RTX Spark N1X vs DGX Spark: 128GB Unified-Memory Chooser
Data freshness: 27 September 2026. NVIDIA launched the RTX Spark platform for Windows PCs; the first N1X laptops and small desktops arrive in October 2026 with no confirmed pricing. The DGX Spark ships today but its marketplace goes in and out of stock and street prices sit above list. Every claim below carries its source and date. Estimates are labeled as estimates. No benchmark rows for either device exist in our database — we publish no invented performance numbers.
1. 30-second answer
RTX Spark N1X and DGX Spark share the same headline numbers — up to 128GB of LPDDR5X unified memory and up to 1 petaFLOP FP4 AI performance (NVIDIA RTX Spark product page; NVIDIA DGX Spark product page). The split is platform and timing: DGX Spark is NVIDIA's own compact desktop running NVIDIA DGX OS (Ubuntu-based) on the ARM-based GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, with no Windows support, and it ships today at a $4,699 list price. RTX Spark N1X is the chip inside Windows 11 PCs from OEM partners — laptops and small desktops arriving October 2026, with pricing still unconfirmed; a Morgan Stanley analyst note reported in press coverage estimates roughly $2,899 for N1X systems and around $1,799 and up for the lower N1 tier, but those are estimates, not prices, and base configurations at those levels carry 16 or 32 GB of memory, not 128 GB.
2. What each device officially is
RTX Spark N1X — Windows 11 PCs, October 2026
Per NVIDIA's official RTX Spark product page (checked 25 September 2026): RTX Spark is a superchip platform for Windows 11 laptops and small desktops, built to run personal AI agents 24/7 plus game and create with RTX graphics. The N1X chip pairs a 6,144-core NVIDIA Blackwell RTX GPU with a 20-core NVIDIA Grace CPU; the lower N1 tier pairs a 5,120-core Blackwell RTX GPU with an 18-core Grace CPU. NVIDIA lists N1X laptop/desktop variants at 45–80 W TDP and the N1X superchip variant at 140 W. Memory configurations go up to 128 GB LPDDR5X on N1X (up to 64 GB on N1). NVIDIA lists DLSS 5, Reflex 2, RTX Remix, G-SYNC, Game Ready and Studio drivers among the supported technologies. OEM partners named by NVIDIA: ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft Surface, MSI, with Acer and GIGABYTE to follow. The page invites sign-up to be notified when RTX Spark laptops and desktops are available — no price is published.
DGX Spark — shipping Linux desktop
Per NVIDIA's DGX Spark product page and hardware documentation (seeded in our products database, verified 2026-09-21): the DGX Spark is a compact desktop built on the NVIDIA GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip — a 20-core Grace CPU (10 Cortex-X925 + 10 Cortex-A725, ARM) with an integrated Blackwell GPU, 128 GB LPDDR5X unified memory, 273 GB/s memory bandwidth, 1 petaFLOP FP4 peak AI performance, 140 W SoC TDP, 240 W PSU, 150 × 150 × 50.5 mm, 1.2 kg. It runs NVIDIA DGX OS (Ubuntu-based) — no Windows support, no WSL. Storage 4 TB NVMe. Our database row: NVIDIA DGX Spark (AI Workstation category, status available, list $4,699 — see the price caution in section 4).
