Which Surface Pro 4 would you choose?

[boltman2013]

Maybe because the 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.

That is a straw man argument.... Enthusiasts would already know what they need as enthusiasts, so those asking for help do not understand the options, You and I know what 4GB 8GB or 16GB of RAM do, You and I know what the difference between and i5 or i7 or M3 is. We know.

The people asking for help don't know (making them not enthusiasts) and they might mention something like I want to do Photoshop...then this the forum fires off as a whole "OH well get 8GB and an i5."

So again I challenge the forum to give better recommendations and quit overspecing surfaces to all who enter.

We are lucky this year the entire Surface Pro lineup is solid..and with that there should be more recommendation of the M3 as an option

 

[mc511]

That is a straw man argument.... Enthusiasts would already know what they need as enthusiasts, so those asking for help do not understand the options, You and I know what 4GB 8GB or 16GB of RAM do, You and I know what the difference between and i5 or i7 or M3 is. We know.

The people asking for help don't know (making them not enthusiasts) and they might mention something like I want to do Photoshop...then this the forum fires off as a whole "OH well get 8GB and an i5."

So again I challenge the forum to give better recommendations and quit overspecing surfaces to all who enter.

We are lucky this year the entire Surface Pro lineup is solid..and with that there should be more recommendation of the M3 as an option

Well I assume you are referring to the user from the other day. He said he needed a pre production unit which would require a decently fast system to handle photoshop as more than just a hobby. Photoshop is a pro app. It benefits from a faster cpu. The M3 is better as a content consumption device that can double as a good way to run office. Asking for a balance tells me you are trying to justify the purchase you made.

 

[boltman2013]

Well I assume you are referring to the user from the other day. He said he needed a pre production unit which would require a decently fast system to handle photoshop as more than just a hobby. Photoshop is a pro app. It benefits from a faster cpu. The M3 is better as a content consumption device that can double as a good way to run office. Asking for a balance tells me you are trying to justify the purchase you made.

See... the M3 is not just a "content consumption device that can double as a good way to run office"

The M3 is equivalent in performance to last years Surface Pro 3 i5 and no one in these forums would have labeled that as a "content consumption device that can double as a good way to run office" instead many like me they would have said get that over the i3, its worth it! In fact I added $100 to my sons allotted saving amount so he could get the better i5 for school..that was last year

In this year...

Many of you that completely underestimate the capability of the M3 the M3 can run Photoshop just fine. perhaps in 10% of extreme Photoshop use cases an i5 or i7 would be necessary.

At most in real life use, the i5 skylake offers approx 15% gain in top end performance (over the M3 but misses out on graphics boost). 15% for the extra $100 and acquiring a fan too is not a good deal IMO and still be at 4GB . so the next jump is 8GB i5 and that's $400 for approx a 15% top end gain plus extra ram overhead and that darn fan, again not a clear cut upgrade that's worthwhile. The i7 is crazy high price.

Even Panos made it a point during the reveal that EVERY Surface Pro 4 is a professional level quality device and not some web browser to run lite office. He designed and his team it to bring the Thunder.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

See... the M3 is not just a "content consumption device that can double as a good way to run office"

The M3 is equivalent in performance to last years Surface Pro 3 i5 and no one in these forums would have labeled that as a "content consumption device that can double as a good way to run office" instead many like me they would have said get that over the i3, its worth it! In fact I added $100 to my sons allotted saving amount so he could get the better i5 for school..that was last year

In this year...

Many of you that completely underestimate the capability of the M3 the M3 can run Photoshop just fine. perhaps in 10% of extreme Photoshop use cases an i5 or i7 would be necessary.

At most in real life use, the i5 skylake offers approx 15% gain in top end performance (over the M3 but misses out on graphics boost). 15% for the extra $100 and acquiring a fan too is not a good deal IMO and still be at 4GB . so the next jump is 8GB i5 and that's $400 for approx a 15% top end gain plus extra ram overhead and that darn fan, again not a clear cut upgrade that's worthwhile. The i7 is crazy high price.

