Which Surface Pro 4 would you choose?

Andy_Elvis11

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Hey folks,

My Surface 3 (64gb, 2gb RAM) is being taken off of me at the end of the month (contract with job 1 is ending) so i'm looking for a device to replace that with a bit more oomph to take over as my 'side' system.
I'm focusing on job 2, where we do video editing / graphic design - of which I have a 15" rMBP to do the hard work (or, alternatively some desktop systems) - the MBP is mine so I could always bring it home and work on anything major, wherever.

It's just I've left it there for weeks on end because my Surface 3 replaced it. I haven't really had a use for doing anything other than web-browsing, media consumption and scriptwriting (adobe story) - few W10 apps but nothing crazy.

But now I'm looking at SP4, ideally i'd like to be able to have that as a 'pre-production' system - i.e - Storyboarding (in photoshop?), Scriptwriting & office work & media consumption. I'd like it to replace my MBP for photo editing too (not a necessity) - mainly enthusiast work in Lightroom, but I'm booked in for a wedding gig soon and would like something to handle that.

I keep umming and arring about whether the Core-M (as a solid upgrade from Surface 3) would do all that just fine, or whether or not i'd need to upgrade to an i5 for a 'just in case' scenario?

My heart atm is going towards a i5, 4gb, 128+128gbmicro SD

but i'm trying to get as much advice as possible
 

zkyevolved

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Either one will serve you well. I think if you want to ease your way into a more professional environment, then the i5 will serve you better in the future. The M3 will also do a good job, but since it's fanless, it will throttle the CPU when you're pushing it. Also, any light gaming on the M3 will be worse than on the i5.

I'm debating returning my i5/4/128 for the i5/8/256 because I'm in love with this device and I want it to last years to come! But then I think "When the Surface Pro 6 comes out, I'll think the same thing" and upgrade it, haha. I think the i5 is the solid contender here.
 

Andy_Elvis11

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I've coming to realisation that a 'work' system is totally not a 'personal' system. I like to keep my MBP at work, it saves me leaving bits on bobs (....chargers) and hauling the thing around every day. It makes such a difference it's crazy. That lives to work as an editor and i'm happy with that. If I NEED it, it's not too much hassle to haul it around.

The Surface 3 has been my personal system since I got it (about May), and it's completely replaced me wanting that MBP for home use. I've not gone crazy on it since I know it's limitations. But now, wanting to draw, script and potentially use a little photoshop and lightroom, i'm kind of like 'Do I NEED 8gb ram?' or 'I should get 8GB ram...just in case'

That will live as my computer for X years, and hopefully, Microsoft will release a larger Surface book that can replace my Macbook Pro.
 

CryptDevelopment

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I personally use the sp4 256gb ssd / 8gb of ram / i5. It works for most of my developing as I am a web developer and also works good for photoshop cc I use photoshop and ides pretty much 24/7. Everyone says the battery life isn't good witch in most cases might be true but I am normally around a outlet and if I know I will be some heavy work I go and I'll just plug it in. Another thing to note is that without the charger I can normally juice 8 hours out of my sp4 if I'm on "darker" lighting mode. At night plug it up. No exceptions there. One last thing is you should have a backup computer in my case a desktop that's way over the specs of my sp4
 

mc511

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I have the i5 256gig with 8gigs of ram. I am a web development so I pretty much need my machine to be decently fast. So far it seems to be that way. I use Dreamweaver a lot as well as Photoshop, Illustrator, Visual studio, and I like to watch live streams from twitch and use the xbox app. Works perfectly for all these needs. I also wanted to run multiple web browsers at the same time to view a webpage I am working on as they render a bit different. I mean 4gigs wasnt enough for me. I already kill like 60% when opening Photoshop and chrome as well as skype. So yeah 4gigs would be nowhere near enough ram for me.
 

