Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra RTX Spark review: 2000-nits Mini-LED panel is the problem — not the brightness, but how it’s built. Notebookcheck’s hands-on verdict lands hard on the display: it’s a 120 Hz Mini-LED touchscreen with peak HDR brightness over 2,000 nits and accurate P3/sRGB calibration, yet it has no local dimming, sluggish IPS response times, visible ghosting, and a black level of 0.61 cd/m² that makes dark content look washed out. That’s worse than the MacBook Pro 16’s Mini-LED panel and far short of high-end OLEDs like the Asus ProArt P16’s. The backlight flickers at 4650 Hz (only at or below 100% brightness), which is high enough to avoid most PWM sensitivity. But it’s still there, and it’s another layer of compromise in a $4,299 laptop that’s supposed to be uncompromising. The review unit runs Nvidia’s new RTX Spark N1X SoC, a 20-core chip. Paired with 64 GB RAM and a 1 TB SK hynix PCIe 5.0 SSD. CPU performance matches the ProArt P16, beats Intel Panther Lake and AMD Zen 5, but falls behind Apple’s M5 Pro and M5 Max. GPU performance lines up with the GeForce RTX 5070, aided by unified memory, though the review cuts off mid-sentence on that point. Stability is solid under load and on battery, and Windows ARM compatibility issues are acknowledged upfront in Microsoft’s official specs. Build quality is premium: a dark gray metal chassis, excellent rigidity, fingerprint-resistant finish. But the design feels heavier and thicker than it looks. 2 kg, with a two-layer base that makes it bulkier than the larger ProArt P16. Hinges are wobbly. There’s no lid-opening notch. Serviceability is limited to fans, battery, and one M.2-2280 SSD slot. No SD-Express support. The magnetic USB-C charger works, but only on the right-side port, and its unique shape blocks the adjacent USB-A port when plugged in. The 1080p webcam is decent. The backlit keyboard is comfortable but lacks key travel. The haptic trackpad is excellent. Price? $4,299 direct from Microsoft for the configuration tested. Same as the ProArt P16 RTX Spark, which starts at $7,000 but ships with more RAM options and better display implementation. In India, no pricing is reported. This isn’t a launch story. It’s a first review, and it lands at a moment when buyers comparing ‘Surface Laptop Ultra vs MacBook Pro’ or searching ‘Surface Laptop Ultra review’ will find a clear warning: the hardware ambition is real, but the display execution undermines the whole premise. Microsoft’s next move? A firmware update for local dimming? A panel revision? Notebookcheck doesn’t say. But it does say this: ‘The Surface Laptop Ultra is a bit disappointing, especially considering the high price.’ Sales begin immediately via Microsoft’s online store, no wider retail rollout date is given.