Even Panos made it a point during the reveal that EVERY Surface Pro 4 is a professional level quality device and not some web browser to run lite office. He designed and his team it to bring the Thunder.

I don't know why you're trying so hard to sell the Core M3. You claim that you should only suggest the Core i5 10% of the time, well this is my 10% of the time. You want to know what Surface Pro I would get? The Core M3 with 4 GB of RAM, or the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM, depending on my budget, and I wouldn't go higher than the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM or think about the Core i5 with 4 GB of RAM. But to the OP, this person who is asking for help in deciding what the best Surface Pro 4 would be, I stand by my decision to suggest the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM, and I will continue to stand by that decision until I am convinced otherwise. Convincing does not mean whining about "balance" and how everyone recommends the Core i5. I personally believe, from what I've heard and my knowledge that I have acquired through personal experience and through extensive research, that the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM and a larger internal SSD would be the smartest purchasing decision for the OP. And that is what I suggest. I hope you enjoy your Surface Pro 4 with a Core M3, I'm not arguing that your purchasing decision was wrong. I'm arguing that there's a better one for the OP.

 

[boltman2013]

I don't know why you're trying so hard to sell the Core M3. You claim that you should only suggest the Core i5 10% of the time, well this is my 10% of the time. You want to know what Surface Pro I would get? The Core M3 with 4 GB of RAM, or the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM, depending on my budget, and I wouldn't go higher than the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM or think about the Core i5 with 4 GB of RAM. But to the OP, this person who is asking for help in deciding what the best Surface Pro 4 would be, I stand by my decision to suggest the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM, and I will continue to stand by that decision until I am convinced otherwise. Convincing does not mean whining about "balance" and how everyone recommends the Core i5. I personally believe, from what I've heard and my knowledge that I have acquired through personal experience and through extensive research, that the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM and a larger internal SSD would be the smartest purchasing decision for the OP. And that is what I suggest. I hope you enjoy your Surface Pro 4 with a Core M3, I'm not arguing that your purchasing decision was wrong. I'm arguing that there's a better one for the OP.

Its about 50% more for your suggestion (+ $400) a better decision in the i5 realm would be an i5 laptop with 8GB of RAM and 500 GB SSD at about the same cost as the M3 surface pro

 

[sjaduae]

We all make conscious decisions on how we spend our household budget/finances and some have easier or bigger choices to make. Some user's reasoning appears to stem from this even if they can afford to buy any laptop they wish they simply have other priorities/rational.

There will always be people who can't afford or justify spending their money the way you may and are convinced that eg a Casio watch is a as good as a Brietling or their Kia does 80% of what your Audi can or prefer to eat cornflakes for dinner so they can take a vacation if Florida 3 times a year. They can logically explain their reasoning which may be far easier for you to understand them than they you. There is little point trying to convince these people otherwise

What I don't understand is a crusade to convince others of their personal choices over and above the obvious price point and that for average day to day use the M3 SP4 is fine, we all know that its a given. Further more I find it strange to suggest others should purchase non MS which is counter productive to the apparent goal of furthering the M3.

For those that can justify/afford or simple just want to relish in the luxury of extra memory/ SDD space/etc and not be burdened with the extra concerns of maintaining and using a less roomy or potential system then the I5/I7 is a logical choice

For those on a very tight budget but yearn for a SP4 the M3 vs I5 is a tough call, given that many in this scenario may not have the luxury of a 2nd more powerful laptop/desktop then to err towards a I5 seems more logical if finances allow

 

[Closingracer]

We all make conscious decisions on how we spend our household budget/finances and some have easier or bigger choices to make. Some user's reasoning appears to stem from this even if they can afford to buy any laptop they wish they simply have other priorities/rational.

