Pro 3 i3 vs. i5

[thecaringkind]

Hi guys! Currently looking at the Surface Pro 3 as a stand alone hybrid and I'd like your thoughts about the difference in CPU power and battery consumption between the i3 and i5. RAM matters more to me than overall storage space so my main concern asks if it is worth paying more for the i5 over the i3?

I'm not a power user. I will not be gaming or running photoshop like programs. I'd mostly be using Office and using the device in tablet mode for media consumption.

I'd appreciate all of your thoughts and ideas before I drop any cash. THANKS!

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[bo_woods]

Since you'll only be using it for office and tablet consumption, then IMHO I think you should go for the i3,its plenty fast, smooth, snappy and fluid for someone who doesn't plan on using heavy duty power hungry desktop apps..unless of course the i3 which only comes in 64gb isn't enough storage for you

 

[bo_woods]

And then on top of that you can just buy more memory through microsd..you could do USB storage too but it wouldn't be too practical to have a USB stick sticking out all the time...

 

[kenjancef]

unless of course the i3 which only comes in 64gb isn't enough storage for you ��

This.

Even with basic computing needs, you might blow through that storage before you know it. When a client of mine wants a new computer, typically it will be more powerful than what they currently own. So I ask them not only what they currently do with the PC they have now, but what they THINK THEY ARE GOING TO DO with the added power of the new system. Sometimes a user will be suddenly amazed at what the new computer can do, that they almost wish they got something a bit more powerful. So, hard drive size aside, maybe think about what more you might want to do with it, and go from there... maybe the extra money for a step up may be worth it... OR maybe not, everyone is different, or YMMV...

Just remember that the SP3 is not upgrade-friendly...

 

[thecaringkind]

Really appreciate the feedback! Any i3 owners out there with real world experience using the device? I've been looking at very low end devices too ( I'm Notoriously cheap) like the Nextbook 10.1 which for $179 runs the full version of Windows 8.1 and comes with a year subscription to Office 365. The device can be used to run simple desktop programs and very basic computing. Of course there is a huge difference between that and a Pro 3 but I'm always open to all possibilities when it comes to saving money while meeting my computing needs.

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[bluemoongreg]

i3 owner for about 6 weeks now, & no issues with RAM or processing speed thus far. Like you though, I don't run anything very taxing. Lots of Office & web browsing, PushBullet, PowerTab, occasionally Chrome. Not a gamer either.
64gb working fine for me storage-wise, still 30+ gb free space on the SSD (note- deleting hibernation file gave me back several gb, & I don't miss it since I want it to be in connected standby at all times). All music, photos, & videos on a microSD card. I use Google Drive & OneDrive quite a bit for document storage, only keeping copies of frequently used or very important docs on board.

 

[thecaringkind]

Thanks bluemoongreg! I think the Surface Pro 3 looks to be a great device just WAY too expensive especially since the keyboard is not included...

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[Guzzler3]

MS has $150 off SP3's now, which basically covers the cost of the keyboard.

 

[bluemoongreg]

I hear you, the price almost killed it for me too. If not for some gift cards & a good deal, I'd still be in the market. A bad experience (hardware related) with one of the popular "budget" two-in-ones influenced my decision heavily as well.
Thought long & hard before laying down that kind of money, but I'm glad I did. Really like the 3:2 aspect ratio & pen functionality- would be hard to go back to 16:9 & no pen after getting used to it. The hardware is 1st- class too, as long as the battery holds out (a fairly big "if") I think it will last a long time.

 

[thecaringkind]

Blue, you and I are birds of a feather. Lol I think I'm going to continue to hold out a little more. My needs are not urgent and the longer I wait, i.e. closer to the SP4 release, perhaps the price will come down further still. I simply can't justify the investment right now. Really appreciate all the awesome feedback!

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[bo_woods]

Really appreciate the feedback! Any i3 owners out there with real world experience using the device? I've been looking at very low end devices too ( I'm Notoriously cheap) like the Nextbook 10.1 which for $179 runs the full version of Windows 8.1 and comes with a year subscription to Office 365. The device can be used to run simple desktop programs and very basic computing. Of course there is a huge difference between that and a Pro 3 but I'm always open to all possibilities when it comes to saving money while meeting my computing needs.

