Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 Detailed Spec Comparison
Check out our detailed spec comparison between Microsoft Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 whether it is worth upgrading or not.
Microsoft Surface is the most successful hardware product line from Microsoft. Back on October, 7th 2015, Microsoft has announced a new Surface Pro 4 packs with many new features and improvements. The most exciting new features including 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 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 4 vs Surface Pro 3 – Overall Specs Comparison
- Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 – Processor & Graphics Comparison
1 Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 – Overall Specs Comparison
Surface Pro 4 | Surface Pro 3 | |
| Key Features | ||
| What's new | New design It’s now thinner (8.4mm), lighter (766g), 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 new range of 6th Gen Intel processors. Better Inking It now supports Surface Pen with 1,024 pressure sensivity, magnet attached to the side of Surface Pro 4. Windows Hello It's all comes with Windows Hello facial regconition as standard. More Better 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera, new 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM. | 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 new range of 4th Gen Intel processors up to Core i7. Better Inking It now supports new Surface Pen with 256 pressure sensivity, tail eraser, and remote bluetooth activation. Better battery It has 20% more battery life than Surface Pro 2 up to 9 hours. New kickstand It has new full-friction multi-position hinge up to 150-degrees. More Better 5.0MP front and rear-facing camera, new Surface Connect port (charging and docking), new type cover with two typing angles. |
| What's missing | Surface Pen is no longer included in the box. No Windows capacity button on the screen | Replace old charging connector with new Surface Connect port |
| Availability | ||
| Introduced | October 7, 2015 | May 20, 2014 |
| Pre-ordered | October 7, 2015 | May 20, 2014 |
| Released | October 26, 2015 | June 20, 2014 |
| Pricing | Intel® Core™ m3 • $899 - m3 | 4 GB | 128 GB Intel® Core™ i5 • $999 - i5 | 4 GB | 128 GB • $1,299 - i5 | 8 GB | 256 GB Intel® Core™ i7 • $1,599 - i7 | 8 GB | 256 GB • $1,799 - i7 | 16 GB | 512 GB • $2,199 - i7 | 16 GB | 1 TB | Intel® Core™ i3 • $799 - i3 | 4 GB | 64 GB Intel® Core™ i5 • $999 - i5 | 4 GB | 128 GB • $1,299 - i5 | 8 GB | 256 GB Intel® Core™ i7 • $1,549 - i7 | 8 GB | 256 GB • $1,949 - i7 | 8 GB | 512 GB |
| Software | ||
| Pre-Installed OS | Windows 10 Pro | • Windows 8.1 Pro • Upgradable to Windows 10 Pro |
| Built-in Apps | Microsoft Office 30-days trial | Microsoft Office 30-days trial |
| Display | ||
| Size | 12.3 inches | 12 inches |
| Resolution | 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI), 5M Pixels | 2160 x 1440 (216 PPI), 3.1M Pixels |
| Technology | • PixelSense™ Display • Contrast ratio: 1300:1 • Aspect ratio: 3:2 • 100 percent sRGB color, individually calibrated • Touch: 10-point multitouch with GPU-based processing | • ClearType Display • Aspect ratio: 3:2 • Touch: 10 point multi-touch • Surface Pen support |
| Internal Specs | ||
| CPU | 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30 2 cores, 4 threads, 4MB SmartCache, 0.90 GHz up to 2.20 GHz, 4.5W 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U 2 cores, 4 threads, 3MB SmartCache, 2.40 GHz up to 3.00 GHz, 15W 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6650U 2 cores, 4 threads, 4MB SmartCache, 2.20 GHz up to 3.40 GHz, 15W | 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4020Y 2 cores, 4 threads, 3MB SmartCache, 1.50 GHz, 11.5W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4300U 2 cores, 4 threads, 3MB SmartCache, 1.90 GHz up to 2.90 GHz, 15W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4650U 2 cores, 4 threads, 4MB SmartCache, 1.70 GHz up to 3.30 GHz, 15W |
| Graphics | 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30 • Intel® HD Graphics 515 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U • Intel® HD Graphics 520 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U • Intel® Iris™ Graphics 540 | 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4020Y Intel® HD Graphics 4200 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4300U Intel® HD Graphics 4400 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4650U Intel® HD Graphics 5000 |
