Microsoft replicate the nanomatte finish of the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro on a Surface Pro in the future. The finish would help those using the Surface Pro in bright settings and also improve the feel of using a stylus.

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Indeed, Google isn't building any first-party devices. Unlike Chromebook, these new Android-based offerings come only from OEMs like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. 14-inch Windows laptops have quickly become my favorite, with ASUS' Zenbook in the lead, so the $1,299 ASUS Googlebook 14 is intriguing.

Admittedly, that mild intrigue is tempered by skepticism, given the ongoing controversy over app compatibility for the average consumer. I still see people blasting Windows on ARM devices as an inferior experience, despite Qualcomm's efforts with Snapdragon X2 chips proving that to be largely false.

With that in mind, could I ever seriously expect the general public to adopt another operating system with fewer features than Windows, less customization than Linux, and some pricing sensibilities of Mac? Offered a chance to test-drive a sample from ASUS, I couldn't resist. Here's how it went.

ASUS Googlebook 14: What I like

The ASUS Googlebook 14 looks (and feels) great, which didn't surprise me, given how much I've enjoyed the company's recent design evolutions. Its chassis is coated in a magnesium-aluminum alloy, which explicitly avoids being labeled as the same Ceraluminum as its Zenbooks, but it's extremely similar.

Perhaps most impressive is its weight; ASUS claims the Googlebook 14 starts at 0.99 kg (2.18 lbs), but my scales place it closer to 0.97 kg (2.13 lbs). I'm a big fan of this emerging trend, having adored the Zenbook A14 at 2.18 lbs. Yes, it comes with extra screen flex, but I don't make a habit of bending my laptops.

OLED displays rarely disappoint either, and sure enough, this 16:10 panel also looks great. I'm still getting used to matte screens, and frankly, I almost want to avoid touching it to prevent fingerprints. Nevertheless, it's rated for up to 450 nits of brightness and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. Good for creators.

Finally, the chiclet keyboard has a 1.5mm key travel, which is relatively deep and feels good enough. The 6-inch haptic touchpad, however, is immediately fantastic. Left-clicking works anywhere, and it responds convincingly when pressed. I'll even commend the I/O for keeping USB-A ports around.

ASUS Googlebook 14: What I don't like

Before I had a chance to experience much of Googlebook OS (which can refer to itself as ChromeOS during setup), I was irked by a few user experience oddities. Granted, these are primarily related to my expectations as a Windows user, but when I pressed the Caps Lock button, I expected capital letters.

Instead, Caps Lock defaults to activating a context menu indicated by a plus (+) icon, a sort of one-size-fits-all window that resembles Microsoft's 'Emoji and more' picker. Pressing Fn + Caps Lock delivers what I really wanted, which should be no big deal, just a learning curve. But it keeps going.

There's no delete key, so I need Fn + Backspace for that, which I wouldn't mind if double-tapping the touchpad would drag to select multiple words, but it doesn't work that way; I can only double-tap one word at a time. I suppose I might get used to that, too. Shift + arrow keys still select full lines, after all.

Some aren't as drastic; a single haptic click at the top of an app with maintained contact allows me to drag it around, while double-tapping restores or maximizes as I'd expect. On the other hand, there's no right-click area by default, instead requiring a two-finger tap unless I toggle that touchpad tweak in Settings.

Again, most of these gripes can be so easily dismissed as nothingburger preferences carried over from decades of habits formed on Windows, which is fair, but trying to carry out my daily workflow on the ASUS Googlebook 14 soon had me wondering how much broad appeal this platform will have.

Like an Android smartphone, Google supplies your apps from the Play Store. Starting with Slack shows how a Googlebook handles compatibility by dividing apps into categories ranked from best to worst: Made for desktop, Optimized for desktop, Compatible with desktop, Better on the website, and Built for mobile.

Slack feels like an unlucky starting place for my Googlebook adventure since it lands in the 'Better on the website' category, made worse by a message that says, "This app cannot be installed" as a PWA (Progressive Web App). Installing it anyway is, indeed, a lesser experience than using it in Chrome.

Opening the 'Compatible with desktop' Microsoft Edge brings the entire Googlebook to a strange halt, preventing even Task Manager from opening until I restart, and my chosen video editing suite, DaVinci Resolve, isn't available at all. I know it's in its infancy, but Google's OS isn't thrilling me so far.

ASUS Googlebook 14: What happens next?