There will always be people who can't afford or justify spending their money the way you may and are convinced that eg a Casio watch is a as good as a Brietling or their Kia does 80% of what your Audi can or prefer to eat cornflakes for dinner so they can take a vacation if Florida 3 times a year. They can logically explain their reasoning which may be far easier for you to understand them than they you. There is little point trying to convince these people otherwise

What I don't understand is a crusade to convince others of their personal choices over and above the obvious price point and that for average day to day use the M3 SP4 is fine, we all know that its a given. Further more I find it strange to suggest others should purchase non MS which is counter productive to the apparent goal of furthering the M3.

For those that can justify/afford or simple just want to relish in the luxury of extra memory/ SDD space/etc and not be burdened with the extra concerns of maintaining and using a less roomy or potential system then the I5/I7 is a logical choice

For those on a very tight budget but yearn for a SP4 the M3 vs I5 is a tough call, given that many in this scenario may not have the luxury of a 2nd more powerful laptop/desktop then to err towards a I5 seems more logical if finances allow

+1


I already have a laptop with an Intel i7 and 8gb of ram with a dedicated gpu as well to boot. If this was going to be my main device I probably would of decided on the i5 model but for $100 cheaper for what I need it for the M3 happens to be the right model for me.

 

[Closingracer]

Its about 50% more for your suggestion (+ $400) a better decision in the i5 realm would be an i5 laptop with 8GB of RAM and 500 GB SSD at about the same cost as the M3 surface pro

I can get a laptop with an Intel i7 with 16gb of ram and a nvidia 950m for around the same price I'll be getting the surface pro 4 with the m3. The surface pro 4 is a premium device and your paying for it. you almost made me decide against buying a surface pro 4 lol

 

[Andy_Elvis11]

Woah, this topic has kind of exploded! Didn't expect that! Thanks for the feedback folks!

I'm still umming and arring though... As soon as I had decided on an i5/8gb/256 Surface Pro 4, i'm back looking at the M3 model. I know I can get the bells and whistles of an i5, but something's just telling me it's overkill for me. As I said, my Macbook it my main hitter.

I think when Gen. 2 Surface book arrives, or if the newer MBP's hold up, then that's where my money will go as my main system. I can work out a heavy discount through work too.

Sketchbook Pro seems like a great alternative to photoshop for storyboarding (min specs. 1gb ram), Adobe story works fine on my S3 so I'm assuming there'll be no real problems there.

I'm starting too look at my Surface as a secondary device again. It's never meant to be a primary device. I mean, it's my Personal computer - but i'm sure Lightroom / Photoshop works on it just fine, right? I've seen in a lot of places that it's more or less equal to a Pro 3 i5. I mean for crying out loud on my 2gb S3 I can edit a few dozen RAW photos in lightroom fine with heavy editing.

...well thats my trail of thought atm, what do you guys think?

Edit: I'm back to the i5 @ 4gb again now :unhappysweat:

 

[Zachary Boddy]

We all make conscious decisions on how we spend our household budget/finances and some have easier or bigger choices to make. Some user's reasoning appears to stem from this even if they can afford to buy any laptop they wish they simply have other priorities/rational.

There will always be people who can't afford or justify spending their money the way you may and are convinced that eg a Casio watch is a as good as a Brietling or their Kia does 80% of what your Audi can or prefer to eat cornflakes for dinner so they can take a vacation if Florida 3 times a year. They can logically explain their reasoning which may be far easier for you to understand them than they you. There is little point trying to convince these people otherwise

What I don't understand is a crusade to convince others of their personal choices over and above the obvious price point and that for average day to day use the M3 SP4 is fine, we all know that its a given. Further more I find it strange to suggest others should purchase non MS which is counter productive to the apparent goal of furthering the M3.

For those that can justify/afford or simple just want to relish in the luxury of extra memory/ SDD space/etc and not be burdened with the extra concerns of maintaining and using a less roomy or potential system then the I5/I7 is a logical choice

For those on a very tight budget but yearn for a SP4 the M3 vs I5 is a tough call, given that many in this scenario may not have the luxury of a 2nd more powerful laptop/desktop then to err towards a I5 seems more logical if finances allow

I understand what you're saying, as I have difficulty with any large purchases and justifying their worth to me. I would likely buy the Core M3 Surface Pro 4 myself, but if I had the money readily available I'd upgrade to the Core i5 because I think that if you're spending that much money on a machine you might as well get the most valuable option. And in my opinion, the best combination of power/storage/RAM/price is the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

Woah, this topic has kind of exploded! Didn't expect that! Thanks for the feedback folks!