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I have an i3 and I do video editing in Sony movie studio, use adobe flash professional cc and they all run fine and smooth for me, the i3 is perfect for basic computer needs, but the storage is a let down so you'll most likely end up wanting to buy a microsd later on,but I use OneDrive for alot of stuff so im fine, it comes with roughly 50gb available

 

[bluemoongreg]

Great minds think alike

Saw that Microsoft has discounted most models by $100 or more right now, but not the i3 64gb model (yet). I'm betting you're right- as the SP4 gets closer, discounts will get bigger & be more frequent. Hope they manage to lure you to the flock!

 

[pgg101]

I have an i3. Mainly use MS Office, email, browsing, and financial industry related software. It's perfect. With OneDrive or a USB Drive connected to my WiFi router, I have all the space I need.

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[CliveSinclair]

There have been lot's of similar posts to yours. I always recommend going for the most powerful device you can afford (also with the most storage you can afford). Needs change and what you thing is ok today, won't be in a few weeks, months. The SP3 is not cheap and can't be upgraded.

Also lot's of posts from people who got the 'cheap' i3/64gb, only to post that they wish they had taken advice and gone 'large'.

 

[anon(4054009)]

There have been lot's of similar posts to yours. I always recommend going for the most powerful device you can afford (also with the most storage you can afford). Needs change and what you thing is ok today, won't be in a few weeks, months. The SP3 is not cheap and can't be upgraded.

Also lot's of posts from people who got the 'cheap' i3/64gb, only to post that they wish they had taken advice and gone 'large'.

I agree look at the cost difference over the time that you will use the Surface, with future changes of usage factored in.

 

[anon(9227267)]

Better to have a 5 and need a 3 than to have a 3 and need a 5 - if you can afford it.

 

[heickelrrx]

Hi guys! Currently looking at the Surface Pro 3 as a stand alone hybrid and I'd like your thoughts about the difference in CPU power and battery consumption between the i3 and i5. RAM matters more to me than overall storage space so my main concern asks if it is worth paying more for the i5 over the i3?

I'm not a power user. I will not be gaming or running photoshop like programs. I'd mostly be using Office and using the device in tablet mode for media consumption.

I'd appreciate all of your thoughts and ideas before I drop any cash. THANKS!

Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk

Hi there
I'm an amateur overclocker and have lot experience about PC hardware.

Let's speak generally with Intel base processor. Since sandy bridge generation.

Intel core i3 actually a dual core processor but they having an doubled logical processor thanks to Intel hypertreadting technology. It allow processor core work to maximize their capabilities.

On the other hand Intel core i5 series is actual Quad core processor but not having hypertreadting technology. Still they are more powerful than i3 because having more physical cores.

So is that any processor with hypertread and more cores? Yes Intel core i7 is the answer. But that's not the point here. Having extra core used more power in battery life. Indeed they are powerful but using more power. Core i3 series is good and you wouldn't notice the difference unless running some HD games (I doubt you will).

So my conclusion is to use i3 in your cases

 

[makona23]

Hi there
I'm an amateur overclocker and have lot experience about PC hardware.

Let's speak generally with Intel base processor. Since sandy bridge generation.

Intel core i3 actually a dual core processor but they having an doubled logical processor thanks to Intel hypertreadting technology. It allow processor core work to maximize their capabilities.

On the other hand Intel core i5 series is actual Quad core processor but not having hypertreadting technology. Still they are more powerful than i3 because having more physical cores.

So is that any processor with hypertread and more cores? Yes Intel core i7 is the answer. But that's not the point here. Having extra core used more power in battery life. Indeed they are powerful but using more power. Core i3 series is good and you wouldn't notice the difference unless running some HD games (I doubt you will).

So my conclusion is to use i3 in your cases

This is only true for desktop i-series processors. On mobile i5 is dual core with hyper threading and turbo boost.

 

[heickelrrx]

This is only true for desktop i-series processors. On mobile i5 is dual core with hyper threading and turbo boost.

Nope. This applied too for notebooks processor series except 5th Gen. Since surfaces practically a laptop with ssd and touch

SP Pro is old products so I assume it not use 5th gen

 

[makona23]

Nope. This applied too for notebooks processor series except 5th Gen. Since surfaces practically a laptop with ssd and touch

SP Pro is old products so I assume it not use 5th gen

Wrong surface pro 3 uses i5-4300U processsor it has only 2 cores with HT. Every laptop that uses mobile processors are dual core with hyperthreading

http://ark.intel.com/products/76308/Intel-Core-i5-4300U-Processor-3M-Cache-up-to-2_90-GHz