Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3

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.
  1.   Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 – Overall Specs Comparison
  2.   Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 – Processor & Graphics Comparison

1  Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 – Overall Specs Comparison

Key Features
What's new
  • 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.
  • 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.
What's missingReplace old charging connector with new Surface Connect port
AvailabilitySurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
Released20152014
Release Info
  • Introduced: October 7, 2015
  • Pre-ordered: October 7, 2015
  • Released: October 26, 2015
  • Introduced: May 20, 2014
  • Pre-ordered: May 20, 2014
  • Released: June 20, 2014
PricingStarting at 899$Starting at 799$
Surface Pro 4 Price
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)
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
$279.00
$325.00 14% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 4; 256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 4; 256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$249.00
$296.49 16% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (512 GB, 16 GB RAM, Intel Core i7e) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (512 GB, 16 GB RAM, Intel Core i7e) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$499.00
Surface Pro 3 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (256 GB, Intel Core i5)(Windows 10 Professional 64 bit) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (256 GB, Intel Core i5)(Windows 10 Professional 64 bit) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$262.50
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet (12-inch, 128 GB, Intel Core i5, Windows 10) + Microsoft Surface Type Cover (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet (12-inch, 128 GB, Intel Core i5, Windows 10) + Microsoft Surface Type Cover (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$398.00
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)
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
$208.96
DisplaySurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
Size12.3 Inches12 Inches
Info
  • 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
  • Resolution: 2160 x 1440 (3.1M Pixels)
  • Density: 216 PPI
  • ClearType Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Touch: 10 point multi-touch
  • Surface Pen support
ExteriorSurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
Size Comparison
Dimensions11.50” 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)
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)
Weight
  • Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (766 g)
  • Intel Core i5 and i7: 1.73 lbs (786 g)
  • 1.76 lbs (800 g)
Colors
Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • 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.
  • 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.
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 SpecsSurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
Processor
  • 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
  • 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
Integrated Graphics
  • 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
  • 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
Memory
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
4GB 8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD
64 GB 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB
SSD
ConnectivitySurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology
BatterySurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
Size38.2 Wh42.2 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 9 hours of video playbackUp to 9 hours of web browsing
Power Supply
  • 36W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 31W
SoftwareSurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
OSWindows 10 ProWindows 8.1 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 10
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 30-days trial
Camera & AudioSurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
Camera
  • 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
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 5.0MP rear-facing camera with 1080p Skype 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
MiscSurface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
InkingSupports Surface Pen
1024 levels of pressure
magnetic storage
Supports Surface Pen
256 levels of pressure
N-trig Active Pen technology
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
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
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 4 Price
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)
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
$279.00
$325.00 14% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 4; 256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 4; 256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$249.00
$296.49 16% OFF
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (512 GB, 16 GB RAM, Intel Core i7e) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (512 GB, 16 GB RAM, Intel Core i7e) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$499.00
Surface Pro 3 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (256 GB, Intel Core i5)(Windows 10 Professional 64 bit) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (256 GB, Intel Core i5)(Windows 10 Professional 64 bit) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$262.50
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet (12-inch, 128 GB, Intel Core i5, Windows 10) + Microsoft Surface Type Cover (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet (12-inch, 128 GB, Intel Core i5, Windows 10) + Microsoft Surface Type Cover (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$398.00
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)
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
$208.96

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2  Surface Pro 4 vs Surface Pro 3 – Processor & Graphics Comparison

Surface Pro 4Surface Pro 3
Entry Level Configuration
Intel Core m3
ProcessorIntel Core m3-6Y30Intel Core i3-4020Y
Base Frequency0.9 GHz1.5 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency2.2 GHzN/A
TDP4.5 watt11.5 watt
Level 1 Cache128 KB
Level 2 Cache512 KB
Level 3 Cache4 MB SmartCache3 MB SmartCache
# Cores/Threads2/42/4
Bus Speed4 GT/s OPI5 GT/s DMI2
Max Memory Support16 GB
Max Memory Bandwidth29.8 GB/s25.6 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
GraphicsIntel® HD Graphics 515Intel® HD Graphics 4200
Graphics Frequency300 – 850 MHz200 – 850 MHz
Graphics Max Memory16 GB2 GB
4K SupportYes, at 60HzNot Supported
DirectX Support1211.2/12
OpenGL Support4.44.3
# Display Supported3
Graphics Technologies
Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD Clear Video
Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD
Mid Level Configuration
Intel Core m3
ProcessorIntel Core i5-6300UIntel Core i5-4300U
Base Frequency2.4 GHz1.9 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency3.0 GHz2.9 GHz
TDP15 watt
Level 1 Cache128 KB
Level 2 Cache512 KB
Level 3 Cache3 MB SmartCache
# Cores/Threads2/42/4
Bus Speed4 GT/s OPI5 GT/s DMI2
Max Memory Support32 GB16 GB
Max Memory Bandwidth34.1 GB/s25.6 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
GraphicsIntel® HD Graphics 520Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Graphics Frequency300 – 1.00 GHz200 – 1.10 GHz
Graphics Max Memory32 GB2 GB
4K SupportYes, at 60HzNot Supported
DirectX Support1211.2/12
OpenGL Support4.44.3
# Display Supported3
Graphics Technologies
Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD Clear Video
Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD
High End Level Configuration
Intel Core m3
ProcessorIntel Core i7-6650UIntel Core i7-4650U
Base Frequency2.2 GHz1.7 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency3.4 GHz2.3 GHz
TDP15 watt
Level 1 Cache128 KB
Level 2 Cache512 KB
Level 3 Cache4 MB SmartCache
# Cores/Threads2/42/4
Bus Speed4 GT/s OPI5 GT/s DMI2
Max Memory Support32 GB16 GB
Max Memory Bandwidth34.1 GB/s25.6 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
GraphicsIntel® Iris™ Graphics 540Intel® HD Graphics 5000
Graphics Frequency300 – 1.05 GHz200 – 1.10 GHz
Graphics Max Memory32 GB2 GB
eDRAM64 MB
4K SupportYes, at 60HzNot Supported
DirectX Support1211.2/12
OpenGL Support4.44.3
# Display Supported3
Graphics Technologies
Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD Clear Video
Quick Sync Video InTru™ 3D Clear Video HD Flexible Display Interface