All of these impressions came in the first 24 hours of having my hands on this interesting, AI-centric laptop, and there's more to see. Gemini begs me to use it at every turn, but my next step is syncing my Pixel 7 Pro or Galaxy Z Flip 7 to see how features like 'Cast my apps' actually perform.

I'm not writing it off yet, but my first impressions aren't exactly stellar. Even the RGB Glowbar gimmick offers little more than battery-life visibility; almost as frivolous as the illuminated "look what I have" logos on gaming laptop lids. On the software side, OS updates will likely fix many of my complaints.

Still, I won't ignore the outspoken Windows users who have pushed back on Copilot AI integrations in Microsoft's leading OS for the past few years, and I can only wonder who would adopt something fundamentally the same, except built by Google. Are Googlebooks perhaps only appealing to developers?

Either way, I'm impressed with ASUS but unconvinced by Googlebook. The hardware is fantastic, but it comes from the same people who built the Zenbook, so that's hardly a revelation. I'll keep using Googlebook OS for a few more days and see how it feels once the launch hype dies down.

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Breaking that down, Omdia notes that desktop shipments dropped 23.5% and laptops 20.6% to arrive at the average.

This decline is not normal. As IDC notes, Q3 almost always beats Q2, but this year, it's dropped by 9.1% sequentially.

Is there a need to panic? Probably not, at least not more than the new normal, as RAM and storage shortages have pushed prices beyond what many users are willing to pay. Let me explain.

Why did global PC shipments fall off a cliff in Q3 2026?

Both analysts agree that the sharp drop in global PC shipments is due to vendors and supply channels buying up stock earlier in the year. IDC's Jitesh Ubrani says it's the result of "strong first half pull-in" which has "thrown off the usual seasonality".

Despite the RAM and storage crisis already digging its claws into the market in Q1 2026, global PC shipments actually rose by 3.2% on the back of panic buyers, Windows 10 upgraders, and advance vendor stockpiling.

It wasn't until Q2 2026 that global shipments finally dropped year-over-year, this time by 4%. Again, much of the PC market was kept afloat by vendors and supply channels padding out their inventories before prices went any higher.

That momentum has finally tailed off in a major way. Ubrani remarks:

Omdia's Research Director Ishan Dutt agrees, noting that "pull-forward activity buoyed the PC market in the first half of the year" and that the sharp drop in Q3 2026 "comes as no surprise."

Which PC brand got hit the hardest in Q3 2026?

Omdia and IDC both provide detailed numbers as to how many shipments each major PC brand was able to send out in Q3 2026.

According to IDC, HP saw the biggest year-over-year decline at 30.9%, with Lenovo coming in second at a 22.6% decline. Omdia's numbers put HP at -31% and Lenovo at -22.9%, so not much difference.

Moving down IDC's list, Dell was hit by a 25% decline, ASUS by 8.6%, and other brands together by 14%. Despite Apple growing strongly in Q2 2026 thanks to the launch of its MacBook Neo, it also dropped off by 11.3% in Q3.

What does the drop in global PC shipments mean for regular buyers?

Basically, this sharp drop in shipments doesn't mean that you should suddenly see a return to more regular prices.

Vendors and suppliers had to buy their PCs in the first half of 2026 at a much higher price than usual, and they're not likely keen on losing money as they get rid of stock in Q4.

RAM and storage costs have not improved, and IDC's Ubrani notes that "with macro conditions worsening, the risk is that the outlook for the next few quarters gets worse before it gets better."

Offering buying advice here sort of feels futile. On one hand, yes, some vendors might realize they need to offload stock and will offer some tasty discounts that bring prices back into the realm of reality. Unfortunately, I can't guarantee that will happen any time in the near future.

On the other hand, laptops might be at their most affordable right now, and waiting for a great deal will only end up making you pay more later this year or next year. It's a frustrating predicament, to be sure.

It will be interesting to see what Q4 2026 has in store for the global PC market.

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Surprisingly, the Surface Laptop Ultra has the lowest starting price of all the RTX Spark laptops. But Microsoft is pushing to compete with more than just Windows laptops. The tech giant will give you up to $1,000 cash back when you trade in a MacBook Pro and buy a Surface Laptop Ultra.

The cash back you receive would be on top of the trade-in value, not in place of it. Rather than the funds being dispensed at checkout, Microsoft will pay the cash back after receiving and evaluating your device.

"A promotional offer is extra value added to your trade-in when your device and purchase qualify," says Microsoft. "For example, you may receive a promotional bonus in addition to your device's standard trade-in value. The total amount is paid after your device is received and evaluated, not applied at checkout."

