AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from The Verge, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

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The first laptops featuring Nvidia’s new RTX Spark chip are designed to compete with high-end MacBook Pros, though they come with prices that match their performance tier. Flagship models from Dell, Lenovo, MSI, HP, and Asus start at $2,599 for configurations equipped with an 18-core CPU, 24GB of unified memory, and 512GB of storage. This entry-level pricing is comparable to a similarly specced 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip, although Apple’s version includes 1TB of storage by default.

Higher-end configurations significantly increase the cost. A fully kitted Asus ProArt P16 RTX Spark laptop with a 20-core CPU, 128GB of unified memory, and 2TB of storage is priced at $6,999.99. Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra also sees high costs; while full configuration options are not yet fully listed on the preorder page, a model with 48GB of unified memory is available for $3,999.99 on Best Buy.

These expensive laptops target professional creators and users interested in local AI processing. While configuring a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Max chip can also reach nearly $10,000, the RTX Spark lineup aims specifically at this high-end market segment. The devices are launching this month, with availability starting as early as October 16th.