A new kind of creator machine has arrived, one that brings a graphics processor and an AI chip into a body thinner than many of its rivals. Asus's ProArt P16, built around Nvidia's RTX Spark N1X, is slim, bright and fast in many tests, and it carries the promise of running AI agents on the device itself without monthly fees. Yet it asks buyers to pay a steep price, accept a Windows on Arm system whose older software may not behave as hoped, and live with fan noise and heat under load. Whether it proves its worth will depend on those who choose to make AI a daily tool of their craft.
Asus ProArt P16 with RTX Spark Review: A Powerful, Pricey AI Creator Laptop
No subscriptions or prompt fees, just an assistant that adapts to your routines
Mark
Why does this laptop matter beyond being another expensive creator machine?
Mimi
Because the pitch is local AI. You run models and agents on the device itself, with no subscription and no per-prompt fees, and that is what the RTX Spark chip and up to 128GB of RAM are for.
Mark
And it's thin, too.
Mimi
3.9 pounds and about half an inch. It's lighter than the MacBook Pro at 4.7 pounds, and the reviewer ties that to using the chip instead of a separate GPU.
Luke
Before we get carried away, the benchmark picture is murky. Nvidia itself said Geekbench and 3DMark don't reflect the chip well.
Mimi
Right, and Geekbench AI numbers are called obsolete because of deprecated DirectML. Still, the multi-core and Handbrake results came out strongly in its favor.
Luke
But the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro still wins on single-core. So the performance claim has limits.
Mark
What about the Windows on Arm issue?
Mimi
Apps run natively or through Prism emulation. Jensen Huang says everything will work, but the reviewer says some things may not.
Luke
Notice that's a claim from Nvidia's CEO, not something the review verified. And the AI benefits are described in terms of what editors and developers could do, not measured results.
Mark
So who should buy it?
Mimi
Mainly AI power users and 3D creatives, given prices from $2,799 up to $6,999.
Le Pouls
- A thin 16-inch laptop with a 120Hz OLED and up to 128GB of memory arrives as the first machine built on Nvidia's new RTX Spark N1X chip.
- Prices spread from $2,799 to $6,999, and buyers must check which chip variant they are getting before they commit.
- Windows on Arm and Prism emulation raise doubts that some older applications will run as expected.
- Multi-core speed and 3D gaming impress the reviewer, but Apple's MacBook Pro still leads in single-core performance.
- The machine gets loud and warm under load, and its 12-hour battery falls short of rivals, though it covers a full workday.
- Its value rests on creators and developers who will actually put on-device AI agents to work.
A new kind of creator machine has arrived, one that brings a graphics processor and an AI chip into a body thinner than many of its rivals. Asus's ProArt P16, built around Nvidia's RTX Spark N1X, is slim, bright and fast in many tests, and it carries the promise of running AI agents on the device itself without monthly fees. Yet it asks buyers to pay a steep price, accept a Windows on Arm system whose older software may not behave as hoped, and live with fan noise and heat under load. Whether it proves its worth will depend on those who choose to make AI a daily tool of their craft.
The Asus ProArt P16 that Tom's Guide tested weighs 3.9 pounds and is thinner than both its predecessor and the MacBook Pro. It is the first ProArt built around Nvidia's RTX Spark N1X chip, and the reviewer came away mostly impressed, though wary of the price.
The chip is the heart of the machine. The review unit carried a 20-core version with 128GB of memory and 2TB of storage. A cheaper variant shares the same name but has fewer cores, so buyers must check what they are getting. Because the chip replaces a separate laptop graphics card, Asus could slim the body considerably. Benchmarks came with caveats from Nvidia, which warned that standard tests don't fully reflect the chip's real performance. Even so, the numbers were strong. Apple's MacBook Pro still wins on single-core speed, but the new ProArt outpaced its predecessor and a rival Ryzen machine in multi-core work, and it cut video transcoding times sharply. In gaming at 4K, it ran Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing at around 30 frames per second, rising to about 115 with DLSS and frame generation, and its graphics beat the dedicated RTX 4070 of last year's model.
The 16-inch OLED touchscreen is bright and sharp, with a 120Hz refresh rate that the reviewer enjoyed while watching a streaming drama. Battery life reached 12 hours and 26 minutes, short of the MacBook Pro and the Dell XPS 14, but enough for a full working day. The ports suit creators, and the keyboard and large touchpad feel good, though the DialPad from the previous generation is gone.