I'm still umming and arring though... As soon as I had decided on an i5/8gb/256 Surface Pro 4, i'm back looking at the M3 model. I know I can get the bells and whistles of an i5, but something's just telling me it's overkill for me. As I said, my Macbook it my main hitter.

I think when Gen. 2 Surface book arrives, or if the newer MBP's hold up, then that's where my money will go as my main system. I can work out a heavy discount through work too.

Sketchbook Pro seems like a great alternative to photoshop for storyboarding (min specs. 1gb ram), Adobe story works fine on my S3 so I'm assuming there'll be no real problems there.

I'm starting too look at my Surface as a secondary device again. It's never meant to be a primary device. I mean, it's my Personal computer - but i'm sure Lightroom / Photoshop works on it just fine, right? I've seen in a lot of places that it's more or less equal to a Pro 3 i5. I mean for crying out loud on my 2gb S3 I can edit a few dozen RAW photos in lightroom fine with heavy editing.

...well thats my trail of thought atm, what do you guys think?

Edit: I'm back to the i5 @ 4gb again now :unhappysweat:

I think, sir, that the first step to choosing the right Surface for you is deciding if you really want or need a Surface. Yes, they're brilliant, fantastic products and they're well worth their premium price tag. But if you're current set up works just fine for you, and you're already looking towards a next-generation product, and you're not quite certain what you'd even use the Surface Pro for... do you really need it?
If you decide so (and I wouldn't blame you if you did), you next need to decide what you plan to do with it. Look, there's been a lot of argument here between the Core M3 and the Core i5, but in reality I have nothing against the Core M3. From what I had perceived, and observed from the situation at hand, I decided that, in my opinion, the Core i5 was the better choice for you. However, maybe you don't need it, and there's nothing wrong with that.
I still believe that if you want your Surface Pro to potentially become your primary device in every aspect of your life, the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD is the more intelligent choice. More RAM is almost always a good idea, and if you enjoy doing a lot of things at once on your computer then you'll definitely see the difference. The larger SSD is also just a great idea, especially if you're considering the Surface Pro as your main device. Maybe you could make do with the 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD of the Core M3 model, but would you be comfortable with it? 4 GB is the bare minimum I would accept from a device I plan to do any work with.

For me, the only two options are between the Core M3 with 4GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD and the Core i5 with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD.

 

[rdubmu]

I wouldn't even consider the M3- mostly due to the price not being a factor for me. The PRO 4 - I5 with 8gb of ram and 256 GB of storage I find to be the best value. The Pro 4 could replace your MacBook Pro and is much lighter, and can do so much more with the right configuration.

 

[Closingracer]

Woah, this topic has kind of exploded! Didn't expect that! Thanks for the feedback folks!

I'm still umming and arring though... As soon as I had decided on an i5/8gb/256 Surface Pro 4, i'm back looking at the M3 model. I know I can get the bells and whistles of an i5, but something's just telling me it's overkill for me. As I said, my Macbook it my main hitter.

I think when Gen. 2 Surface book arrives, or if the newer MBP's hold up, then that's where my money will go as my main system. I can work out a heavy discount through work too.

Sketchbook Pro seems like a great alternative to photoshop for storyboarding (min specs. 1gb ram), Adobe story works fine on my S3 so I'm assuming there'll be no real problems there.

I'm starting too look at my Surface as a secondary device again. It's never meant to be a primary device. I mean, it's my Personal computer - but i'm sure Lightroom / Photoshop works on it just fine, right? I've seen in a lot of places that it's more or less equal to a Pro 3 i5. I mean for crying out loud on my 2gb S3 I can edit a few dozen RAW photos in lightroom fine with heavy editing.

