Nvidia has released the RTX Spark N1X processor, an Arm-based system-on-chip designed to compete with leading processors from Apple, Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm in the laptop market. The chip features 20 CPU cores and 6,144 GPU CUDA cores in its top configuration, along with Nvidia RTX Blackwell graphics and unified memory options ranging from 32GB to 128GB. Multiple technology writers spent a week evaluating five different laptops equipped with the N1X chip across various manufacturers, including Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra, Asus ProArt P16, Lenovo Yoga 9n 2-in-1, and HP OmniBook Ultra.
The RTX Spark laptops carry premium price tags, ranging from $3,199.99 to $6,999.99, and are intended for developers, coders, and content creators who need robust local AI capabilities and gaming performance. A lower-specification 18-core variant with 5,120 CUDA cores is available starting at $2,599.99. The testing revealed that Windows on Arm has matured significantly over recent years, with native application support expanded and Microsoft’s Prism emulation layer enabling compatibility with x86-based software. Reviewers reported that most everyday applications function without noticeable issues, including Adobe’s Photoshop and Premiere alongside traditional x86 applications like Lightroom Classic.
Gaming performance proved solid for many titles, though results varied by game. Using medium settings at 1440p with DLSS performance mode, stable 60 frames per second was achieved in most games tested, including Black Myth: Wukong at 70 average fps and Cyberpunk 2077 at 66 average fps. However, CPU limitations emerged in certain titles with high enemy counts or extreme processing demands, such as Helldivers 2 and Star Wars Zero Company, where performance remained inconsistent even at reduced graphical settings. The GPU capability was generally considered sufficient for portable gaming, though not equivalent to dedicated gaming laptop performance.
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