Microsoft has rolled out the first firmware update for its RTX Spark-powered Surface Laptop Ultra, less than a week after the laptop started shipping on October 16. Listed in Windows Update as "System Hardware Update 200.0.7.0," the October 22 release fixes three problems spelled out in Microsoft's update history: extended reboot times, screen flickering, and unexpected restarts. It also bundles unspecified bug fixes and general performance improvements. The update is arriving in stages, so not every owner will see it right away, and like other Surface firmware, it can't be rolled back once installed.

These issues had already surfaced in early reviews and owner reports. Windows Central noted reboots long enough to roughly double the time it took to install updates, while some owners saw the Mini-LED panel flicker, in a few cases only when the display sat idle. However, the update doesn't address everything reviewers flagged. Notebookcheck measured a sluggish 57 ms black-to-white response time with visible ghosting, no local dimming, and a grayish 0.61-nit black level, and it seems unlikely that firmware can do much about those. Some owners have also reported the laptop running hot under light workloads, which Microsoft hasn't mentioned.

DT Research, the leading U.S. designer and manufacturer of AI-capable, rugged computing solutions purpose-engineered for enterprise-scale customization, today announced the LT365PA Rugged Laptop, a high-performance mobile workstation that brings NVIDIA graphics, AI processing and advanced image analysis directly to law enforcement, forensic and military field operations, including mobile command environments that require local processing of multiple sensor inputs, video feeds, drone imagery and AI analytics.

Daw Tsai, president of DT Research"Today's field teams need the same high-performance AI computing capabilities at the edge that they have in a traditional enterprise or tactical operations setting. The LT365PA combines discrete NVIDIA graphics and Intel Core Ultra processing with the ruggedness and hot-swappable battery architecture required for true field mobility. This gives teams the speed and flexibility to analyze complex data and make informed decisions wherever operations take them."

Given ASUS's recent history with warranty repairs, it's likely unsurprising to some to learn that the company has been embroiled in yet another RMA drama. This time, a Reddit user who goes by u/Thriceinabluemoon posted in r/ASUS about their experience sending a 2023 ASUS Zerphyrus G14 in for repair under an extended warranty and receiving the laptop back without its 16 GB SODIMM RAM stick. While this in itself would be a frustration, ASUS customer support in the Netherlands, where the laptop and extended warranty were purchased and serviced, "won't even recognize that the additional RAM came with the product," never mind correcting the issue.

The redditor explains in the comment thread on the original post that the laptop was purchased with 32 GB of RAM—16 GB soldered and 16 GB installed in a SODIMM slot—and it's that same SODIMM stick it was purchased with that has gone missing during the repair process. They have since contacted ASUS, providing the receipt as evidence that the laptop was purchased with 32 GB of RAM pre-installed and have yet to hear back from support with a resolution.

Intel's Core Ultra 9 4995HX looks set to be the fastest Nova Lake chip for laptops. Leaker Jaykihn on X has confirmed that the 4995HX uses an 8+16+4+2 layout, meaning 8 P-cores, 16 E-cores, 4 LPE cores, and 2 Xe3 GPU cores. That adds up to 28 CPU cores, four more than Intel's current Arrow Lake-HX chips, with the extra cores coming from the LPE cluster Arrow Lake-HX lacked. The overall layout matches the 8P+16E+4LP ceiling earlier reports pointed to, and the name itself fits the Core Ultra 4000 branding said to be extending to HX parts. Intel hasn't confirmed any of this, and clocks, cache, and power figures are still unknown.

The same post lists the Core Ultra 9 4970H as 4+8+4+12, so 16 CPU cores and a 12-core Xe3P iGPU. That is the same core count as Panther Lake's flagship Core Ultra X9 388H, so any gains here should come from the new Coyote Cove P-cores, Arctic Wolf E-cores, and Xe3P graphics rather than extra cores. The tiny iGPU on the 4995HX is less of a concern, since HX chips almost always end up paired with a discrete GPU anyway. Jaykihn also put the final 8+16 HX compute tile, built on TSMC N2P, at 14.8 x 6.6 mm, or roughly 98 mm², shortly after die shots of both chips surfaced. Current reports point to the first Nova Lake-H and HX laptops showing up around CES 2027, though that timing should be treated as tentative for now.