| Memory | 4 GB 8 GB 16 GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM | 4GB8 GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB256 GB512 GB1 TB NVMe PCIe SSD | 64GB128GB256GB512GB SSD |
| Network | • Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology | • Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology |
| Battery | ||
| Size | 38.2 Wh | 42.2 Wh |
| Battery Life | Up to 9 hours of video playback | Up to 9 hours of web browsing |
| Power Supply | 36W power supply with USB-A (5W) charging port Surface Pro 4 with Intel Core m3 • 24W power supply with no USB port | 36W power supply with USB-A (5W) charging port |
| Exterior | ||
| Dimensions | 11.50 x 7.93 x 0.33 inches (292.10 mm x 201.42 mm x 8.4 mm) | 11.5” x 7.93” x 0.3” (292 mm x 201.3 mm x 9.1 mm) |
| Weight | Intel Core m3 1.69 lbs (766 g) Intel Core i5 and i7 1.73 lbs (786 g) | 1.76 lbs (800 g) |
| Casing | • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design • Kickstand with full-friction multiposition hinge to 150 degrees • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability • Physical buttons: volumes, power | • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design • Kickstand with full-friction multiposition hinge to 150 degrees • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability • Physical buttons: volumes, power |
| Colors | Silver | Silver |
| Keyboard and Trackpad | • 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 five-finger multitouch gesture. | • Three-finger multitouch gesture trackpad • Full-size mechanical backlit keyboard. |
| Ports | • 1 x Full-size USB 3.0 • 1 x microSD™ card reader • 1 x Surface Connect™ • 1 x Headset jack • 1 x Mini DisplayPort • 1 x Cover port | • 1 x Full-size USB 3.0 • 1 x microSD™ card reader • 1 x Surface Connect™ • 1 x Headset jack • 1 x Mini DisplayPort • 1 x Cover port |
| Camera & Audio | ||
| Camera | • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing) • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video | • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video • 5.0MP rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video |
| Audio | • Dual microphones • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio | • Front and rear facing microphones • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio enhanced sound |
| Misc | ||
| Sensors | • Ambient light sensor • Accelerometer • Gyroscope • Magnetometer | • Ambient light sensor • Accelerometer • Gyroscope • Magnetometer |
| Surface Pen | • 1024 levels of pressure • Magnetic storage | • Support Surface Pen • N-trig Active Pen techonolgy • 256 levels of pressure |
| Surface Dial | Compatible with Surface Dial off-screen interaction | Compatible with Surface Dial off-screen interaction |
| Security | • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in | HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security |
| In the box | • Surface Pro 4 • Surface Pen • Power supply • Quick Start Guide • Safety and warranty documents | • Surface Pro 3 • Surface Pen • Power supply • Quick Start Guide • Safety and warranty documents |
| Warranty | One-year limited hardware warranty | One-year limited hardware warranty |
2 Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 – 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 |
Best Accessories for Microsoft Surface
With the right set of accessories, you can boost your Surface's productivity to the next level. Here we have some of the best accessories you should get for your Surface devices.
![Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub, Ultra-Slim Data USB Hub with 2 ft Extended Cable [Charging Not Supported], for MacBook, Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Surface Pro, XPS, PC, Flash Drive, Mobile HDD](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31EVVjapPYL._SL160_.jpg)
Those are the top must-have accessories for Microsoft Surface devices so far. With Surface Pen, Surface Dock, Surface Precision Mouse, and microSD card will significantly increase your Surface performance, storage, and productivity.
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