Computex: RTX Spark: Nvidia Announces ARM Processors for Windows Notebooks

The sparrows have been whipping it from the roofs since 2024, now it was so far: Nvidia boss Jensen Huang unveiled the notebook processor with the code name N1X on his Computex keynote. He is now under the brand name RTX Spark. Qualcomms Snapdragon-X processors are now competing with Windows on-ARM devices for the first time – and AMD and Intel have now another competitor that offers processors for Windows devices.

With 20 ARM CPU cores (each 10 times Cortex-X925 and -A725) and 6144 Shader cores (Blackwell architecture), the N1X processor corresponds to an end-user version of the system on chip (SoC) GB10. The latter featured Nvidia in early 2025 for his AI Mini PC DGX Spark.

Video by heise

However, due to errors in chip design, it took until the fall of 2025 until DGX Spark actually arrived at first customers. DGX Spark also runs under Nvidias Linux derivative DGX OS, not under Windows. The latter should now change: Huang promises a new era of Windows PC with AI agents that Nvidia wants to walk along with Microsoft. Details were not available at the venue in Taipeh; they should follow in the next days. Huang wants to work with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at Microsoft's Build 2026 Developer Conference, which will start in San Francisco on June 2nd.

Equipment

Huang announced in his keynote that a number of notebook manufacturers work with N1X or RTX Spark, including Acer, Asus (ProArt P14 and P16), Dell (XPS), Lenovo (Legion, IdeaPad, Yoga), Microsoft (Surface Laptop Ultra) and MSI. Some manufacturers like Microsoft have already begun to antease their devices in their own blogs and on social media, but concrete technical details are not among them. In the exhibition halls that are not yet open, there could be mockups, but no running devices.

This is because the devices are not ready yet. Manufacturers informed us under their hands that they hope to start selling before the end of the year. Officially, Huang called on stage the fall 2026 as a start date; some manufacturers are more specific from September or October.

But this timetable is not mapped in stone: Under the hood of Windows, it continues to crunch enormously – which explains the long delay initially addressed. The technical problems are also a reason why Microsoft has created the Windows version 26H1 (Build 28000) that was decoupled from the remaining development for selected systems. It is currently on all notebooks that are sold with Qualcomms Snapdragon X2.

(mue)