...well thats my trail of thought atm, what do you guys think?

Edit: I'm back to the i5 @ 4gb again now :unhappysweat:

Honestly at least for me if this isn't going to be your main system I would get the m3 unless you really need the horsepower. You know what you could do it order the M3 at Bestbuy and use it for 10 days and if you don't like it return it and get the i5. I actually did that with my iPad Air purchase where I went from the 16gb to the 32 and than finally stuck with the 64GB.

Exchanges at Bestbuy is very easy. You return that device and just pay the difference or get a refund for the difference depending if it costs more or less than what your exchanging it for.

 

[Closingracer]

I wouldn't even consider the M3- mostly due to the price not being a factor for me. The PRO 4 - I5 with 8gb of ram and 256 GB of storage I find to be the best value. The Pro 4 could replace your MacBook Pro and is much lighter, and can do so much more with the right configuration.

I wouldn't consider the M3 since value wise I like the i5 more but with price being a factor I rather save the $100 than spend it considering I need to spend $120 for the type cover.

 

[thatdennis]

Woah, this topic has kind of exploded! Didn't expect that! Thanks for the feedback folks!

I'm still umming and arring though... As soon as I had decided on an i5/8gb/256 Surface Pro 4, i'm back looking at the M3 model. I know I can get the bells and whistles of an i5, but something's just telling me it's overkill for me. As I said, my Macbook it my main hitter.

I think when Gen. 2 Surface book arrives, or if the newer MBP's hold up, then that's where my money will go as my main system. I can work out a heavy discount through work too.

Sketchbook Pro seems like a great alternative to photoshop for storyboarding (min specs. 1gb ram), Adobe story works fine on my S3 so I'm assuming there'll be no real problems there.

I'm starting too look at my Surface as a secondary device again. It's never meant to be a primary device. I mean, it's my Personal computer - but i'm sure Lightroom / Photoshop works on it just fine, right? I've seen in a lot of places that it's more or less equal to a Pro 3 i5. I mean for crying out loud on my 2gb S3 I can edit a few dozen RAW photos in lightroom fine with heavy editing.

...well thats my trail of thought atm, what do you guys think?

Edit: I'm back to the i5 @ 4gb again now :unhappysweat:

Ok bud it would be easy.

1. Is this your main device?

2. Do you absolutely need a pen?

3. Do you care about Windows Hello?

If yes to all three, get the i5/8gb.

If no to number 1, get the M3.

If no to number 2, get the XPS 13 or some other similar laptop.

If no to number 3, get the SP3 for cheap.

I know the S3 is a great device, but keep in mind the 4gb limits a lot, especially when browsing.

 

[sjaduae]

+1
I already have a laptop with an Intel i7 and 8gb of ram with a dedicated gpu as well to boot. If this was going to be my main device I probably would of decided on the i5 model but for $100 cheaper for what I need it for the M3 happens to be the right model for me.

A perfectly logical choice too suit your needs

As we can see in the last few posts without the intervention and slightly off centred approach of some, the norms prevail

I think MS have been clever in setting the M3 price point as tempting to lure those who have a standard laptop and a tablet in to one device that has far grater appeal in a single footprint

We all know that the M3 is sufficiently capable and often far more capable than those who have tried to adopt to using just a standard Apple/Android type tablet and realise they need more but like the portability of a single unit with the adaptation of 2 in 1 provide with a superior interface (ie KB/Tarackpad/Ports etc)

We know the windows tablet store is not as comprehensive as Apple/Android (excluding using emulators) but apart from kids who love to collect apps for the sake of it, most will find adequate coverage for productivity and information flow

The only problem is for more experience users they have muddled the entry point of the I5, it should not exist with the 128G SDD or 4G RAM IMO, this would be enough to tip the scales in to one or other CPU choice/configuration.