If you stack trade-in value with cash back, you can effectively save thousands of dollars on a Surface Laptop Ultra. Of course, that would require you to have a MacBook Pro in excellent condition that has incredibly high specs, all while wanting a Surface instead. I'm not sure how many people will check all those boxes.

Perhaps the bigger news here is that Microsoft specifically made a cash back offer targeting MacBook Pro owners. That's a clear shot at Apple and a sign that Microsoft wants to compete with what are often considered the best laptops on the market.

As you'd expect, the value of your device trade-in depends greatly on the model you're trading in and the condition that device is in. The highest trade-in value I was able to get through Microsoft's website was $2,115 for a MacBook Pro 16-inch (2025) with 128GB of RAM and 4TB of storage.

Interest in the Surface Laptop Ultra has been strong from our readers. It will be interesting to see if that sentiment is widespread and translates to sales.

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The Surface Laptop Ultra is the most powerful Surface device yet thanks to its ARM-based NVIDIA System-on-Chip (SoC) with up to 20 CPU cores, 6,144 Blackwell RTX GPU cores, and 128GB of unified memory. Microsoft built the Surface Laptop Ultra for "world makers," also known as developers, scientists, engineers, and creators, who need a fresh take on performance and portability in the age of AI.

It's confirmed that the RTX Spark-powered PC will begin shipping on October 16, and preorders are live now, starting at $2,599.

The reactions to this announcement have been interesting. It seems like a fair number of people were expecting a higher baseline price, while others are just happy that Surface now has a true MacBook Pro competitor for the age of AI.

Here's what people are saying about the new Surface Laptop Ultra and its RTX Spark platform.

The Windows community reacts to the Surface Laptop Ultra's pricing

Starting at $2,599, the Surface Laptop Ultra is actually the most affordable RTX Spark laptop you can buy right now. You can have a look for yourself in my roundup of Spark devices available for preorder today.

Many of us here at Windows Central expected the price to kick off at $2,999, and that seems to be a common thread in the community as well.

Responding to Zac's post, X user @janekknaf said, "Quite cheap tbh I expected it to start at $2999."

Over on Reddit, the sentiment seems to be largely the same.

Responding to a Windows Central subreddit thread regarding other RTX Spark laptops and their pricing, user Icybubba noted, "And somehow the Surface seems to be the cheapest out of all those."

Another redditor, Valterri_Its_James, remarked, "Lowkey the pricing isn't absolutely horrendous. 32GB costs $3300 which is about the same as the ROG Zephyrus G14."

Not everyone is loving the Surface Laptop Ultra's pricing

Others aren't so sure that the Surface Laptop Ultra is a reasonable price, especially once they dig into the configuration options and see what's available for each chip.

For reference, the Laptop Ultra has two RTX Spark options available: a more affordable option with an 18-core CPU and 5120-core GPU, or a more expensive option with a 20-core CPU and 6144-core GPU.

The price difference between these two models is roughly $1,100, though the more powerful Spark defaults to at least 32GB of RAM (compared to 24GB) and a 1TB SSD (compared to 512GB).

Do you think the price hike for 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD is too extreme? Let me know in the comments below.

How's everyone feeling about the breakaway USB-C Port?

The announced feature that seems to be getting a lot of attention alongside pricing is the Surface Laptop Ultra's breakaway USB-C port.

It's sort of a mashup between Apple MagSafe and Surface Connect, designed to pull out of the laptop rather than ripping it off a desk should you trip on the cable. It's designed to work with any USB-C cable, and the port offers full functionality.

Reddit user Oliver-Pearce called it a "Welcome feature!" and X user Psalter said, "Anyone who's ever tripped over a charging cable will appreciate this."

There are, of course, plenty of detractors noting that it took Microsoft this long to finally copy Apple MagSafe. That's not exactly true; Surface Connect was always magnetic and would break away if jarred. The move to the more ubiquitous USB-C form factor erased that failsafe, and Microsoft has now reintroduced it.

It's also worth pointing out that MagSafe does not handle any data and is for power only. The Surface Laptop Ultra's USB-C port handles both.

I want to know what you think!

We're a community here at Windows Central, and I'm always interested in your opinions. I want to know what you think about the Surface Laptop Ultra's pricing, configuration options, and features in more detail, so please be sure to leave a comment below!

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While Microsoft was busy revealing new information about its most powerful Surface yet at the event, other laptop makers were busy setting their own prices and opening up preorders.

We now have a wide selection of RTX Spark laptops from the likes of ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI, and I'm expecting there to be more arriving in the near future. Until then, here's what you can preorder today.