It seems as though AMD is readying a new mobile APU that bears a striking resemblance to the existing Ryzen Z2 Extreme. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 HX 455 was recently leaked by Golden Pig Upgrade on Weibo, with the post suggesting that the new CPU would launch with eight cores and 16 threads and a 16 CU iGPU, while the 16 CU iGPU will reportedly be identical to the existing Radeon 890M on the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, which has proven itself capable of very decent gaming performance in our in-depth review of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X.

The exact core breakdown is unknown, but in a response to a question about the CCD layout, the leaker alludes to a similar layout to the Z2 Extreme, which features three Zen 5 cores and five Zen 5c cores across two CCDs, although the new APU will have a significantly larger cache to work with—24 MB L3 instead of the Z2 Extreme's 16 MB—signalling that it will be a cut-back version of the existing Ryzen AI HX 470 APU, which features four Zen 5 cores and eight Zen 5c cores.

ORICO, usually known for its storage and connectivity solutions, is officially entering the PC market with its first laptop design, the Obook 15 AI Laptop. For this initial design, the company has chosen AMD's Ryzen 7 6800H SoC, an eight-core, 16-thread mobile processor that can boost up to 4.7 GHz. The integrated Radeon 680M graphics handle visuals, and memory configurations include options of 12 GB or 24 GB running at 6,400 MT/s. Buyers can select up to a 1 TB NVMe SSD, and a second M.2 slot allows for storage expansion up to 4 TB. While not running the latest SoCs from AMD, the system wants to be a competitive solution price-wise. Obook 15 runs on Windows 11 out of the box and features a cooling system with selectable Eco, Normal, and Performance modes for fan profiles.

The Obook 15 boasts a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, an anti-glare finish, 170-degree viewing angles, and wide-frequency dimming. It includes Wi-Fi 6, a 54.29 Wh battery, and a bundled 100 W charger. Additional features include a 180-degree hinge, a physical webcam shutter, a full-size keyboard with a number pad, and a wide selection of ports. ORICO lists US prices starting at $689.99 for the version with 12 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. A 12 GB/512 GB version is priced at $749.99, while the top configuration with 24 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage costs $899.99. The Obook 15 is now available in the United States and the Philippines, targeting students, office users, and content creators with its attractive price points, especially for this day and age, amid memory and storage shortages.

NVIDIA today announced the availability of NVIDIA RTX Spark laptops, bringing together RTX graphics and NVIDIA's full-stack AI platform in slim, premium Windows PCs for accelerated creation, immersive gaming and powerful local AI—rolling out from ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft and MSI.

Combining decades of NVIDIA innovation into a single superchip, RTX Spark delivers up to 128 GB of unified memory and 1 petaflop of FP4 AI performance to run large language models and AI agents locally. On a single device, creators, developers and gamers can move seamlessly between their everyday workflows and emerging AI agents on the familiar Windows platform.

ASUS today announced that the ProArt P16 and P14 laptops, powered by NVIDIA RTX Spark, are now available for purchase in Canada, with select configurations shipping starting today through the ASUS Store, Amazon Canada, Best Buy Canada, Memory Express and Newegg Canada. Purpose-built for creators, AI developers and workflow builders, these Windows PCs combine high-capacity unified memory, an NVIDIA Blackwell RTX GPU and an NVIDIA Grace CPU to support demanding local AI and creative workloads. The NVIDIA CUDA ecosystem and an expanding ASUS-exclusive agent-and-application solution make local AI easier to deploy, personalize and use, with the flexibility to connect cloud services when needed.

Together, Hermes Agent and ComfyUI deliver a compelling local-first, cloud-flexible AI experience. By bringing industry-validated workflows and agent-connected creative tools to users' own PCs, they enable generative AI creation and AI-assisted development, with the flexibility to integrate cloud services when needed.

