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Surface Pro 3 vs. Surface Pro 4: What's different?

Check out our detailed spec comparison between Microsoft Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 whether it is worth upgrading or not.

BY Evan Forrest November 10, 2023

Surface Pro 3 vs. Surface Pro 4

Microsoft Surface is the most successful hardware product line from Microsoft. Back on October, 7th 2015, Microsoft announced a new Surface Pro 4 pack with many new features and improvements. The most exciting new features include Windows Hello authentication, the new 12.3" PixelSense technology, and a new range of great accessories.

Interestingly, Microsoft did care about Surface Pro 3 owners by enabling all-new accessories to be compatible with Surface Pro 3 including the new Surface Dock, Surface Pro Type Cover, and Surface Pen. If you wonder how the Surface Pro 4 compared to the Surface Pro 3, here we have a detailed spec comparison between both devices. It will help you to decide whether the Surface Pro 4 is really worth the upgrade or not.

Surface Pro 3 vs Pro 4: Specs Comparison

	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it Surface Pro 3 See at Amazon	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it Surface Pro 4 See at Amazon
Key Features
What's new	New Design It’s now thinner (9.1mm), lighter (800g), and new platinum magnesium exterior. Better display New 3:2 aspect ratio, bigger and better 2K 12” ClearType pixel-free display. Better performance It’s now 10% faster than Surface Pro 2 with the new range of 4th Gen Intel processors up to Core i7. New Inking Supports It now supports a new Surface Pen with 256 pressure sensitivity, tail eraser, and remote Bluetooth activation. Better Battery It has 20% more battery life than Surface Pro 2 up to 9 hours. More Better 5.0MP front and rear-facing camera, new Surface Connect Port (charging and docking), new type cover with two typing angles.	New Design It’s now thinner (8.4mm), lighter (766g), the smaller bezel on the same footprint. Better display New bigger and better 12.3” PixelSense display with Microsoft G5 chipset. Better performance It’s now 30% faster than Surface Pro 3 with the range of 6th Gen Intel processors. Better Inking It now supports Surface Pen with 1,024 pressure sensitivity, magnet attached to the side of Surface Pro 4. Windows Hello It's all comes with Windows Hello facial recognition as standard. More Better 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera, new 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM.
What's missing	Replace old charging connector with new Surface Connect port

Availability	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
Released	2014	2015
Release Info	Introduced: May 20, 2014 Pre-ordered: May 20, 2014 Released: June 20, 2014	Introduced: October 7, 2015 Pre-ordered: October 7, 2015 Released: October 26, 2015
Pricing	Starting at 799$	Starting at 899$

Surface Pro 3 Price
	Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet PC - Intel Core i5-4300U 1.9GHz 4GB 128GB SSD Windows 10.1 (Renewed) By Microsoft $109.99 $129.99 15% OFF	See at Amazon
	Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (256 GB, Intel Core i5)(Windows 10 Professional 64 bit) (Renewed) By Microsoft $229.00	See at Amazon
	Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB) with Windows 10 Anniversary (Renewed) By Microsoft $139.99 $149.99 7% OFF	See at Amazon
Surface Pro 4 Price
	Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB) with Windows 10 Anniversary (Renewed) By Microsoft $139.99 $149.99 7% OFF	See at Amazon
	Latest Microsoft Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core, 4GB Ram, 128GB SSD, Bluetooth, Dual Camera - Windows 10 (Renewed) By Microsoft $134.99 $144.99 7% OFF	See at Amazon
	Latest Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2736 x 1824) Tablet 6th Generation (Intel Core i5-6300U, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Bluetooth, Dual Camera) Windows 10 Professional (Renewed) By Microsoft $238.50	See at Amazon

Display	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
Size	12 Inches	12.3 Inches
Info	Resolution: 2160 x 1440 (3.1M Pixels) Density: 216 PPI ClearType Display Aspect ratio: 3:2 Touch: 10 point multi-touch Surface Pen support	Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels) Density: 267 PPI PixelSense™ Display Contrast ratio: 1300:1 Aspect ratio: 3:2 Inking: designed together with Surface Pen Touch: 10 points multi-touch with GPU-based processing 100 percent sRGB color, individually calibrated