CryptDevelopment

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I have the i5 256gig with 8gigs of ram. I am a web development so I pretty much need my machine to be decently fast. So far it seems to be that way. I use Dreamweaver a lot as well as Photoshop, Illustrator, Visual studio, and I like to watch live streams from twitch and use the xbox app. Works perfectly for all these needs. I also wanted to run multiple web browsers at the same time to view a webpage I am working on as they render a bit different. I mean 4gigs wasnt enough for me. I already kill like 60% when opening Photoshop and chrome as well as skype. So yeah 4gigs would be nowhere near enough ram for me.

I completely agree with this. It is suitable for my needs as I am pretty much in browsers and code editor ides along with photoshop 24/7
 

Mikado_Wu

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I am buying the SP4 i5/8/256 for my daughter heading to med school. I have Owned each of the first three Pro Models. I typing on a SP3 i5/8/256 instead of my SP3 i7/8/256. Reason being, the i5 battery is WAY better, also the i7 is downclocked under normal use, making the i5 faster in normal use. Also, the older 128g models, seemed to fill up fast. I believe the 8/256 models have a 5 - 7 years life span.
 

Zachary Boddy

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Hey folks,

My Surface 3 (64gb, 2gb RAM) is being taken off of me at the end of the month (contract with job 1 is ending) so i'm looking for a device to replace that with a bit more oomph to take over as my 'side' system.
I'm focusing on job 2, where we do video editing / graphic design - of which I have a 15" rMBP to do the hard work (or, alternatively some desktop systems) - the MBP is mine so I could always bring it home and work on anything major, wherever.

It's just I've left it there for weeks on end because my Surface 3 replaced it. I haven't really had a use for doing anything other than web-browsing, media consumption and scriptwriting (adobe story) - few W10 apps but nothing crazy.

But now I'm looking at SP4, ideally i'd like to be able to have that as a 'pre-production' system - i.e - Storyboarding (in photoshop?), Scriptwriting & office work & media consumption. I'd like it to replace my MBP for photo editing too (not a necessity) - mainly enthusiast work in Lightroom, but I'm booked in for a wedding gig soon and would like something to handle that.

I keep umming and arring about whether the Core-M (as a solid upgrade from Surface 3) would do all that just fine, or whether or not i'd need to upgrade to an i5 for a 'just in case' scenario?

My heart atm is going towards a i5, 4gb, 128+128gbmicro SD

but i'm trying to get as much advice as possible

I'd go for the Core i5 over the Core M3 if you're wanting to do any photo editing and such, and I'd also try and get 8 GB of RAM as I think the jump would be worth it.
 

Zachary Boddy

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Quite simply, the Core M3 doesn't offer the same performance as the Core i5 does. For a casual user, I'd suggest the Core M3 in a heartbeat, but I just can't suggest a Core M3, even a sixth-generation Core M3, to anyone who plans to do any photo or video editing whatsoever on their Surface.
 
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mc511

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I dont think the M3 is a gimped device. I just dont think some users like me will find it enough to meet their needs. A i5 model will run apps faster. Professionals need their apps to run as best they can whenever. I use the Adobe suite and wouldnt think of using that at all on the M3. I am sure it runs fine on the M3 for basic editing, but when you are in a professional environment, then no I dont think it be enough. I have heard of some users saying that it was a bit slow loading in certain apps or pages.

I wouldnt ever turn someone away from the M3 unless they needed more from their system. I am a professional web developer and the M3 doesnt fit my needs. The user clearly states above that he needs a pre production unit to run photoshop and office as well as apps. Why would an M3 be good enough? Maybe we should get some benchmarks in here as science trumps all.
 
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boltman2013

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I dont think the M3 is a gimped device. I just dont think some users like me will find it enough to meet their needs. A i5 model will run apps faster. Professionals need their apps to run as best they can whenever. I use the Adobe suite and wouldnt think of using that at all on the M3. I am sure it runs fine on the M3 for basic editing, but when you are in a professional environment, then no I dont think it be enough. I have heard of some users saying that it was a bit slow loading in certain apps or pages.