RTX Spark laptops with confirmed pricing and release date (so far)

To make it easier for anyone hoping to land a new RTX Spark-powered PC, I've put together this list of laptops that you can now preorder.

Did I miss any RTX Spark laptops?

Did you spot a live preorder I missed? Let me know about it in the comments section below. I'd also love to hear your opinions regarding pricing on these models. Do you think it's too high? Too low? Just right? Tell me about it!

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It's a laptop that's marketed as the ultimate PC for creators, AI specialists, engineers, scientists, and developers who don't want to be tied down to a bulky workstation on a desk.

That's all fine and good, but having had the opportunity alongside my colleague Zac Bowden to use the Surface Laptop Ultra a couple of times, I can say that NVIDIA was not shy about showing off the PC's gaming prowess in closed demos.

I can also say that the gaming experience was super smooth, even in games with ray tracing, path tracing, and DLSS support. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle ran flawlessly when I tried it, and every other title seemed to be an easy task for the Laptop Ultra.

What's more impressive is that many of these demo games were run through Microsoft's Prism emulation layer due to the RTX Spark's ARM architecture (the same used by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X and X2 chips).

That begs the question: Is the Surface Laptop Ultra the ultimate laptop for PC gaming?

At the risk of breaking some pixelated hearts, I'll say that dedicated PC gamers should look elsewhere. Here's why.

The Surface Laptop Ultra's specs look ideal for gaming ... what gives?

It's well established that NVIDIA's RTX platform is the preferred way to play on PC for most gamers, mainly due to the excellent performance and additional support for features like ray tracing, path tracing, and DLSS.

Considering the Surface Laptop Ultra's RTX Blackwell GPU supports all of the latest features, wouldn't that make it a capable PC for gaming?

Well, yes. But there's more to the story.

The Surface Laptop Ultra was not designed to be a gaming PC. It was made to handle intricate AI workloads locally and to be the centerpiece of a professional's arsenal, and the fact that it can run plenty of games smoothly is simply a convenient effect of using NVIDIA's technology. Its starting price of $2,599 reflects that reality.

Sure, that cost is inflated due to the ongoing RAM and storage crisis, but in any case, you can buy a quality laptop made specifically for gaming purposes (suffering from the same RAM and memory squeeze) for considerably less money.

For my PC gaming money, I'd much rather buy a PC running standard Windows 11 rather than Windows on ARM (despite serious advancements in emulation and support). That way, you're guaranteed not to experience any compatibility issues with the games or their anti-cheat methods.

Gaming laptops also come tuned for gaming right out of the box, and their hardware is designed to support that initiative. Sure, you could tune the Surface Laptop Ultra to focus more on gaming, but that's really not what it was meant for.

The bottom line regarding the Surface Laptop Ultra and PC gaming

The Surface Laptop Ultra should be treated as a pro-grade laptop that happens to have some more-than-decent gaming chops.

I know there are plenty of pros out there who love the idea of tackling AI workloads during the day and gaming at night, all from the same machine, and the Surface Laptop Ultra should be a hot ticket for those users.

For gamers at heart, however, I recommend taking a look at the host of quality dedicated gaming laptops before ever considering the Surface Laptop Ultra.

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For those who can't fathom missing out on the first wave of new laptops, I have good news. The Surface Laptop Ultra is now available to preorder starting at $2,599, with shipments expected to begin going out on October 16.

Surface Laptop Ultra — What configurations are available, and which one is best for me?

The Surface Laptop Ultra is set up so that configurations really only affect the performance hardware inside. Each model comes with a 15-inch mini-LED display, the same port selection, and the same killer design.

The baseline $2,599 model includes the RTX Spark platform with NVIDIA's 18-core N1X CPU and 5120-core RTX Blackwell GPU, 24GB of unified RAM, and 512GB of storage.

This is a decent option for those who need to balance price and performance, or for those who simply want to get their hands on this new hardware without overspending.

There's also a model with a 20-core CPU and 6144-core GPU for those who need utmost power. Configuring with 32GB of unified RAM (the lowest option) and a 1TB SSD (also the lowest option), you're looking at $3,699.99. This model is where I'd recommend most advanced users start.

Moving up from there, you can essentially trick out your PC with as much RAM and storage as you want. This is where things begin to get very expensive for pro users. The top-of-the-line model with the more powerful Spark, 128GB of unified RAM, and a 1TB SSD runs up to $5,899.99, reserving it for a select few.

Both models are available in Nightfall or Platinum colors.

Is the Surface Laptop Ultra's price too high?

