微软发布搭载 Nvidia 芯片、升级版 Windows 11 的新款 AI PC

今年 6 月，Nvidia 宣布，已与微软及其他众多 PC 制造商达成协议，将基于其 RTX Spark 芯片开发面向 Windows、具备 AI 与 Agent 运行能力的 PC；但当时关于这些设备的细节还相当有限。

周三，在旧金山 Tech Week 期间举行的一场活动上，微软公布了新款 Surface Laptop Ultra 的规格和价格。这款 PC 提供两个基础型号：其中一款起售价为 2,600 美元，另一款搭载更强芯片、起售价为 3,700 美元。用户还可选择更大的内存和存储容量，价格最高可达 5,900 美元。（微软表示，顶配设备已经售罄。）

微软还发布了一款由 RTX Spark 芯片驱动的新工作站：Surface RTX Spark Dev Box，起售价为 6,000 美元，配备了 VS Code、GitHub Copilot CLI、WSL 和 PowerShell 7 等微软开发工具。

这款 PC 和工作站的卖点在于，它们通过 CPU、GPU、统一内存以及更强散热等其他硬件改进，能够在设备本地运行 AI 模型，而且无需额外付费。

此外，它们运行的是经过升级的 Windows 11，其中包含一项名为“执行容器”（“Execution Containers”）的功能。该公司表示，这项功能可让用户更轻松地为 AI Agent 建立沙箱隔离环境。微软 CEO 萨提亚·纳德拉在活动上表示，这项功能将向所有 Windows 11 用户提供。

纳德拉解释说：“我们在过去 3 至 4 年间意识到的一件事是，仅仅拥有一个模型，对任何事情都不会产生太大作用。你确实需要进行编排，也需要模型之外的记忆。你需要这样一个受控层，能够整合多个模型、上下文、记忆以及行动空间。”

他补充称，微软正在让这一能力“不仅服务于我们自己的应用，也服务于任何人的 Agent 应用。这正是 Windows 平台未来发展的方向。”

这些设备显然瞄准开发者市场，以至于微软正在向以 MacBook Pro 参与折抵的用户提供最高 1,000 美元优惠。Mac 已成为开发者和 AI Agent 爱好者的热门选择，尤其是在硅谷。

不过，微软承诺，凭借如此强大的图形处理能力，这些 Surface PC 同样可用于内容创作、视频处理和游戏。

周三公布新款 Nvidia RTX Spark AI Windows PC 规格的并不只有微软。Dell 也公布了此前已宣布的 Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition PC 的详细信息。该产品现已在 Best Buy 开放预订，计划于 10 月稍晚交付，售价为 3,800 美元。

Back in June, Nvidia announced that it had secured agreements with Microsoft and a host of other PC makers to develop AI- and agent-ready PCs for Windows based on its RTX Spark chip, but details on the machines were scant at the time.

On Wednesday, at an event held in San Francisco during the city’s Tech Week, Microsoft revealed the specs and price for its new Surface Laptop Ultra. The PC comes in two base models, one that starts at $2,600 and one with a more powerful chip that starts at $3,700. Prices rise from there with options for more memory and storage, up to $5,900. (Microsoft says the highest-end device is already out of stock.)

Microsoft also revealed its new workstation powered by the RTX Spark chip: the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, which starts priced at $6,000 and comes equipped with Microsoft dev tools like VS Code, GitHub Copilot CLI, WSL, and PowerShell 7.

The pitch for both this PC and workstation is that they are designed to run AI models on-device locally (and for free) with the CPU, GPU, unified memory, and other hardware modifications, like superior cooling, necessary to handle them.

Plus, they are running a revamped version of Windows 11 that includes a feature called “Execution Containers.” This makes it easier to sandbox AI agents, the company says. That feature will be available for all Windows 11 users, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said at the event.

Nadella explained: “One of the things we realized in the last 3-4 years is that just having a model doesn’t do much for anything. You really do need to orchestrate, and you need to have memory outside of the model. You need to have this harnessed layer that is able to take multiple models plus context, plus memory, and the action space.”

He added that Microsoft is enabling that “not just for our apps but apps for anyone’s agent. That’s what the Windows platform is all about going forward.”

The devices are clearly aimed at developers, so much so that Microsoft is offering up to $1,000 off to people who trade in a MacBook Pro, as Macs have become a popular choice for developers and AI agent enthusiasts, particularly in Silicon Valley.

Still, these Surface PCs, with such powerful graphics processing, are also capable of content creation, video processing, and gaming, the company promises.

Microsoft wasn’t the only PC company to announce the specs for its new Nvidia-RTX Spark AI Windows PCs on Wednesday. Dell also announced the details of its previously announced Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition PC. It’s available for preorder now for a later October delivery at Best Buy, priced at $3,800.