I wouldnt ever turn someone away from the M3 unless they needed more from their system. I am a professional web developer and the M3 doesnt fit my needs. The user clearly states above that he needs a pre production unit to run photoshop and office as well as apps. Why would an M3 be good enough? Maybe we should get some benchmarks in here as science trumps all.

The point I have is the i5/i7 camp always screams about the M3 not being enough... the default response to anyone is "well you should probably go i5 and get 8GB" . Because... and their "because" holds no water.

The problem with that is the M3 gets watered down right off the bat and is somehow the ugly stepchild to the "great i5/i7" and I am here as an M3 power user to tell everyone its not the case.

This forum has a lot of people that bought the default i5 or spent on the i7 over $2k and then disagree for someone with an M3 dare saying the cheaper and fanless M3 is enough. So I wish people would start treating the M3 on the same plane as the i5 and i7 and not go to the you need i5 or i7 well all the freaking time. Its tiring to hear the same misguided advice to everyone that posts here. the reality is M3 is enough for most anyone.

"Basic editing?" give me a break. Until proven otherwise the M3 is a solid choice and performs near identical to last years SP3i5.

Did you tell last year I5 users all they could do is basic editing? NO.
 
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zkyevolved

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I'm going to return the i5 with 4 gb and 128gb ssd because I need the extra ram and ssd space. The only time I see my ram under 70% usage is when I'm rebooting lol. Usually I'm sitting at 80-90 just with email, a few tabs and some music. Plus I want to future proof my device to be my desktop one of these days. I love this device so much. Hehe.

In regards to bolt, I think you could be a little more tolerant of people's opinions and decisions. Yes, the m3 is a great device, but what may work for you may not work for others. You shouldn't expect what works for you to work for everyone else. I'm just saying....
 

friedmjb

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Hi Andy, I'm pleased to see so many folks with strong opinions. At the end of the day, the answer is always "it depends". Make a checklist of what you need vs. what you want. At the end of the day, you may need the faster processor, or the money you saved by going with a slower processor. I never see anyone recommending other brands offering tablet-like functionality. I am very happy with my SP4-i5/256gb, but some of the tablets that have been released or will be released look pretty cool too. Let's face it, the SP4 is just a status symbol. You can find way more bang for your buck with other options.
 

boltman2013

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I'm going to return the i5 with 4 gb and 128gb ssd because I need the extra ram and ssd space. The only time I see my ram under 70% usage is when I'm rebooting lol. Usually I'm sitting at 80-90 just with email, a few tabs and some music. Plus I want to future proof my device to be my desktop one of these days. I love this device so much. Hehe.

In regards to bolt, I think you could be a little more tolerant of people's opinions and decisions. Yes, the m3 is a great device, but what may work for you may not work for others. You shouldn't expect what works for you to work for everyone else. I'm just saying....

Same for all the i5 and i7 posters. Not everyone doing more then basic needs that.
 

zkyevolved

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Hi Andy, I'm pleased to see so many folks with strong opinions. At the end of the day, the answer is always "it depends". Make a checklist of what you need vs. what you want. At the end of the day, you may need the faster processor, or the money you saved by going with a slower processor. I never see anyone recommending other brands offering tablet-like functionality. I am very happy with my SP4-i5/256gb, but some of the tablets that have been released or will be released look pretty cool too. Let's face it, the SP4 is just a status symbol. You can find way more bang for your buck with other options.

I agree. There is the HP Spectre x360 and Dell Inspiron 13 2 in 1, and these are the only real contenders ... the rest are under powered or over priced. Not to mention that these are LAPTOPS that convert to TABLETS by folding, not by detaching. I think the surface, as much as a status symbol, is one of the most functional devices. Yes, it's more expensive, but it also gives good functionality. I was doubting between the devices mentioned above. But it always came down to ... yes, they are similar and for less money I'll get the same, but it won't be as portable, as light, as premium feeling... most of the time premium devices last longer than mid ranged devices. That's something to keep in mind. SP2 worked for me, and SP4 is doing a GREAT job for me.