I wasn't expecting the laptop Microsoft calls "Not Standard Issue" to be reasonably priced for most users.

It's a flagship PC with monster internals, and Microsoft clearly states that it's intended for creators, AI builders, scientists, engineers, and other power users who need an ultimate device to handle everything.

Those users are generally used to paying more for high-end hardware, but that doesn't make the price sting any less.

Take this high-end approach and tack on the macroeconomics of the ongoing RAM and storage crisis, and you get set prices much higher than I'm sure Microsoft ever intended.

Starting at $2,599 for a "baseline" model, you'll want to be sure this is the PC for you before you buy it.

As for the gaming angle, I've covered it in more detail in a separate post. Bottom line? You shouldn't buy the Surface Laptop Ultra as a dedicated gaming machine, but its NVIDIA Blackwell GPU will indeed power many games with ray tracing, path tracing, and DLSS in tow.

Are you preordering the new Surface Laptop Ultra today? If so, which configuration did you get? If not, what made you skip it? Let me know in the comments section below!

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That entry-level price is on the more expensive side, but it's not as bad as many were expecting it to be. That entry-level price nets you the Surface Laptop Ultra with a 15-inch mini-LED screen, a large haptic trackpad, three USB-C ports (one of which is very unique), and the 18-core RTX Spark with 5120 GPU cores and 24GB RAM.

While the entry-level model isn't for high-end local AI development and agent work, it should be more than capable for video editing, photo creation, data crunching, light gaming, and 3D modeling work.

Alongside pricing and availability, Microsoft also revealed that the Surface Laptop Ultra is the world's first laptop to feature a breakaway USB-C port, similar to Apple's MagSafe and its own Surface Connect. Breakaway cable design means if you ever trip over the cable while the laptop is plugged in, it won't yank the entire laptop off your desk.

Breakaway ports have only ever really been possible on proprietary ports, as they use magnets to ensure the cable remains attached when in use. It's never been attempted on a universal standard before, which is what makes the Surface Laptop Ultra's breakaway port so special. It's a standard USB-C port, capable of taking any USB-C peripheral you can throw at it.

Surface Laptop Ultra is Microsoft's most expensive and most powerful Surface PC ever made. The high-end configs are designed for intensive AI developer workloads such as running large 120B parameter models locally, enabling complex agentic AI workloads and experiences.

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One line-up getting this treatment is Acer's Nitro gaming laptops, which feature dedicated GPUs, crisp displays, plenty of RAM to keep them running, and upgradeable storage space.

• Shop all Amazon Prime Big Deal Days discounts

However, these Acer gaming laptop deals, like the mid-range Acer Nitro V 16S (ANV16S-61-R9TR-US) for $1,231.99 or the entry-level Acer Nitro V (ANV16-I31-54PT) for $1,119.99, are only available to shoppers who are subscribed to Amazon Prime.

Which of these discounted Acer gaming laptops offer the best value?

Out of all these laptop deals, I'd say the Nitro V 16S (ANV16S-61-R9TR-US) offers the best value for money.

While it's slightly cheaper than its initial launch MSRP of $1,299.99 in 2025, its discounted price of $1,231.99 at Amazon is a much better proposition compared to its current MSRP of $1,449.99, caused by the market-disrupting RAM Crisis this year.

As for Acer Nitro V 16S's specs, our colleagues at Tom's Hardware praised the Acer Nitro V 16S for performing in all the same categories that are important to us at Windows Central.

These categories include a crisp and vibrant 16-inch IPS display with a 1920x1200 resolution with 180Hz refresh rates, high-performance rates for 1080p and 60fps+ gaming and productivity tasks thanks to its 16GB RAM and RTX 5060 GPU, a wide variety of HMDI, microSD, and USB ports, and a long-lasting battery life of 10+ hours under heavy workloads.

On top of that, the Acer Nitro V 16S's specs not only perform reliably well for 1080p gaming but they're also good at helping it complete productivity tasks efficiently on the side, making it a decent jack-of-all-trades laptop.