3. Side-by-side (vendor-stated specs)
| Spec | RTX Spark N1X (Windows PCs) | DGX Spark (NVIDIA desktop) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Announced — ships October 2026 | Shipping now |
| OS | Windows 11 | NVIDIA DGX OS (Ubuntu-based) — no Windows |
| GPU | 6,144-core NVIDIA Blackwell RTX | Blackwell (integrated in GB10) |
| CPU | 20-core NVIDIA Grace | 20-core Grace (10 X925 + 10 A725, ARM) |
| Unified memory | Up to 128 GB LPDDR5X | 128 GB LPDDR5X |
| Memory bandwidth | Not stated on NVIDIA page | 273 GB/s |
| Peak AI performance | Up to 1 petaFLOP FP4 | 1 petaFLOP FP4 |
| TDP | 45–80 W (laptops/desktops); 140 W (superchip) | 140 W SoC |
| Price | No official price — MS estimate ~$2,899 (N1X), ~$1,799+ (N1) — labeled estimate | $4,699 list; street $4,999.99 when stock is scarce |
| Known OEM | ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft Surface, MSI; Acer, GIGABYTE to follow | NVIDIA (Founders Edition) |
Spec values above are vendor-stated (NVIDIA product pages). The N1X bandwidth figure is not published on NVIDIA's RTX Spark page, so we leave it blank rather than guess. No benchmark rows for either device exist in our database.
4. Price reality check — list vs street, and the sellout narrative
DGX Spark list price is $4,699, raised from the $3,999 launch price in February 2026, which NVIDIA attributed to memory shortages (press coverage, September 2026). NVIDIA's marketplace has been out of stock, and the cheapest actually-available unit tracked was $4,999.99 on Amazon, sold by Micro Center (VideoCardz, 20 September 2026; camelcamelcamel, 24 September 2026); a $5,699.99 Walmart listing was tracked on 4 September 2026 (camelcamelcamel). If you are comparing N1X estimates to a "DGX Spark price," use the number you can actually buy at, and check stock on the day — not the list.
RTX Spark N1X has no official pricing. The figures in circulation come from a Morgan Stanley analyst note reported in press coverage: roughly $2,899 for N1X-equipped models and around $1,799 and up for the lower N1 tier (reported by tech-ish 17 September 2026, tech-insider.org 19 September 2026, shattered.io 22 September 2026, thedeskbrief.com 24 September 2026). Two cautions: (1) these are analyst estimates, not OEM prices — OEMs have deferred confirmed pricing to closer to launch; (2) the base configurations at those price points carry 16 or 32 GB of memory and a 512 GB or 1 TB SSD, not the 128 GB configuration (progressiverobot.com, 3 September 2026). A 128GB N1X system will cost more than the estimate. Tom's Guide separately offered a speculative range of $1,999–$2,499 for a lower-tier system (shattered.io, 25 September 2026) — also speculation, not a price.
The sellout narrative: DGX Spark stock scarcity plus the October N1X launch window means the "only 128GB box you can buy today" story pushes DGX prices up at the same time the "cheaper Windows alternative is coming" story pushes buyers to wait. Both are real; neither is a reason to overpay. Our rule: if you need hardware today, pay the street price with eyes open; if you can wait, October pricing will resolve the estimate question in weeks.
5. MSI EdgeMesa N AI+ — the first named N1X Windows mini-PC
MSI announced the EdgeMesa N AI+ in September 2026 (wccftech, 21 September 2026; VideoCardz, 21 September 2026; TweakTown, 21 September 2026; BigGo Finance, 23 September 2026): a compact desktop built on the RTX Spark N1X chip with a 20-core Grace CPU and 6,144-core Blackwell GPU, up to 128 GB LPDDR5X unified memory, up to 1 petaFLOP FP4 AI performance, 4 TB NVMe support, and rich I/O: four USB-C 20 Gbps ports (three with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode, one with Power Delivery), HDMI 2.1b, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4. MSI's own product page confirms the same headline specs. Pricing and exact release date have not been disclosed (VideoCardz, BigGo Finance); the listing also references an unannounced higher-end EdgeMesa N AI+ X variant (BigGo Finance, Notebookcheck, 22–23 September 2026). It was first shown at Computex 2026 and competes with RTX Spark machines from Acer, Asus, Honor and Microsoft (BigGo Finance).
Our database row: MSI EdgeMesa N AI+ (RTX Spark N1X) — status announced, 128 GB LPDDR5x-9600, no price. We do not list a street price because none exists.
