# Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra review: RTX Spark trade-offs

> Tom’s Hardware praises the laptop’s design and AI performance, but says its weight, noise and high price make it hard to recommend for ordinary Windows use.

Oossa · 2026-10-16 · https://oossa.com/en/microsoft-surface-laptop-ultra-review-rtx-spark-trade-offs

Tom’s Hardware reviewed Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra, a premium Windows laptop built around Nvidia’s RTX Spark mobile processor. Reviewer Andrew E. Freedman praised its metal design, bright mini LED screen, ports and repair labels, but noted that the machine is heavy, noisy and has weaker-than-desired battery life.

The review says RTX Spark is powerful for running AI models, but Windows does not make much use of that capability. For people who do not run AI models, the reviewer found little novel to justify the laptop’s extremely high price; the source gives no price or detailed test results.

## The facts

- Tom’s Hardware reviewer: Andrew E. Freedman.
- The review describes RTX Spark as powerful for AI models, while saying Windows does not take advantage of its capabilities.

## Why it matters

Windows users who do not run AI models may be paying for hardware they cannot make much use of, though the source does not give a price or quantify performance.

## Sources & references

1. [Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra review: RTX Spark in a straight-up beautiful Windows PC](https://www.tomshardware.com/tablets/microsoft-surface/microsoft-surface-laptop-ultra-rtx-spark-review) – Tom's Hardware, 2026-10-16

Last updated: 2026-10-16