Will pushing a SP3 reduce it's lifespan?

[Blake Seaman]

I'm by no means a gamer, but I will occasionally play some Team Fortress or something new every once in a blue moon. I'm getting the i5 variant of the SP3 in the next month or two (in time for the school year) and was wondering about its lifespan. I need the device to last me through the next 5 or 6 years of school. I keep reading reports of heating on the back panel, and in such a small case I worry that over time this heat would hinder the device's longevity. Anyone have any input on this?

 

[xandros9]

Nah, it should be fine as long as it isnt overheating from say, overclocking or faulty cooling.

I would be more concerned about the life of the battery.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Nah, it should be fine as long as it isnt overheating from say, overclocking or faulty cooling.

I would be more concerned about the life of the battery.

I guess by that point in time - 2-3 years - the OP will be able to dock the current i5 Surface and ready to upgrade to another device (or not!).

 

[garak0410]

It runs pretty hot, even on some less graphic intensive desktop games. Once the fan kicks in, it falls down to very warm. I wonder too if I am pushing it too much. I've got a hot rod gaming laptop that has a better GPU but I really want to just use one device, thus my Surface Pro 3 is my go to device. I did get the two year warranty on it though...

 

[Guzzler3]

One nice thing about current laptops, tablets, hybrids, etc. is that they have thermal protection built in. Meaning that if the device gets to hot, it will instantly power off if the "maximum safe thermal limit" of the CPU is reached. Thereby saving the device from being "bricked" if they get pushed beyond their limits.

Now the one issue that I have run across with this, is sometimes it is just a bit to high for the other components in the device (i.e. older SSD's). But manufactures are becoming more aware of this issue and have started to adjust the max temp down a bit. Also the SSD manufactures are adjusting their max temperature shutdown values down in their firmware.

The best practices is to always make sure that you are running the latest firmware for the device, and their components. And don't overclock or try to adjust voltages (if there is an option, which I don't think the SP3 has).

 

[luke31]

I'm pretty concerned about the battery as well. I tend to keep my laptops for about 5-6 years. I really hope the surface's battery won't go bad after like 2-3 years. I just can't justify spending $1,000+ every couple of years. Apparently, Microsoft posted on Reddit that it will cost $200 to replace, which isn't so bad. I'm a bit concerned about something, though. I contacted Microsoft support yesterday to find out of this is true, and the service rep told me it would be $300. That's a significant jump. The fact that there is no consistent and official response really worries me about the longevity of this hybrid. I would return my surface if I knew that the cost would be like $500+. I need my computer to last. This is too expensive to treat like an interchangeable tablet.

 

[Guzzler3]

After reading the iFixIt teardowns of the Surface, $200 or even $300, is a bargain to replace the battery!!!

 

[luke31]

After reading the iFixIt teardowns of the Surface, $200 or even $300, is a bargain to replace the battery!!!

They'll probably just give you a replacement. And I agree. I don't mind spending the $200-300. But I know that people with the Surface pro 2 said it would cost $440+. I don't want Microsoft to pull the same thing with the 3. If this is competing with the MacBook Air, then the cost should be the same, around $200.

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[stephen_az]

I'm by no means a gamer, but I will occasionally play some Team Fortress or something new every once in a blue moon. I'm getting the i5 variant of the SP3 in the next month or two (in time for the school year) and was wondering about its lifespan. I need the device to last me through the next 5 or 6 years of school. I keep reading reports of heating on the back panel, and in such a small case I worry that over time this heat would hinder the device's longevity. Anyone have any input on this?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but if you expect the device to last five or six years you will definitely be disappointed. That, however, has nothing to do with whether you "push" it. There is simply not a touch device on the market from any manufacturer that is designed to have that sort of use life. The battery will (sort of) last that long but will have no better than 50 to 75% of its current capacity down the line (Microsoft marketing BS aside). Even if the battery does survive though I doubt the hardware itself will last anywhere near that long before one or another component fails. Leaving that stiff aside, the device itself will be EOL in a couple years (max) like everything else and the OS for which it was designed will probably be EOL as well. Microsoft will never again make the mistake of extending support indefinitely as they did with XP. If you really need something that will last that long, buy a conventional laptop (probably without a touch screen) with a price that will allow you to replace after three years. It is simply completely unrealistic to assume a SP3 or any other device out there from any manufacturer will be running as anything more than a novelty that far down the line.

 

[stephen_az]

I'm pretty concerned about the battery as well. I tend to keep my laptops for about 5-6 years. I really hope the surface's battery won't go bad after like 2-3 years. I just can't justify spending $1,000+ every couple of years. Apparently, Microsoft posted on Reddit that it will cost $200 to replace, which isn't so bad. I'm a bit concerned about something, though. I contacted Microsoft support yesterday to find out of this is true, and the service rep told me it would be $300. That's a significant jump. The fact that there is no consistent and official response really worries me about the longevity of this hybrid. I would return my surface if I knew that the cost would be like $500+. I need my computer to last. This is too expensive to treat like an interchangeable tablet.

Comparing a conventional laptop to a tablet is a classic apples to oranges equation. No, it will not last that long but then neither will more and more ultrabooks. The thing Windows laptops and tablets have in common is the OS. Beyond that they are not built the same way, nor are they purposed in a comparable fashion. The form factor is also a series of compromises to get i5/7 performance out of an ultra thin touch device. People really need to look at these devices for what they are and stop using unrealistic comparisons to the last laptop they bought. I expect if someone did a real teardown between a laptop from a couple years ago (possibly even today), you would find that there is more unused space inside an old laptop than there is total space in any tablet. Apples to oranges will always get you just that....

 

[luke31]

Comparing a conventional laptop to a tablet is a classic apples to oranges equation. No, it will not last that long but then neither will more and more ultrabooks. The thing Windows laptops and tablets have in common is the OS. Beyond that they are not built the same way, nor are they purposed in a comparable fashion. The form factor is also a series of compromises to get i5/7 performance out of an ultra thin touch device. People really need to look at these devices for what they are and stop using unrealistic comparisons to the last laptop they bought. I expect if someone did a real teardown between a laptop from a couple years ago (possibly even today), you would find that there is more unused space inside an old laptop than there is total space in any tablet. Apples to oranges will always get you just that....

See, I'd have to disagree. I don't think I'm being unrealistic in the least bit. If Microsoft wants to force the comparison between a Surface Pro and a MacBook Air (as they have been doing), I think I have a right to assume that the "cost of ownership" should be similar to both. I perfectly understand that modern hybrids and even ultrabooks cannot be compared to the conventional laptops of the past. But if you're going to compare the Surface Pro 3 to something like the MacBook Air, you are obviously targeting a similar market. Actually, Microsoft has abandoned competing directly with the iPad when it comes to the SP3, and instead has gone the route of persuading the consumer market that the SP3 is a viable laptop replacement. Thus, if I have to pay $200 to get a replacement MacBook Pro or Air because the unremovabe battery has gone bad, I expect Microsoft to charge the same amount. I'd have ZERO problems paying $200 three years from now in order to replace the battery (or to get a refurb replacement unit). What worries me most is that there seems to be no cohesive response as to what the cost of replacement will be outside of the warranty.