Buyer beware: Surface Pro 3 throttling: i7/i5 = i3 in speed with sustained load.

[vlad0]

I think this form factor will not truly shine until Broadwell is available.

With Core-M they shouldn't even need a fan actively cooling the system..but maybe for the faster chips they will at least have the option.

But yes, SP3 looks like "broadwell grade" hardware overall.. hopefully we can get a refresh with Core-M + LTE for the holiday season.

 

[link68759]

I don't mean to patronize, but could those experiencing throttling please check their power plan settings and make sure the minimum CPU state is 100% on battery? And their GPU set to maximum performance?

Sent from my 20CDS02B00 using Tapatalk

 

[Ghengis]

We're in a similar place to where you were yesterday -- debating between a couple different "art ultrabooks", with an active digitizer and a decent CPU. The Lenovo will at least have substantially more space for cooling equipment than the SP3... let us know if that translates to less throttling!

 

[malberti1993]

Guys keep in mind, it is laggy when it is in battery mode, but when you plug it in, it runs a lot better.

 

[Ruined]

Why is the $1299 i5/256gb Surface Pro 3 laggy in battery mode (even with basic Windows 8 Store apps) when a $349 Asus T100TA with an Intel Atom Bay Trail CPU runs without lag on battery on same W8 apps? Also note that the SP3 still throttles plugged in.

Seems like they tried to squeeze too much performance/battery life out of Haswell and created a different set of problems impacting performance.

 

[anon(4054009)]

Why is the $1299 i5/256gb Surface Pro 3 laggy in battery mode (even with basic Windows 8 Store apps) when a $349 Asus T100TA with an Intel Atom Bay Trail CPU runs without lag on battery on same W8 apps? Also note that the SP3 still throttles plugged in.

Seems like they tried to squeeze too much performance/battery life out of Haswell and created a different set of problems impacting performance.

The old Sony and Cher song:
The Beat Goes On...

 

[trekgraham]

I only care on how well the i3,i5, and i7 handle for games like Star Trek Online and Star Wars The Old Republic

 

[Mr. Brown]

I don't mean to patronize, but could those experiencing throttling please check their power plan settings and make sure the minimum CPU state is 100% on battery? And their GPU set to maximum performance?

Sent from my 20CDS02B00 using Tapatalk

You can't modify those settings unless you disable connected standby.

 

[malberti1993]

Does this work with wifi too. If i stream a movie, it doesn't buffer as fast as when it is plugged in. Its rather annoying

 

[link68759]

You can't modify those settings unless you disable connected standby.

that's strange, but it should be done for experimental purposes. This "throttling on battery" does sound an awful lot like windows itself, not firmware. all hardware handles the setting a little differently but it can be controlled.

 

[link68759]

Does this work with wifi too. If i stream a movie, it doesn't buffer as fast as when it is plugged in. Its rather annoying

that's 100% definitely to do with your power profile. you can change that in power options

 

[Flo W]

For those who are interested in limiting the thermal trottling as decent as possible, while keeping high performance:
The trick with a crude USB fan is allready known, I guess.
Here is Version 2.0 made with a desktop PC fan and thermoplast.
The fan can be easily snapped onto the surface and sticks to it very good due to the furrow of the surface.
Hence: easily removeable while adherent as hell

 

[Sack148]

Hey,
which fand did you use? I can't find any be quiet! USB fans.

 

[colinkiama]

using a usb fan really does help a lot. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sM6qWJHHzaU

 

[Mr. Brown]

For those who are interested in limiting the thermal trottling as decent as possible, while keeping high performance:
The trick with a crude USB fan is allready known, I guess.
Here is Version 2.0 made with a desktop PC fan and thermoplast.
The fan can be easily snapped onto the surface and sticks to it very good due to the furrow of the surface.
Hence: easily removeable while adherent as hell

View attachment 82401

Thanks! I have a fan on the way and also purchased some thermoplastic to hold it on.

 

[KenOsborn]

Thanks! I have a fan on the way and also purchased some thermoplastic to hold it on.

Let me get this straight:

You have to attach a giant fan to the back of your Surface?!?!

Why don't they feature that in the commercials beating up the MacBook Air?

 

[xandros9]

Let me get this straight:

You have to attach a giant fan to the back of your Surface?!?!

Why don't they feature that in the commercials beating up the MacBook Air?

Same reason Apple doesn't showcase defects and or issues with their products.

 

[Dan Strong1]

No one calls a tablet a computer. No sane person expects a tablet (key point of tablets: Mobile) to perform like the more conventional / less mobile computers

If you've never had a laptop throttle and/or overheat, you're either very young (I think you are) or very lucky.

If you don't think running up against a tablet's specs is niche, I suggest you take a course in statistics.

I've never had a laptop overheat or throttle in 20 years, I work in IT and run vm's and other heavy applications on them. Pretty condescending and seemingly misinformed post there...

 

[genghis2510]

I read this thread with earnest and was somewhat perplexed with the issues such as heat and throttling. Then, I saw the first post month as early August - some 3 months from the retail release of SP3. By this time, there had been updates / patches and firmware upgrades to fix the issues.

Mine's (i7 8gig 256gig ssd) coming this December and it's being used/tested/burnt in by a techie relative. According to him, all past issues that came out earlier are things of the past with update releases.

One thing though Microsoft quality control sucks. They had it outsourced to the complaint section.

 

[CliveSinclair]

Had my i7 256gb for just under a week. My other (old) machine is a Mid 2010 15" i5 Macbook Pro (8gb RAM). My MBP runs really hot just watching HD Youtube - so much so that it always sits on a X-Pad. The SP3 (unlike one poster said) might get warm, but because of the location of the CPU and the fact that no hot surface is on your lap is much better.

I agree with some other recent posts - they have changed something in the manufacturing process. As a PC designer (1995-2005), one thing that might have been changed is the fan and probably the CPU paste. My i7 shows no signs of throttling when running Photoshop/Lightroom CC. I got the i7, as I thought (despite reading about overheating) that the i5 is going to be working harder running the same tasks than an i7.