Exterior	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
Size Comparison
Dimensions	11.50” x 7.93” x 0.36” (292 mm x 201.3 mm x 9.1 mm) Width: 11.50” (292 mm) Height: 7.93” (201.3 mm) Thickness: 0.36” (9.1 mm)	11.50” x 7.93” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201.42 mm x 8.4 mm) Width: 11.50” (292 mm) Height: 7.93” (201.42 mm) Thickness: 0.33” (8.4 mm)
Weight	1.76 lbs (800 g)	Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (766 g) Intel Core i5 and i7: 1.73 lbs (786 g)
Colors	Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad	Surface Type Cover Not included Keyboard: Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12) 4 directional keys; Windows and Media Controls Keys; LED backlighting Trackpad: Precision glass trackpad. Supports up to three-finger multitouch gesture.	Surface Type Cover Not included Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g) Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm) Keyboard: Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12) 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys; LED backlighting Trackpad: Precision glass trackpad. Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm) Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
Ports	1 x Full-size USB 3.0 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1 x Surface Connect™ Supports charging and docking station. 1 x Headset jack 1 x microSD™ card reader 1 x Type Cover port

Internal Specs	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
Processor	4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4020Y 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 11.5W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4300U 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.90 → 2.90 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 3.30 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W	6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30 2 cores, 4 threads, 0.90 → 2.20 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U 2 cores, 4 threads, 2.40 → 3.00 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U 2 cores, 4 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics	4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4020Y Intel® HD Graphics 4200 20 Execution Units, 200 → 850 MHz 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4300U Intel® HD Graphics 4200 20 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U Intel® HD Graphics 5000 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz	6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30 Intel® HD Graphics 515 24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U Intel® HD Graphics 520 24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U Intel® Iris® Graphics 540 48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1050 MHz
Memory	4GB 8GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM	4GB 8GB 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage	64 GB 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB SSD	128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSD

Connectivity	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
Bluetooth	Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology

Battery	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
Size	42.2 Wh	38.2 Wh
Battery Life	Up to 9 hours of web browsing	Up to 9 hours of video playback
Power Supply	36W proprietary power supply USB-A output: 5W Surface Connect: 31W

Software	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
OS	Windows 8.1 Pro Free upgrade to Windows 10	Windows 10 Pro
Built-in Apps	Microsoft Office 30-days trial

Camera & Audio	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
Camera	5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video 5.0MP rear-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video	Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing) 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
Audio	Front and rear-facing microphones Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio enhanced sound	Dual microphones Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio

Misc	Surface Pro 3	Surface Pro 4
Inking	Supports Surface Pen 256 levels of pressure N-trig Active Pen technology	Supports Surface Pen 1024 levels of pressure magnetic storage
Sensors	Ambient light sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer
Security	HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security	HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box	Surface Pro 3 Surface Pen Power supply Quick Start Guide Safety and warranty documents	Surface Pro 4 Surface Pen Power supply Quick Start Guide Safety and warranty documents
Warranty	One-year limited hardware warranty
More	Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 150 degrees Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability Physical buttons: volumes, power

Surface Pro 3 vs Pro 4: Processor & Graphics Comparison

	Surface Pro 4	Surface Pro 3
Entry Level Configuration

Processor	Intel Core m3-6Y30	Intel Core i3-4020Y
Base Frequency	0.9 GHz	1.5 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency	2.2 GHz	N/A
TDP	4.5 watt	11.5 watt
Level 1 Cache	128 KB
Level 2 Cache	512 KB
Level 3 Cache	4 MB SmartCache	3 MB SmartCache
# Cores/Threads	2/4	2/4
Bus Speed	4 GT/s OPI	5 GT/s DMI2
Max Memory Support	16 GB
Max Memory Bandwidth	29.8 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
Memory Types	LPDDR3-1866 DDR3L-1600	DDR3L 1333/1600 LPDDR3 1333/1600
Advanced Technologies	Turbo Boost 2.0 Hyper-Threading VT-x VT-d EPT Intel 64 My WiFi Idle States SpeedStep Thermal Monitoring Flex Memory Access Small Business Advantage Smart Response AES New Instructions Secure Key SGX MPX OS Guard Execute Disable Bit	Hyper-Threading VT-x EPT Intel 64 Idle States SpeedStep Smart Response ME Firmware 9.5 HD Audio Identity Protection Rapid Storage Smart Connect AES New Instructions Secure Key Execute Disable Bit Anti-Theft Technology
Graphics	Intel® HD Graphics 515	Intel® HD Graphics 4200
Graphics Frequency	300 – 850 MHz	200 – 850 MHz
Graphics Max Memory	16 GB	2 GB
4K Support	Yes, at 60Hz	Not Supported
DirectX Support	12	11.2/12
OpenGL Support	4.4	4.3
# Display Supported	3
Graphics Technologies	Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD Clear Video	Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD
Mid Level Configuration

