Nvidia RTX Spark's 18-core config surfaces on Geekbench

Notebookcheck reports that two new Geekbench 7 listings uploaded on August 7 provide the first live benchmark confirmation of a second, lower-end RTX Spark configuration — following the driver strings that first hinted at its existence back in July. The first listing shows the flagship config in action: a 20-core CPU (10+10 cluster arrangement) at 4.00 GHz paired with a 6,144-core Blackwell GPU, scoring 2,570 in single-core and 23,126 in multi-core testing on Windows 11 Pro. The second listing reveals the trimmed lower-end variant: an 18-core CPU (10+8 clusters) at 3.90 GHz paired with a 5,120-core GPU, scoring 2,541 in single-core and 21,776 in multi-core on Windows 11 Enterprise. Both systems list 64 GB of RAM and the same ARMv8 Family 8 Model D87 Revision 1 silicon.

The 18-core result confirms what NVIDIA's July driver strings had already suggested about the 5,120-core GPU variant — but the Geekbench listings add a critical new detail: the lower-end chip's CPU is also trimmed, losing two cores compared with the full 20-core configuration. The single-core scores of the two variants are nearly identical (2,570 vs 2,541, a 1.14 percent difference), while the multi-core gap is more pronounced (23,126 vs 21,776, roughly 6.2 percent), consistent with the two-core deficit. Notebookcheck notes these are engineering-sample results running on Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise respectively, and that pricing and availability for either configuration remain unannounced — final retail hardware could differ from these early listings.

For Canadian consumers tracking RTX Spark ahead of its Fall 2026 launch, the Geekbench listings provide the clearest picture yet of the platform's two-tier SKU strategy. The 18-core / 5,120-core variant is expected to power more affordable RTX Spark laptops and compact desktops, potentially bringing prices below the flagship N1X's ~$2,900+ floor — directly relevant for Canadian buyers weighing RTX Spark against Snapdragon X-based Copilot+ PCs and Apple's M-series MacBooks, which currently dominate the premium Arm laptop segment in Canada. With engineering-sample results typically understating final retail performance once mature drivers ship, Canadian early adopters should treat these numbers as directional rather than definitive ahead of the platform's Fall 2026 availability.