Alternate Acer gaming laptops on sale

As a reminder, alternate configurations of this laptop and other Acer Nitro gaming laptops are also on sale for Amazon Prime Big Deals Day at the following prices:

• Acer Nitro V 16S AI Copilot+ PC Gaming Laptop (ANV16S-61-R3Z0) (AMD Ryzen 7 350 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SDD) — $248 off $1,649.99 for $1,401.99 at Amazon.
• Acer Nitro 16S AI Gaming Laptop (AN16S-61-R7YL) (AMD Ryzen 7 350 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SDD) — $225 off $1499.99 for $1,274.99 at Amazon.
• Acer Nitro 16S AI Copilot+ PC Gaming Laptop (AN16S-61-R5FY) (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD) — $200 off $1,849.99 for $1649.99 at Amazon. 
• Acer Nitro V Gaming Laptop (AN16S-61-R5FY) (Intel Core 5 CPU 210H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 GPU, 8GB DDR5, 512GB SSD) — $180 off $1,299.99 for $1,119.99 at Amazon.

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Best Buy and other retailers are running competing sales alongside Prime Big Deal Days, so the best Surface deals are spread across the web. You'll also see prices fluctuate as stock runs out or sits for too long. I've scoured the web for the best Surface deals, and our team at Windows Central will keep this piece up to date with the best discounts.

• Shop all Amazon Prime Big Deal Days discounts

You'll notice that I don't list the Surface Pro 12-inch or Surface Laptop 13-inch below. That's because those PCs have new versions with Snapdragon X2 processors launching next week. You can still buy older models with first-gen Snapdragon X chips, but I'd recommend waiting until the new generation ships to see where prices fall on older devices.

Surface Pro (13-inch)

Surface Laptop 8

Accessories

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Of course, it isn't actually a Prime Big Deal Day deal. The discount is through Best Buy, making it a "Techtober" deal. But do you really care why you're saving $200 on what our expert calls "the perfect starter PC"?

Laptops this good are rarely in this price range due to the ongoing RAM crisis and other component shortages. Dell created this version of the XPS 13 to be more affordable, but premium laptops with this feature set and design now normally cost $1,000.

👉Is Windows 11 on 8GB of RAM really that bad?

The XPS 13 that came out this year earned a 4.5 out of 5 from both Tom's Hardware and Tom's Guide. Our colleagues complimented the laptop's 2.5K screen, incredible battery life, and excellent speakers.

Matt Safford from Tom's Hardware called the new XPS 13 "an excellent Windows-based answer to the MacBook Neo." I agree with his take, though I question how many people genuinely debate between a Windows laptop and a MacBook.

The XPS 13 is a thin-and-light laptop with a refined design. It has several features that "discount" laptops lack (I'm looking at you, MacBook Neo). For example, the XPS 13 has backlit keys, an IR sensor for facial recognition, and support for Wi-Fi 7. Toss in a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 120Hz display and it's easy to see why our Zac Bowden said he was "shocked" at the value of the laptop when he went hands-on with the XPS 13.

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On October 7, Microsoft is hosting a Surface event where it's expected that NVIDIA's RTX Spark chip and the Surface Laptop Ultra lineup will be further discussed (and hopefully better explained).

This collision of Microsoft-related software and hardware news got me thinking about a quote from the original architect of Microsoft's Surface lineup, Panos Panay:

The quote comes from an interview with TechCentral circa 2020, well before Panay departed Microsoft in 2023 to join Amazon's Devices and Services segment. The quote does a great job capturing the original reason why Surface exists at all.

Microsoft originally wanted hardware that showcased the best of Windows software, and it believed its goal could only be achieved with in-house development. Surface became the bridge between software and hardware that Panay alludes to with his quote, and it's had a (mostly) great run.

Where is Surface headed in 2026?

What has me most confused about the upcoming Surface event is that Microsoft already revealed its new Surface Pro 12-inch (Gen 2) and Surface Laptop 13-inch (Gen 2) devices.

They showed up on September 23 as part of Qualcomm's annual Snapdragon Summit, a full two weeks before the Surface event. Sure, it makes some sense due to the new Surface PCs using Snapdragon X2 chips inside, but why not save the juice for the main event?

My colleague Sean Endicott attempted to answer this question at the time of the Surface/Qualcomm reveal last month. As he stated, "we can now cross two more items off the list of potential things we will see at the Windows and Surface event," noting that the October 7 Surface event also "falls after many improvements have shipped to Windows 11 or entered testing with Windows Insiders."

So what is Microsoft planning to reveal at its Surface event? The Surface Laptop Ultra was already revealed at Computex 2026, but we should get more information. We might also get a glimpse of the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, especially considering NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang is part of the show.

Barring the surprise reveal of more new Surface hardware — the Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 with Snapdragon X2 chips launched this summer, so I'm not expecting anything new there — the October 7 Surface event is shaping up to be a tad lopsided.

Is Surface drifting without Panay's anchoring presence?

It's been six years since Panay dropped his famous Surface quote. It's been three years since he left Microsoft for Amazon. And since then, Surface really hasn't felt the same.

