![]() For the first time, at least that I'm aware of, the Intel Core-based Surface Pro 3 lineup supports Connected Standby-or what is now annoyingly called InstantGo-meaning that if you use the device with the default Balanced power plan, you will see the same quick sleep and resume performance-and background software updating while the device power-sips while sleeping-that you can get with Intel Atom- and ARM-based systems. (This explains, in part, why I earlier referred to this product as a Surface "2.5" device from a chipset perspective, it's the same as Surface 2.)įor starters, Microsoft is handling power management differently in this release, and that can impact both performance (bad) and battery life (good). In fact, the mid-level offering is identical to what Microsoft provided with Surface Pro 2. It is worth noting, too, that none of these chipsets are particularly new: Each dates back to early 2013, and each is the same processor generation we saw previously in Surface Pro 2. It offers a base speed of 1.7 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 3.3 GHz.Īs you might surmise from these numbers, each model represents a fairly significant performance boost over its preceding model's chipset, thanks in part to higher Turbo Boost possibilities, but also the bump in integrated graphics capabilities. The two high-end Surface Pro 3 models both offer the same Intel Core i7-4650U processor with with Intel HD Graphics 5000. It offers a base speed of 1.6 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 2.9 GHz. The two mid-level Surface Pro 3 models both offer the same dual-core Intel Core i5-4300U processor with Intel HD Graphics 4400. The entry level Surface Pro 3 model offers a dual-core Intel Core i3 4020Y processor with Intel HD Graphics 4200. Here's how the processor models break down per product edition:Įntry-level. There is no dedicated graphics option on any Surface Pro 3 model and perhaps that is something we'll see added in a future generation Surface. Each includes an integrated Intel HD Graphics chipset, which varies from processor to processor. These are ultra-low-voltage (ULV) parts with dual cores and Hyper-Threading that utilize a 22mm die size. To the average user, this stuff doesn't matter too much, but if you have specific needs, understanding which processors are available and how they compare to each other-and to the processor types in competing devices-is at least somewhat relevant.Įach is a 4th generation Intel Core "Haswell" processor. Since Microsoft's official specs sheet for the Surface Pro 3 doesn't identify exactly which processor it's using in each model, I had to ask around. Or a lot longer, in the case of the CPUs. But each component deserves at least a slightly longer explanation. Intel Core i7, 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of solid state storage Intel Core i7, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of solid state storage Intel Core i5, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of solid state storage ![]() ![]() Intel Core i5, 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of solid state storage Intel Core i3, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of solid state storage Here's a quick breakdown of each Surface Pro 3 model: (With Surface Pro 2, each product edition utilized the same mid-level Core i5 processor.) So we see an interesting mix of processors, RAM and storage across the these five versions, with the entry-level Surface Pro 3 providing an Intel Core i3 processor, the two mid-level versions offering the same Core i5 processor (but different RAM and storage allotments) and the two high-end versions of course offering a Core i7. With Surface Pro 3, the firm takes the next logical step and finally offers microprocessor changes across what is now five available product editions. And the two upper range versions offered 8 GB of RAM, compared to 4 GB on the two lower-end versions. The original Surface Pro was similar, though that product offered both 64 GB and 128 GB versions at first.įor Surface Pro 2, Microsoft expanded the possibilities greatly: With this version there were/are four product versions offering a choice between 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB of storage. If you're familiar with previous Surface devices, you know that Surface RT and Surface 2-both of which are based on ARM chipsets-each offered only minimal configuration choices: Your only real choice was whether to get the 32 GB or 64 GB version of the product. This time around, you can choose between product editions with different CPUs that span the range of Intel's Core mobile processor lineup. While Surface Pro 3 falls short of offering a true configurator for mixing and matching components during the online purchase process, it still provides more options than any previous Surface device. ![]()
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