The main appeal is running AI agents locally, with no subscriptions or per-prompt fees. Video editors, 3D designers, game developers and coders may find real uses for them, from automating assembly work to writing large volumes of code. Others may find their use limited to drafts and document summaries.
The drawbacks are real. Prices start at $2,799 at retailers but rise to $4,399 on Asus's own site, and the top model costs $6,999. Running on Windows on Arm means some applications may not behave as expected, and under load the laptop becomes loud and warm. The verdict is that it is one of the best AI laptops available, but not a MacBook Pro killer. It is worth the money mainly for AI power users and 3D creatives.
The Asus ProArt P16 that Tom's Guide tested weighs 3.9 pounds and measures between 0.5 and 0.6 inches thick, which makes it lighter and slimmer than both its predecessor and the current MacBook Pro. It is the first ProArt built around Nvidia's RTX Spark N1X chip, and the reviewer, who called the chip the most anticipated product of the year, came away mostly impressed and a little wary of the bill.
The chip is the story. The review unit carried the 20-core version of the RTX Spark N1X, with a 6,144-core GPU counting its tensor cores, 128GB of DDR5X memory and 2TB of storage. A cheaper variant has an 18-core CPU and a 5,120-core GPU, and it shares the same name, so buyers need to check which one they are getting. Because the machine uses the chip instead of a separate laptop GPU, Asus could trim the body: the previous P16 was 0.7 inches thick and 4.1 pounds, and the MacBook Pro is 0.6 inches and 4.7 pounds.
Benchmarks came with caveats. Nvidia told the reviewer that Geekbench and 3DMark numbers don't reflect the chip's real performance, and that Geekbench AI results would be outdated because DirectML is deprecated. Some games would not boot at first, though a workaround turned up. Even so, the figures were strong. Apple's MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro still wins on single-core performance and, by the reviewer's account, wipes the floor in some tests. But the previous ProArt P16, with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and the Asus ROG Flow Z13, with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395, could not match the new machine's multi-core performance. In a Handbrake test transcoding 4K video to 1080p, it cut times drastically.
Gaming served as the 3D test. Cyberpunk 2077 at Ray Tracing: Ultra ran around 30 frames per second at 4K, and about 115 with DLSS and frame generation. The chip's graphics even beat the dedicated RTX 4070 in last year's model.
The display carries over the 16-inch, 3840 x 2400 OLED touchscreen in a 16:10 shape, with 1,600 nits of peak brightness and an anti-reflective coating. The upgrade is a 120Hz refresh rate with a 0.2ms response time. Stylus support exists, but no stylus is included. The reviewer, watching VisionQuest on Disney+, was struck by the colors. Battery life reached 12 hours and 26 minutes in Tom's Guide's test of web browsing and video streaming at 150 nits. That falls short of the MacBook Pro and of the Dell XPS 14 (2026) with Intel's Panther Lake, which tops 20 hours, but it covers a full working day.
The port selection suits creators: three USB 4 ports at up to 40Gbps that handle displays and power, any of which can take the 140W charger, plus a USB-A port, HDMI, a headphone jack and an SD card reader. The keyboard has 1.7mm of key travel and the haptic touchpad is large. The DialPad from the last generation is gone, which some creatives will miss. The Nano Black finish resists fingerprints, and there is also a Neo White option.
The main draw is running AI agents on the device, with no subscriptions or per-prompt fees. Asus bundles StoryCube and MuseTree, while the reviewer expects video editors, 3D designers, game developers and coders to turn to tools like Hermes Agent. Editors could automate assembly work or find highlights in long cuts, and developers could have an agent write large volumes of code. For others, the use may stop at drafts, file searches and document summaries.
The drawbacks are cost, heat and compatibility. U.S. pricing starts at $2,799 at Best Buy and £3,099 at Currys in the U.K., though Asus's own site lists $4,399 and £3,899. The top configuration is $6,999 or £5,999. This is also Windows on Arm, so apps run natively or through Microsoft's Prism emulation, and some may not behave as expected, despite Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang saying every application Windows has ever run will work. Under load the laptop gets loud and somewhat hot.
The verdict is that it is one of the best AI laptops but no MacBook Pro killer on raw performance. The reviewer says it is worth the money mainly for AI power users and 3D creatives.
Citations marquantes
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says every single application that Windows has ever run will work on the chip.— Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO, as cited by Tom's Guide
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