Rather than pushing OEMs to improve their own devices by providing a quality benchmark, Surface seems to be fairly stagnant, fragmented, and largely riding on its reputation.

For me, someone who agrees with Panay's sentiment, a successful Surface event should include software that really only makes sense on the Surface Laptop Ultra with RTX Spark. If it's just another laptop with the chip inside, well, I won't be very excited.

On that note, it'd be great to see some tuning choices that directly benefit Surface with RTX Spark. The hardware-software relationship often shows its cracks in this area, so some assurance will go a long way.

Ultimately, the upcoming Surface event should be a defining moment. Will Panay's original vision carry forward as partnerships become more complicated? Will the quote remain relevant?

Or will Surface become just another laptop brand alongside OEMs like Dell, HP, and Lenovo? Either way, you can tune in to the livestream on October 7 at 1 PM ET to check it out with the rest of us.

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It's about becoming the intelligent edge computer that sits at the center of everything.

That might sound like marketing fluff until you see the demos. One station showed a military drone feeding reconnaissance data back to a TOUGHBOOK for local analysis. Another demonstrated how police fleets can connect vehicle diagnostics directly into a TOUGHBOOK-based management system, allowing departments to track everything from VINs and odometer readings to fuel levels, fault codes, and maintenance schedules.

In other words, Panasonic's new TOUGHBOOK 34 and TOUGHBOOK G3 are increasingly becoming mission-critical data hubs for the people who protect, rescue, repair, and support the rest of us.

And yes, they're still absurdly rugged.

Thirty years later, the mission remains the same

One theme came up repeatedly throughout Panasonic's presentation: purpose-built computing.

As Panasonic executives noted, their customers aren't buying laptops to answer email from a coffee shop. These systems are deployed in police cruisers, ambulances, utility trucks, military vehicles, warehouses, disaster zones, and industrial sites where failure is not an option.

As Panasonic put it during the briefing, "our devices are purpose-built," adding that workers are often operating in "extreme heat, extreme cold, vibration, water, dust" and environments where "lives are on the line."

That philosophy has helped TOUGHBOOK carve out a niche that practically nobody else occupies.

While consumer laptops compete over OLED displays and thinness, Panasonic spends its time figuring out how to keep a device communicating over private 5G networks during storm response operations.

Meet the TOUGHBOOK 34 and TOUGHBOOK G3

This launch introduces two new fully rugged 2-in-1 systems.

The TOUGHBOOK 34 serves as the successor to the long-running TOUGHBOOK 33 that I've reviewed, while the TOUGHBOOK G3 replaces the TOUGHBOOK G2 that I also previously reviewed and described as one of the most modular and rugged PCs on the market.

According to Mike Smola, Senior Director of Product Management at Panasonic Connect North America:

"No two workers, no two vehicles, and no two workflows are exactly alike. Some jobs call for a larger product with more workspace and more versatility."

That's really the story here.

The TOUGHBOOK 34 features a larger 12.4-inch display and is designed for users who spend significant time in vehicles, command centers, or managing information-dense workflows. The G3 uses a more compact 10.1-inch form factor that's easier to carry into the field.

As one Panasonic executive explained during the public safety discussion:

"Fire and EMS leverage both sizes: the larger TOUGHBOOK 34 for in-vehicle CAD and command control, and the compact G3 in the back of ambulances for patient care."

The biggest upgrade is AI

The headline feature across both devices is the move to Intel's latest Core Ultra platform.

Both systems now offer Intel Core Ultra 5 335H and Ultra X7 368H processors complete with onboard NPUs and AI acceleration capabilities. Panasonic is increasingly positioning these devices as AI-ready edge computers capable of processing information locally without relying on cloud connectivity.

That matters more than you might think.

During the federal customer panel, Panasonic highlighted a scenario that's becoming increasingly common in military and government environments.

As Panasonic's federal team explained:

"Deployed military personnel aboard ships or in tactical environments often operate without network connectivity due to operational security." AI-capable processing on TOUGHBOOK devices allows personnel to perform tactical, medical, and technical searches without depending on a remote connection."

For most consumers, AI means generating images or summarizing documents. But for military users, it can mean analyzing information locally while disconnected from networks entirely.

That's a very different use case.

From military drones to local AI analysis

The most interesting demonstration I saw involved a tactical drone setup.

Panasonic demonstrated how rugged computing platforms can work alongside systems such as the Teledyne FLIR ION-series tactical reconnaissance drones that are commonly used by military, government, and emergency-response organizations.