But every device has its pros and cons. So just take it into account. My SP2 is running strong! I love my SP2. I can't sell it, it was my first Surface device. I'm going to give it to my mother to replace her laptop... It'll be a VERY good and powerful laptop for years to come.
 

zkyevolved

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Same for all the i5 and i7 posters. Not everyone doing more then basic needs that.

That's for Sure. My partner is so happy with the i5 version of the SP3, but I can guarantee that the M3 would be unnoticeable in performance because all that is needed is to browse the web and answer emails. But I design graphics, I usually have at least 5-6 tabs open, with extensions, downloading from the FTP site, syncing with BTSync my documents, images, etc. Printing 30-40 pages at a time, screen annotations, etc. I need the 8GB ram. I COULD survive on 128GB, I did on my SP2, but I had to manage it a lot (even with 64GB more with the SD card).
 

ioaniro

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Hey folks,

My Surface 3 (64gb, 2gb RAM) is being taken off of me at the end of the month (contract with job 1 is ending) so i'm looking for a device to replace that with a bit more oomph to take over as my 'side' system.
I'm focusing on job 2, where we do video editing / graphic design - of which I have a 15" rMBP to do the hard work (or, alternatively some desktop systems) - the MBP is mine so I could always bring it home and work on anything major, wherever.

It's just I've left it there for weeks on end because my Surface 3 replaced it. I haven't really had a use for doing anything other than web-browsing, media consumption and scriptwriting (adobe story) - few W10 apps but nothing crazy.

But now I'm looking at SP4, ideally i'd like to be able to have that as a 'pre-production' system - i.e - Storyboarding (in photoshop?), Scriptwriting & office work & media consumption. I'd like it to replace my MBP for photo editing too (not a necessity) - mainly enthusiast work in Lightroom, but I'm booked in for a wedding gig soon and would like something to handle that.

I keep umming and arring about whether the Core-M (as a solid upgrade from Surface 3) would do all that just fine, or whether or not i'd need to upgrade to an i5 for a 'just in case' scenario?

My heart atm is going towards a i5, 4gb, 128+128gbmicro SD

but i'm trying to get as much advice as possible

If you go for the i5 get the one with 8Gb of ram and 256Gb SDD, otherwise stick with the M3, it should be more than capable (especially coming from an S3). While there's probably a bit of performance boost from the i5 in your configuration the RAM will probably end up as the bottleneck anyway so might as well get a fanless M3.
 

Zachary Boddy

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I'm not saying the Core M3 is gimped at all. I know very well how powerful it is, and how it competes to last year's Surface Pro 3. But acting like the Core M3 is a viable option for anyone though, as if the Core i5 and Core i7 might as well not even exist. Yeah the Core M3 is great if you want to do 90% of what most people do, but when you're paying that much money for a machine AND you're planning to do some CPU intensive tasks that does not only include "Photoshop" but also some work-related software, I, personally, would spend the extra money to get the Core i5 because even if the Core M3 is "physically capable" of getting it done, doesn't mean it does it well or reliably. Sometimes, you need the extra power. Sometimes, it's not always about getting the cheapest possible option, just because it'll "probably work."
 
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mc511

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Many people who visit the forum are professionals that need to do their work efficiently. I mean lets face it, the vast majority of users that visit this forum are power users who need what they can get. I mean when people talk about the surface pro on here, its typically in the context that they need a bit more from their system. Now if users like say my mother and sister came here and started chatting up windows(when hell freezes over) then yeah we would recommend the m3. So this board may sway more towards the i5 and i7 because we are enthusiasts that need as much as we can get. Its nothing personal.
 
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