Microsoft has opened preorders for its Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a Nvidia-powered machine priced at roughly $6,000 and slated to ship in November. The device runs on Nvidia’s Arm-based RTX Spark platform and includes 128GB of unified memory, a 100-watt thermal envelope, and Nvidia’s Tensor cores. Its flat, 3D-printed anodized aluminum chassis is designed to double as a heatsink and is described as resembling the top vents of an Xbox Series X. The Dev Box was introduced alongside the new Surface Laptop Ultra. According to the report, it is pricier than Nvidia’s DGX Spark mini PC from last year, a difference attributed in part to climbing PC prices driven by shortages of RAM and other components.
Why it matters
The pricing reflects broader component shortages affecting PC costs, and the specifications point to a machine aimed at local AI development workloads.
Who should care
Developers and others evaluating dedicated hardware for AI work, particularly those weighing it against Nvidia’s DGX Spark.