While separate physical controls handle flight operations, the TOUGHBOOK effectively becomes the intelligence terminal. Drone imagery and reconnaissance data can be brought onto the device, recorded, analyzed, and processed locally using onboard computing resources.

I didn't watch the drone take flight during the event, but seeing Panasonic position the TOUGHBOOK as the AI-capable analysis point for tactical aerial systems offered a very real glimpse into how these machines are used beyond traditional laptop duties.

That use case also aligns with Panasonic's announcement that both devices support unmanned systems control and UAV ground-control applications in federal environments

TOUGHBOOKs are becoming smarter police tools, too

The police vehicle demonstration may have been even more compelling.

Rather than focusing on dispatch software alone, Panasonic showed how TOUGHBOOK systems can act as fleet intelligence platforms.

Through Panasonic's TOUGHCommand ecosystem, agencies can connect vehicle systems and pull operational data directly into the computer. Information such as vehicle identification, odometer readings, fuel levels, speed data, maintenance information, and diagnostic information can all be surfaced through a centralized dashboard.

The really interesting layer sits on top of that data.

Panasonic's new Command Intelligence features allow IT teams and fleet managers to query those systems using AI and natural-language questions rather than digging through massive databases manually.

That turns the TOUGHBOOK into something closer to a command-and-control platform, instead of just a rugged laptop.

For organizations managing hundreds or thousands of vehicles, that could be a substantial value-add beyond the hardware itself.

The modularity advantage nobody else offers

Having reviewed the G2 and covered Panasonic's rugged lineup for years, the thing that continues to impress me isn't the drop testing or waterproofing.

It's the modularity.

The TOUGHBOOK 34 and G3 both feature Panasonic's xPAK ecosystem, allowing users to swap hardware modules as needs change. Options include barcode scanners, additional USB ports, serial ports, smart card readers, fingerprint readers, networking hardware, and more.

Panasonic's goal is simple: one device should adapt to many jobs.

A warehouse worker can add scanning capabilities. A utility technician can prioritize GPS and connectivity. An automotive technician can add legacy ports for vehicle diagnostics.

Instead of replacing the entire computer when requirements evolve, customers can reconfigure it. More importantly, this can be done locally without sending out the TOUGHBOOK back to Panasonic to be reconfigured. Not only is that time-consuming, but if the PC is used by the government and it has sensitive data on the drives, it limits who can even touch that laptop.

That's a surprisingly rare concept in modern computing.

Better displays, stronger connectivity, longer life

The hardware itself receives meaningful updates, too.

For the TOUGHBOOK 34, Panasonic increased the screen size from 12 inches to 12.4 inches while moving to a 3:2 aspect ratio that's better suited to productivity work. Executives noted that the revised resolution and scaling choices allow users to view more information with less scrolling.

The G3 retains its 10.1-inch format but benefits from updated display tuning, 2-to-1000-nit brightness control, and improved readability for outdoor work.

Panasonic also highlighted a new glove and rain touch experience on the TOUGHBOOK 34.

As the company explained:

"You don't want the end user to take off gloves to touch the screen." Users can switch between glove and standard touch modes using programmable controls.

I actually tried this myself, and while it's still a bit clunky to operate a touchscreen with heavy gloves on, it can be done through this technology.

Connectivity receives substantial improvements as well.

Compared to the older G2 generation, the G3 moves from 4G LTE options to modern 5G support, upgrades Wi‑Fi 6 to Wi‑Fi 7, and advances Bluetooth 5.1 to Bluetooth 5.4 while adding broader support for private cellular deployments.

For the people actually relying on these systems, those upgrades matter far more than benchmark scores.

A reminder that some PCs have jobs to do

The most fascinating thing about Panasonic's new TOUGHBOOKs isn't that they're rugged. We already knew that, but what's changing is their role.

Thirty years after the first TOUGHBOOK arrived, Panasonic increasingly views these systems as secure, connected, AI-capable edge computers that happen to survive conditions most laptops would never tolerate.

Whether they're helping analyze drone feeds, supporting first responders through FirstNet and private 5G networks, managing vehicle fleets, or keeping utility workers connected during outages, the TOUGHBOOK 34 and G3 demonstrate that laptops can still be specialized tools built for serious missions.

And after an afternoon spent getting hands-on with Panasonic's latest hardware, that may be the most interesting thing about them. Panasonic is building the computers that many of the people protecting, rescuing, and serving the rest of us depend on every day, and I still find that inspiring.

You can find out more about these devices from the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK website.

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