Processor	Intel Core i5-6300U	Intel Core i5-4300U
Base Frequency	2.4 GHz	1.9 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency	3.0 GHz	2.9 GHz
TDP	15 watt
Level 1 Cache	128 KB
Level 2 Cache	512 KB
Level 3 Cache	3 MB SmartCache
# Cores/Threads	2/4	2/4
Bus Speed	4 GT/s OPI	5 GT/s DMI2
Max Memory Support	32 GB	16 GB
Max Memory Bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
Memory Types	DDR4-2133 LPDDR3-1866 DDR3L-1600	DDR3L 1333/1600 LPDDR3 1333/1600
Advanced Technologies	Turbo Boost 2.0 vPro Hyper-Threading VT-x VT-d EPT TSX-NI Intel 64 My WiFi Idle States SpeedStep Thermal Monitoring Flex Memory Access Identity Protection SIPP Smart Response AES New Instructions Secure Key SGX MPX Trusted Execution Execute Disable Bit OS Guard	Turbo Boost 2.0 vPro Hyper-Threading VT-x VT-d EPT Intel 64 Idle States SpeedStep Thermal Monitoring Identity Protection SIPP Smart Response ME Firmware 9.5 HD Audio Rapid Storage Smart Connect AES New Instructions Secure Key Trusted Execution Execute Disable Bit Anti-Theft Technology
Graphics	Intel® HD Graphics 520	Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Graphics Frequency	300 – 1.00 GHz	200 – 1.10 GHz
Graphics Max Memory	32 GB	2 GB
4K Support	Yes, at 60Hz	Not Supported
DirectX Support	12	11.2/12
OpenGL Support	4.4	4.3
# Display Supported	3
Graphics Technologies	Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD Clear Video	Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD
High End Level Configuration

Processor	Intel Core i7-6650U	Intel Core i7-4650U
Base Frequency	2.2 GHz	1.7 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency	3.4 GHz	2.3 GHz
TDP	15 watt
Level 1 Cache	128 KB
Level 2 Cache	512 KB
Level 3 Cache	4 MB SmartCache
# Cores/Threads	2/4	2/4
Bus Speed	4 GT/s OPI	5 GT/s DMI2
Max Memory Support	32 GB	16 GB
Max Memory Bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
Memory Types	DDR4-2133 LPDDR3-1866 DDR3L-1600	DDR3L 1333/1600 LPDDR3 1333/1600
Advanced Technologies	Turbo Boost 2.0 vPro Hyper-Threading VT-x VT-d EPT TSX-NI Intel 64 My WiFi Idle States SpeedStep Thermal Monitoring Flex Memory Access Identity Protection SIPP Smart Response AES New Instructions Secure Key SGX MPX Trusted Execution Execute Disable Bit OS Guard	Turbo Boost 2.0 vPro Hyper-Threading VT-x VT-d EPT Intel 64 Idle States SpeedStep Thermal Monitoring Identity Protection ME Firmware 9.5 HD Audio Rapid Storage Smart Connect AES New Instructions Secure Key Trusted Execution Execute Disable Bit Anti-Theft Technology
Graphics	Intel® Iris™ Graphics 540	Intel® HD Graphics 5000
Graphics Frequency	300 – 1.05 GHz	200 – 1.10 GHz
Graphics Max Memory	32 GB	2 GB
eDRAM	64 MB
4K Support	Yes, at 60Hz	Not Supported
DirectX Support	12	11.2/12
OpenGL Support	4.4	4.3
# Display Supported	3
Graphics Technologies	Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD Clear Video	Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD Flexible Display Interface