Surface 3 vs. Surface RT - Detailed Specs Comparison
Here's what you need to know what's different between Surface 3 and Surface RT specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

The 2015 Surface 3 features the 2W Intel Cherry Trail quad-core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 with the boost speed up to 2.40 GHz. While the 2012 Surface RT features the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 with the boost speed up to 1.40 GHz.
If you want to know more what's the difference between the 10.8″ Surface 3 (2015) and the 10.6″ Surface RT (2012), we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.
Surface 3 vs. Surface RT: Specs Comparison
Compare With Please enter device name or part of it | Compare With Please enter device name or part of it | |
Key Features | ||
What's new |
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What's missing |
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Availability | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
Released | 2015 | 2012 |
Release Info |
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Pricing | Surface 3 Wi-Fi
| Surface RT
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Surface 3 Price | ||
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Microsoft Surface 3 128GB WiFi Tablet 10.8" Intel Atom - Silver (Renewed) By Microsoft
$189.95 |
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Microsoft Surface 3 10.8 FHD (1920x1280) Touchscreen 2-in-1 Education and Business Laptop Tablet (Intel Quad-Core Atom x7-Z8700, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD) Mini DP, WiFi AC, Webcam, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed) By Microsoft
$208.97 |
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Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (128 GB, Intel Core i5) (Renewed) By Microsoft
$259.00 $279.00 7% OFF |
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Surface RT Price | ||
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Microsoft Surface RT (32GB) By Microsoft
$88.76 |
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Microsoft Surface RT 64GB By Microsoft
$399.99 |
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Microsoft Magenta Touch Cover for 10.6 inch Microsoft Surface RT - with Windows RT and for Surface Pro - with Windows 8 Pro 10.6 inch only By Microsoft
$99.99 |
Display | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
Size | 10.8 Inches | 10.6 Inches |
Info |
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Exterior | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
Size Comparison | ||
Dimensions | 10.52” x 7.36” x 0.34” (267 mm x 187 mm x 8.7 mm)
Width: 10.52” (267 mm)
Height: 7.36” (187 mm)
Thickness: 0.34” (8.7 mm)
| 10.81” x 6.77” x 0.37” (275 mm x 172 mm x 9.4 mm)
Width: 10.81” (275 mm)
Height: 6.77” (172 mm)
Thickness: 0.37” (9.4 mm)
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Weight |
| 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
Colors | Silver | Dark Titanium |
Keyboard and Trackpad |
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Ports |
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Internal Specs | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
Processor |
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Integrated Graphics |
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Memory | 2GB 4GB
1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM. | 2GB of RAM |
Storage |
| 32GB 64GB Storage |
Connectivity | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
Wi-Fi |
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Bluetooth |
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Optional LTE
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Battery | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
Size | 27.5 Wh | 31.5 Wh |
Battery Life | Up to 10 hours of video playback | Up to 8 hours of video playback |
Power Supply |
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Software | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
OS |
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Built-in Apps | 1-Year Microsoft Office 365 Personal | Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT |
Camera & Audio | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
Camera |
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Audio |
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Misc | Surface 3 | Surface RT |
Inking | Supports Surface Pen
256 levels of pressure
N-trig Active Pen technology
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Sensors |
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In the box |
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Warranty |
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More |
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Surface 3 Price | ||
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![]() |
Microsoft Surface 3 128GB WiFi Tablet 10.8" Intel Atom - Silver (Renewed) By Microsoft
$189.95 |
|
![]() |
Microsoft Surface 3 10.8 FHD (1920x1280) Touchscreen 2-in-1 Education and Business Laptop Tablet (Intel Quad-Core Atom x7-Z8700, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD) Mini DP, WiFi AC, Webcam, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed) By Microsoft
$208.97 |
|
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Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (128 GB, Intel Core i5) (Renewed) By Microsoft
$259.00 $279.00 7% OFF |
|
Surface RT Price | ||
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Microsoft Surface RT (32GB) By Microsoft
$88.76 |
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Microsoft Surface RT 64GB By Microsoft
$399.99 |
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Microsoft Magenta Touch Cover for 10.6 inch Microsoft Surface RT - with Windows RT and for Surface Pro - with Windows 8 Pro 10.6 inch only By Microsoft
$99.99 |
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