Tuxedo Computers, the German Linux hardware maker, has launched the Stellaris 16 Gen 8, a 16-inch desktop replacement laptop with optional liquid cooling. Stellaris 16 is powered by Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs from 5070 up to 5090. The laptop uses an all-aluminium chassis, measures 357 x 260 x 28 mm and weighs up to 2.8 kg, depending on configuration. The internal cooling system uses three fans, two on each side and one in the middle for up to 240 W of combined CPU and GPU power. For additional cooling, users can buy the optional Tuxedo Aquaris external docking station. This circulates distilled water through a dedicated cooling pipe inside the notebook, improving overall cooling performance. However, that will pretty much limit the laptop's mobility. Tuxedo also offers its own Control Center software that provides control over CPU power limits and fan speeds.

As with all of its laptops, Tuxedo provides plenty of other options for Stellaris 16. Users can choose the display from an IPS 300 Hz matte panel, a 300 Hz Mini-LED with G-Sync support, or an OLED with a 240 Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits brightness. The laptop supports either up to 96 GB DDR5-6400 or 128 GB DDR5-5600 memory. For storage, it includes two M.2 slots for SSDs, one PCIe 5.0 and one PCIe 4.0. Another important feature is that both SSDs, the RAM slots, the Wi-Fi module, and the 99 Wh battery can be accessed after removing the bottom cover.

HP revealed the EliteBoard G2a keyboard PC at CES 2026, promising "next-generation local AI power in a keyboard-sized form factor." Now, 10 months later, HP has released the updated EliteBoard G2a, revealing pricing and some of the keyboard and underlying PC specs, in the process. The G2a features either the updated AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 450 APU or its smaller Ryzen AI 5 Pro 435 counterpart. The cheapest version of the HP EliteBoard G2a, which packs a Ryzen AI 5 Pro, 16 GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and 512 GB of PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage, comes in at $3,028, while the SKU with the Ryzen AI 7 Pro 450 APU paired with 32 GB of memory and a 512 GB SSD, comes in at $4,167.

The small form factor PC is capable of drawing 65 W over USB Power Delivery, and the only I/O it features is a single USB4 port and a single USB Type-C 10 Gbps port. The EliteBoard G2a also features built-in dual speakers and comes bundled with an HP 675M wireless mouse. The keyboard component of the mini PC is a membrane keyboard, not mechanical, and it follows what appears to be an 1800 layout, and it has white backlighting. Fortunately, the EliteBoard G2a uses SODIMM RAM, so it's upgradeable in the event that you want 32 GB of RAM but don't want to pay HP's upgrade cost.

Intel is reportedly preparing for a significant price increase across its silicon designs, according to supply chain sources cited by Commercial Times Taiwan. The first to experience this price hike is the latest "Panther Lake" processor generation, built on the Intel 18A node, with an increase ranging from 15% to 20% depending on the SKU. Intel reportedly made these adjustments on September 1, but consumer price increases have not yet been observed, or it may take a few more weeks for the old supply to clear. This supply-side price hike doesn't mean that Intel is directly changing its consumer pricing, but rather adjusting the pricing for major laptop OEMs such as Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, Dell, and HP. With a potential 20% price hike, this could translate to a few dozen US dollars more for the OEMs. Laptop manufacturers are likely to pass these increased costs onto consumers, especially given the current challenges with memory and storage pricing, which are already squeezing margins.

The reported price hikes don't stop there. The "Meteor Lake" and "Arrow Lake" processor families are also expected to see price increases, with reports indicating a 5% to 10% hike for these two generations, depending on the SKU. Intel sources silicon from both TSMC and its internal foundry, but the demand for silicon in the form of CPUs is skyrocketing in the age of AI, making price increases likely. Consumer demand remains, but much of the available CPU manufacturing capacity, both internally and externally, is being absorbed by agentic AI workloads, which are pushing server configurations to a 50:50 ratio of CPUs to GPUs.

TrendForce's latest notebook industry research reveals that the primary risk facing the market in 2027 is expected to shift from supply constraints to the impact of rising costs on demand. Global notebook shipments are currently projected to decline by a low-single-digit percentage in 2027. However, if DRAM and CPU prices remain elevated, brands may be forced to pass more of these costs on to consumers. These higher retail prices could further extend replacement cycles, potentially pushing the full-year shipment decline into the high-single-digit range.