This is further confused for buyer on a budget, especially single laptop owners who may already have a smartphone covering the majority of app functionality all be it with a small screen and/or with a cheaper apple/android tablet in tow

For the price conscious the M3 is an excellent choice especially if you ditch your smaller tablet consumption device.

I have been playing with the MacBook 12" (running windows of course) for months now and given it's performance is not dissimilar to the M3 although has 8GB ram is perfectly adequate for most day to day tasks just don't expect to quickly editing 4K video or light game on these elk of laptops.

I got the I7/16GB/512SDD to play with and don't expect to use tablet mode any more than 10% of the time or sit with it on my lap as an all-round device vs the standard Clamshell design the pro's outweigh the con's easily IMO you need a very specific set of circumstances to not consider the SP4's outside of OS preferences.

 

[zkyevolved]

In my case, I need to get out of this habit of buying tech so frequently! Lol. I have the SP2 and now the SP4. I buy a new phone a few times a year - and I shouldn't. The SP4 with 128GB and 4GB Ram is OK! It's working at the moment. But I want to keep this surface for a few more years. I mean, with MS Complete I'll get 3 years of warranty even if I drop it, so it should last me these 3 years at least!

And I am using my SP4 MORE than I EVER used my SP2. I mostly left my SP2 in my bag and just synced it at work to my desktop with Bittorrent Sync via my server, fantastic setup. So, basically, my SP2 only got turned on when I was at work. Yesterday I was sitting on the sofa using my SP4 because there's so much more screen real estate that I actually feel comfortable using it. Many times I don't even turn on my desktop, and I'm sitting at my desktop desk using my SP4. So I want my SP4 to last at least 3 years. And MS will always continue to support it since it's just "another windows device." It's not like those Android tablets or phones that are updated seriously for a year and then forgotten. This is a windows desktop / laptop / device.

So I'm trying to future proof my device for the next few years. I mean, most of the time when I use my SP4 I see 70-90% RAM usage. And that's with a few tabs open, and streaming music from Google Music. So, it's not like I'm pushing it. Not to mention the SSD space! I can MANAGE with 128, but I can feel comfortable with 256 on my "laptop" not having to worry about what is syncing and what isn't from my documents, pictures, etc. Coupled with another 64GB MicroSD card, wow! That's MORE than enough space

 

[sjaduae]

In my case, I need to get out of this habit of buying tech so frequently! Lol.

So I'm trying to future proof my device for the next few years. I mean, most of the time when I use my SP4 I see 70-90% RAM usage. And that's with a few tabs open, and streaming music from Google Music. So, it's not like I'm pushing it. Not to mention the SSD space! I can MANAGE with 128, but I can feel comfortable with 256 on my "laptop" not having to worry about what is syncing and what isn't from my documents, pictures, etc. Coupled with another 64GB MicroSD card, wow! That's MORE than enough space

Nothing wrong with keeping up to date if you can afford too

Not sure if the old habit of future proofing is of the same priority as it use to be unless a certain software/game you follow demands it

Given that the new processors had seen a more graphic and battery performance increase over raw processing should be indicative

Glad you can manage within the storage options you selected personally I'm too lazy to play with cloud storage solutions and rather spend the money on a larger SDD than juggle around with other solutions and they are always there if you really need too

 

[decider]

I don't know why some of you folks want to be argumentative at the risk of offending one another. You should not try to make your remarks personal but rather the fact that, and I assume because most here love the technology they are using be in pefect technology or not. Enjoy everyone's own personal opinion and learn from it which might help you make a better decision regarding the purchase(s) you make. Now I myself have purchased the i5, 256, 8gb and I come form a surface pro 1. And I really do like the choice I made and I in my opinion the choice I made is the idea purchase for me and perhaps others will find the same.

 

[garak0410]

I went from the SP3 i7, 512GB to the SP4 i5/8/256 and beyond wanting a tad more storage, I think this was the right device for the money. The i7's were just too expensive and I am rendering video AND gaming on it. Sure, not high level graphic settings but I can game quite decently, especially older games like Portal 2.