SP4 M3 & Photoshop

[5iR]

Hi all,

I am a current SP3 i3 owner looking at upgrading to an SP4. I am very interested in the finless M3 option but was looking for some feedback on its suitability.

My use case is web browsing, amazon prime video and some streaming from my NAS. On top of this would be very 'casual' Photoshop use (as in I am a total Photoshop novice) while chilling on the sofa with the better half. I wish there was an 8gb M3 option as I think they would make the decision easier.

Is there anyone here that has used the M3 for basic Photoshop that can give any specific feedback, though any general feedback is welcome.

I guess the last thing to add is that I am liable to buy a SP5 when they drop in a year so future proofing past a year isn't a big deal

Thanks in advance all

 

[slysy]

Not sure if M3 would be sufficient or otherwise. However it might be worth looking at the Lenovo Miix 700 or HP Spectre 13 as these offer fanless options with 8Gb if you are concerned. The main thing you would lose out on with these is Windows Hello. Spectre X2 is heavier than SP4 but includes USB-C. Miix 700 is the about the same weight as SP4 but doesn't have the USB-C

Edit - How much RAM does your current SP3 have? How does it perform for this usage?

 

[WildKarrde]

How satisfied are you with your SP3's Photoshop performance? The SP4 m3's performance is very similar to my old SP2 4GB, and it handled Photoshop fine for me. I used it primarily to make video thumbnails with as many as 50 different layers.

 

[reerdo]

Hi all, this is actually my main account that I could access yesterday to post my question about the M3.

That is a very good point WildKarrde, I am, for the light use I had had in Photoshop happy with the SP3 i3 that I have. I think I have been looking at this from the wrong angle and need to compare the old i3 to the M3 in the performance charts.

Cheers all.

 

[WildKarrde]

Here's a comparison of the Haswell i3 vs the Skylake m3. Looks like about a 30% performance gain with the SP4 m3.

Intel Core M3-6Y30 compare Intel Core i3-4010U 1.7GHz CPU

 

[reerdo]

Thanks for the link, it's much appreciated. From reading through that I think the M3 will suit my SP4 needs

Now to start saving early for the SP5 so I can get out my yearly cycle to a bi-yearly one (though Surface Book mk 2 might have something to say)