In 2026, improved CPU availability, early procurement by brands, and the pull-forward of some replacement demand helped support notebook shipments. However, this does not indicate a meaningful recovery in end-market demand. With some purchases originally expected in the second half of 2026 and beyond already brought forward, replacement momentum in subsequent periods is likely to weaken. Furthermore, as lower-cost inventories are gradually depleted, brands will face more direct pressure from rising CPU, DRAM, and SSD prices.

ASUS today announced the global launch of the new ProArt P16 and P14 laptops, along with the compact ProArt GR1X mini PC, all powered by NVIDIA RTX Spark. Purpose-built for creators, AI developers and workflow builders, these systems boast high-capacity unified memory, a powerful NVIDIA Blackwell RTX GPU and an ultra-efficient NVIDIA Grace CPU. The NVIDIA CUDA ecosystem and an expanding ASUS-exclusive agent-and-application solution make sophisticated local AI easier to deploy, personalize and use. NVIDIA RTX Spark unites NVIDIA AI, RTX graphics, and unified memory in one slim, powerful Windows PC. Designed to run larger AI models locally—without cloud dependency—and move between creative work, development, and immersive gaming without missing a beat. Connect apps, tools, and workflows into one seamless experience. Private by default, RTX Spark brings NVIDIA's full-stack AI platform, ready for the AI workloads of today and whatever comes next. Delivered on the familiar, trusted Windows platform.

Together, Hermes Agent and ComfyUI deliver a compelling local-first, cloud-flexible AI experience. By bringing industry-validated workflows and agent-connected creative tools to users' own PCs, they enable generative AI creation and AI-assisted development, with the flexibility to integrate cloud services when needed.

Microsoft has finally put a price on the Surface Laptop Ultra, and preorders are open as of today. The announcement came at the company's Windows and Surface keynote in San Francisco, with a starting price of $2,599 and shipments set to begin on October 16. Microsoft first showed the laptop at Computex in June without a price or a launch date. The base model gets a 15-inch mini-LED display and the lower of the two NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X configurations, which means an 18-core CPU, a 5,120-core Blackwell GPU, and 24 GB of unified memory. The 20-core version with a 6,144-core GPU starts at $3,699 with 32 GB, and the top model with 128 GB of memory and a 1 TB SSD costs a steep $5,899. The only 2 TB option is a 64 GB model at $4,699. A Surface RTX Spark Dev Box was also announced at a hefty $5,999.

The other reveal is the oversized USB-C port that has had people guessing since June. Microsoft says the Surface Laptop Ultra is the first laptop in the world with a breakaway USB-C port, so a tripped-over cable should pull free without dragging the machine off the desk. The idea is the same as Apple's MagSafe and Microsoft's own Surface Connect, except those are proprietary connectors. This one apparently still works as a regular USB-C port with any USB-C device. As for the price, the $2,599 entry point is a little lower than expected. A TechPowerUp Forums member who spent about a month with a prototype guessed $2,799 for a 24 GB model. That prototype was tested on preview drivers, however, so readers are advised to wait for reviews of retail hardware before preordering.

MSI, a global leader in high-performance and AI computing, today announced that the Prestige N16 Flip AI+ is now available for pre-order through MSI-certified partners in select markets.

Prestige N16 Flip AI+ is powered by NVIDIA RTX Spark, uniting NVIDIA AI, RTX graphics, and unified memory in one powerful and efficient thin-and-light Windows PC. Designed to run larger AI models locally—without cloud dependency—and move between creative work, development, and immersive gaming without missing a beat. Connect apps, tools, and workflows into one seamless experience. Private by default. RTX Spark brings NVIDIA's full-stack AI platform, ready for the AI workloads of today and whatever comes next. Delivered on the familiar, trusted, and secure Windows platform.

Dell Technologies announces an expanded portfolio of Windows PCs and workstations built for the age of agentic AI. Together with NVIDIA and Microsoft, Dell delivers agentic AI across every stage of the creative and development journey, spanning a premium creator laptop, compact creator desktop and an AI workstation within the Windows environment.