6. Decision rules
| If you… | Then |
|---|---|
| Need Windows 11 | Wait for N1X — DGX Spark has no Windows path (DGX OS only, no WSL) |
| Need 128GB unified memory working today | DGX Spark ships now; N1X PCs arrive October 2026 |
| Want the cheapest 128GB path | Wait for October OEM pricing — N1X estimates (~$2,899) are for base configs that are NOT 128GB; a 128GB N1X system will cost more |
| Are fine with Linux and want NVIDIA's reference box | DGX Spark — but check live stock and street price, not the $4,699 list |
| Want a named mini-PC today | MSI EdgeMesa N AI+ is the first announced N1X Windows mini-PC — no price, no exact date; wait for the October window to close |
| Care about gaming performance | NVIDIA lists DLSS 5 / Reflex 2 / RTX Remix support on N1X; we have no benchmark rows for either device and publish no invented numbers |
7. Sources (URLs checked 2026-09-27)
Fetch check: NVIDIA pages, wccftech, VideoCardz, BigGo Finance, progressiverobot, tech-ish, tech-insider, shattered.io, thedeskbrief and Memeburn all returned HTTP 200 on 2026-09-27. msi.com, camelcamelcamel and notebookcheck returned HTTP 403 to an automated fetch (bot protection, not a dead page) — the specs and price figures taken from them are cross-confirmed by the 200-returning press sources in the same rows.
| Claim class | Source | Official? | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX Spark platform, N1X/N1 specs (6,144/5,120 cores, 20/18-core Grace, 128/64 GB LPDDR5X, TDP, DLSS 5, OEM list, October availability, no price) | NVIDIA — RTX Spark product page | Official (NVIDIA) | checked 2026-09-25 |
| DGX Spark specs (GB10, 128GB, 273 GB/s, 1 PFLOP FP4, 140 W, DGX OS, no Windows) | NVIDIA — DGX Spark product page + hardware docs | Official (NVIDIA) | 2026-09-21 (DB entity pass) |
| MSI EdgeMesa N AI+ announcement: N1X, 128GB, 1 PFLOP FP4, 10GbE, USB-C ×4, HDMI 2.1b, Wi-Fi 7; no price/date | wccftech + VideoCardz | Press | 2026-09-21 |
| EdgeMesa global listing, I/O detail, EdgeMesa N AI+ X reference, October on-sale, competitor set | BigGo Finance | Press | 2026-09-23 |
| EdgeMesa compact-desktop details, higher-end variant | Notebookcheck | Press | 2026-09-22 |
| DGX Spark list $4,699, out of stock on NVIDIA marketplace, cheapest available $4,999.99 (Micro Center via Amazon) | VideoCardz — DGX Spark prices are already climbing | Press (price tracking) | 2026-09-20 |
| DGX Spark price history: $4,999.99 3rd-party new (24 Sep), $5,699.99 Walmart (4 Sep), Amazon OOS | camelcamelcamel — NVIDIA DGX Spark price tracker | Price tracker | 2026-09-24 |
| Morgan Stanley estimates ~$2,899 (N1X) / ~$1,799+ (N1); OEMs deferring pricing to launch | tech-ish, tech-insider.org, shattered.io, thedeskbrief.com | Analyst estimate via press — labeled, not a price | 2026-09-17/19/22/24 |
| Estimate base configs are 16/32 GB + 512 GB/1 TB SSD, not 128 GB | progressiverobot.com | Press | 2026-09-03 |
| DGX Spark $3,999 → $4,699 February 2026 raise, memory-shortage attribution | Memeburn | Press | 2026-09-23 |
| Tom's Guide speculative $1,999–$2,499 range for lower-tier N1 system | shattered.io | Speculation — labeled | 2026-09-25 |
| MSI product page headline specs (N1X, 1 PFLOP FP4, 128GB unified) | MSI — EdgeMesa N AI+ Series | Official (MSI) | checked 2026-09-25 |
8. Data freshness
27 September 2026. This page is a launch-window snapshot. The October N1X on-sale date will bring real OEM pricing, which will replace every estimate above. DGX Spark stock and street prices move weekly — the $4,999.99 figure was the cheapest tracked on 24 September 2026 and may not be live today. When N1X prices publish, update the price row first; the estimate labels stay until an OEM confirms. No benchmark rows for RTX Spark N1X or DGX Spark exist in our database; the 1 petaFLOP FP4 figure is a vendor peak claim, not a measured workload result.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between RTX Spark N1X and DGX Spark?
