NVIDIA enters ARM PC market with RTX Spark platform

NVIDIA has entered the ARM-based PC market with the announcement of RTX Spark, a platform designed for thin-and-light Windows laptops and small form factor desktops. Developed with MediaTek, the platform combines Blackwell RTX GPUs with Arm Grace CPUs and supports up to 128 GB of unified memory. The technology aims to bring NVIDIA’s CUDA and DLSS ecosystems to devices with all-day battery life, targeting gamers, AI developers, and content creators. Initial devices featuring the platform have been announced by partners including ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft Surface, and MSI.

Qualcomm executives have responded to this new competition. At the Snapdragon Summit 2026, Don McGuire, Qualcomm’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, stated that the company is “not afraid of NVIDIA.” McGuire noted that NVIDIA’s entry validates that x86 is no longer the only viable architecture for PCs. However, he suggested that RTX Spark may initially serve a niche market of high-performance users, whereas Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X targets the broader mainstream PC segment.

In the premium sector, the RTX Spark faces competition from Apple’s M6 chip. While the Apple M6 is currently available in the Mac mini starting at $899, NVIDIA relies on third-party manufacturers for its hardware, meaning pricing for RTX Spark-equipped devices will vary significantly based on the manufacturer and specific core configurations.