NVIDIA RTX Spark comes to the XPS and Dell lineup for the first time, powering the new XPS 16 Creator Edition laptop and Dell Creator Edition Desktop. Paired with Windows, RTX Spark brings advanced AI, creative and gaming workloads together on a platform optimized for its performance. Dell Pro Precision with GB300 will be available on Windows, bringing always-on AI compute into the environment enterprise teams already depend on.

Following what appears to have been a series of unfortunate events that led to a roadside laptop find resulting in confirmation that Microsoft will be launching a 20-core NVIDIA RTX Spark Surface Laptop, we now appear to have confirmation that Microsoft will also be launching a Surface Laptop Ultra on the other end of the Spark spectrum. According to Windows Central, Microsoft will reveal the full RTX Spark Surface line-up on October 7 at a special event in San Francisco.

Alongside the 20-core variant, the Windows Central report claims that Microsoft will launch a Surface Laptop with NVIDIA's 18-core RTX Spark. It is also claimed that the 18-core SKU will start with 24 GB of unified memory, while the 24-core version will start with 32 GB of memory. There will reportedly be a performance demonstration that shows off how the new Arm SoC delivers the same level of performance on battery life as it does when plugged into the wall.

ASUS has already shown off its upcoming ProArt 16 creator laptop powered by the NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X Arm SoC at IFA 2026, but there was no exact launch date attached to the new laptops when we published our hands-on coverage on the show floor. Now, thanks to a new Weibo post by the official ASUS account, it has been revealed that ASUS will launch the ProArt P16 H7607BA (or a similar variant) on October 8, 2026—at least in China. It's not clear if this will be a simultaneous international launch, but, even if it isn't, an international launch shouldn't be too far behind.

ASUS on Weibo (machine translation)Smooth local AI agent response, creative workflows no longer reliant on the cloud
World's first AI agent PC | ASUS ProArt 16
Equipped with NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X super chip
Reconstructing the boundaries of professional creation, local computing power accelerates the implementation of the entire workflow
Coming October 8th

After teasing the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 upgrade to the Framework Destkop mini PC, Framework has officially announced that pre-orders for the SFF desktop will start on Wednesday, 30 September. The announcement came in a post on the OEM's official X account, where it also confirmed that, as is typical with its Framework Laptop upgrades, the rest of the motherboard and case will remain the same, for backwards compatibility purposes.

Currently, it is unclear how much the new AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495-powered mini PC will cost, but it'd be a safe bet to assume it will be more expensive than the current-generation Ryzen AI Max+ 395 model, especially on the high-end version, topping out at 192 GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory where the 395 version tops out at 128 GB.

Seemingly in light of the recent PC hardware crisis, which has affected PC OEMs big and small alike, Colorful has just revived the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 for its latest Panda laptop design. The latest revision of the Colorful Panda P15E features the typical 15-inch form factor and chassis from the RTX 5050 version the brand previously sold, but it carries a significant downgrade in internals.

The new CPU in the Panda P15E is the Intel Core i5-13420H, an 8-core, 12-thread part with 4 P-Cores and 4 E-Cores and an Intel Iris Xe 80EU iGPU, while the dGPU featured in the new laptop is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050. As a result of the older platform, the laptop also resorts to 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory and a 512 GB M.2 SSD. The display is a 144 Hz IPS unit that measures in at 15.6 inches. At the time of writing, it does not appear as though there is an international version of the RTX 3050 version of the laptop, but it is available on JD.com for RMB 6,299, which converts to roughly $938.70.

Lenovo today introduced the Lenovo Googlebook 15, its first Googlebook, expanding the company's laptop portfolio by combining Google's computing experiences with Lenovo's signature design, engineering, and user-focused innovation. Powered by Intel Core Ultra 5 processors with built-in Gemini Intelligence, up to 32 GB of memory and up to 512 GB of storage, the Lenovo Googlebook 15 helps users stay productive and connected - no matter where the day takes them.