Both use NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs with up to 128GB of LPDDR5X unified memory and up to 1 petaFLOP FP4 AI performance. The differences are the platform and availability: DGX Spark is a compact desktop sold by NVIDIA directly, running NVIDIA DGX OS (Ubuntu-based) on the ARM-based GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip with no Windows support; RTX Spark N1X is the chip inside Windows 11 PCs from OEM partners (ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft Surface, MSI, with Acer and GIGABYTE to follow), with laptops and small desktops arriving in October 2026. NVIDIA lists the N1X laptop/desktop chip at 45–80 W and the N1X superchip variant at 140 W.
How much will RTX Spark N1X PCs cost?
NVIDIA and its OEMs have not announced official pricing as of 27 September 2026. A Morgan Stanley analyst note reported in press coverage puts N1X-equipped systems at roughly $2,899 and entry-level N1 machines from around $1,799 — these are analyst estimates, not confirmed prices, and base configurations at those levels carry 16 or 32 GB of memory, not 128 GB. The MSI EdgeMesa N AI+ has no disclosed price. Treat every N1X price you see as an estimate until OEMs confirm.
How much does a DGX Spark cost?
NVIDIA lists the DGX Spark Founders Edition at $4,699, raised from the $3,999 launch price in February 2026 because of memory shortages. Actually buying one is harder: NVIDIA's marketplace has been out of stock, and the cheapest available unit tracked was $4,999.99 on Amazon sold by Micro Center (camelcamelcamel, 24 September 2026), with a $5,699.99 Walmart listing tracked on 4 September 2026. List price and street price are not the same number — check live stock before deciding.
Should I wait for RTX Spark N1X or buy a DGX Spark now?
If you need a Windows 11 machine, the DGX Spark cannot run Windows — wait for N1X. If you need a working 128GB unified-memory box today and are fine with Linux (DGX OS), the DGX Spark ships now. If you want the best value, neither is a clear win yet: N1X pricing is unconfirmed (estimates only), and DGX Spark street prices sit above list when stock is scarce. Our rule: do not pre-commit money on either side until OEM prices are published at October launch.
Can the RTX Spark N1X run games?
NVIDIA lists DLSS 5, Reflex 2, RTX Remix, G-SYNC, Game Ready and Studio drivers among the technologies supported by RTX Spark N1X (NVIDIA RTX Spark product page, checked 25 September 2026). We have no independent benchmark rows for N1X in our database and do not publish invented performance numbers.
Is the MSI EdgeMesa N AI+ the first RTX Spark N1X Windows mini-PC?
MSI announced the EdgeMesa N AI+ in September 2026 as a compact desktop built on the RTX Spark N1X chip with up to 128GB LPDDR5X unified memory, up to 1 petaFLOP FP4 AI performance, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, four USB-C 20 Gbps ports, HDMI 2.1b, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. It is one of several RTX Spark desktops expected from PC manufacturers; NVIDIA's own page lists desktop partners including ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft Surface and MSI. Pricing and exact release date were not disclosed as of 27 September 2026.
Related: NVIDIA DGX Spark, MSI EdgeMesa N AI+ (RTX Spark N1X), DGX Spark specs, DGX Spark vs AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, DGX Spark vs Mac Studio M2 Ultra 192GB, DLSS 5 GPU support matrix, Ryzen AI Max+ 495 vs 395 worth-it, all guides.