One lucky person has managed to get their hands on a prototype RTX Spark-based laptop, but early testing results show that NVIDIA is still tweaking driver optimizations. Laptops with NVIDIA’s RTX Spark processors will soon be available, giving Windows 11 users access to a new ARM-based CPU paired with a powerful graphics solution. The prototype model EV1.5 features the N1X processor designed for AI, productivity, and some gaming. NVIDIA is working with Microsoft to optimize support for the N1X’s unique design, which is derived from the enterprise DGX Spark, and the 616.00 preview driver was recently released to support it. However, it seems there’s still work to be done in unlocking the processor’s full potential.
The reviewer, in a TechPowerUp forum, stated that the laptop initially had game-ready drivers from last year, which did not support gaming, so they updated to the latest driver, which featured CUDA 13.4 and updated OpenGL+Vulkan support. Unfortunately, the new driver reconfigured power profiles, which were noticeably lowered. The tester was able to confirm this because the new driver allowed access to more metric data in NvMon.
“The most important thing I noticed with this driver is just that it exposes a few more details in NvMon about boost state and PCI-E link configuration.”
– Fouquin
This 20-core N1X is paired with 24GB system memory and a 512GB SSD for storage. This would seem to be a lower-specced system configuration. It managed to score 1,386 in the Cinebench 2024 multicore test and then 123 points in single-core testing, but then scored 5,771 and 540 points, respectively, in Cinebench 2026. Getting back to power usage and core speeds, the tester reported seeing erratic speeds between 1500 and 2300 MHz, which included “massive” frame stutters. The “Best Performance” profile, using the latest driver, limited power to between 8W and 12W and showed no significant performance gains. Balanced mode improved things slightly, raising power draw to around 35W and saw the core reach upwards of 2600 MHz, but NVIDIA Max-Q limits power to 50W.
Desktops and laptops featuring the RTX Spark are expected to launch by fall of 2026, and so NVIDIA and Microsoft still have plenty of time to work on further system optimizations, so these early test results shouldn’t be considered representative of the final product.
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