Designed for professionals, creators and business owners, the Lenovo Googlebook 15 delivers up to 47 TOPS of performance while weighing under 3 lbs., making it the lightest 15-inch device in Lenovo's portfolio.

Today at Snapdragon Summit, we introduced the next Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch, built on the Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, alongside the new Surface Mouse with integrated haptic feedback. Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch are two of our most versatile Surface devices, designed to deliver the performance and battery life people need in PCs they can comfortably carry all day. This generation brings up to 18% more efficient battery performance, over 60% faster graphics, and 95% faster on-device AI—all in the same lightweight design.

What defines Surface laptops?
Surface is hardware built to bring the best of Microsoft to life—Windows, Copilot, and Microsoft 365 experiences that make a PC feel more useful, more personal and more responsive.

XMG has announced on Reddit another round of laptop price increases, with most affected models going up €100 to €150. The new prices took effect on September 18 through the company's bestware store. Memory remains the biggest factor as DDR5 SO-DIMM prices for laptops have risen nearly sixfold compared to mid-2025. Also, desktop DDR5 modules and SSDs prices have followed a similar trajectory. XMG says that now it's no longer just the memory. GPU chips, GDDR7 video memory, Intel and AMD laptop CPUs, and PCBs are all costing more. Due to the conflict in the Middle East and rising fuel prices, air freight costs are higher, while sea freight through the Red Sea and Suez Canal now comes with higher insurance costs.

The XMG APEX 16, CORE 15, CORE 16, FUSION 16, NEO 16, and several PRO models are up €100. The APEX 16 MAX, APEX 17, FOCUS 17, and FUSION 15 went up €150. The SCHENKER KEY 18 Pro saw the largest single adjustment at €300. The RTX 5090 Laptop GPU upgrade is now €120 more expensive across the NEO 16 and SCHENKER KEY 18 Pro. A couple of RTX 5070 upgrade prices were trimmed slightly, though XMG notes the overall system cost is still higher than before. XMG EVO, SCHENKER CONNECT, ELEMENT, and SCHENKER WORK models are not affected this round. The company says the price adjustments are a direct result of rising costs, not a margin expansion, and commits to lowering prices again if component costs drop.

Durabook, the global rugged mobile solutions brand owned by Twinhead International Corporation, announced today the Z14I-DX3 Rugged Mobile Laptop with three full HD displays integrated in a workstation-class, edge AI computing platform. The Z14I-DX3's three 14-inch full HD displays keep maps, video, and operational data visible at the same time, providing a clear, comprehensive view of situational awareness and enabling better informed decision-making for professionals

The Z14I-DX3 workstation-class, edge AI computing platform is powered by Intel Core Ultra CPUs with an integrated Intel AI Boost NPU. A significant option for the Z14I-DX3 is a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card delivering up to 682 TOPS that enables high-end visualization performance such as real-time image recognition, sensor data fusion, and edge computing. Equipped with modern computing performance and formidable acceleration for demanding AI workloads and next-generation AI applications at the edge, the Z14I-DX3 functions as a mission command center.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced its collaboration with Google to bring the Snapdragon X Elite platform to the first Googlebook laptops. The collaboration builds on the leading performance, power efficiency and AI capabilities of Snapdragon X Elite paired with Googlebook, with built-in Gemini Intelligence to deliver proactive and personalized help that keeps you a step ahead. This new category of premium laptops enables cross-device experiences with Android phones and tablets powered by Snapdragon, including support for native Android applications and games for a seamless personal computing ecosystem.

Googlebook laptops powered by Snapdragon X Elite combine Google's Gemini with the incredible performance, efficiency, and connectivity of Snapdragon X Elite. Features like Cast my Apps, Magic Pointer, and Rambler help you stay more productive without breaking your flow by surfacing relevant information from emails, calendars, and on-screen content, delivering seamless phone integration and advanced security features, and building on native Android apps to enable connected, intelligent, and secure computing experiences from virtually anywhere. The global Android ecosystem enables users to create, learn, and even game on Snapdragon - with popular Snapdragon Elite Gaming features like faster frame rates and enhanced graphics also available on Googlebook laptops powered Snapdragon X Elite.