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[SerTapTap]

I need a new laptop, but is it even worth buying a surface pro 3 at this point? Should I wait for the pro 4? I'll be using photoshop every once and a while, but I do want to use it for game streaming from the Xbox One to Windows 10. I don't think that would work well on the Surface 3.

How is gaming on the pro 3?

What does the Pro have over a regular mid-grade laptop from HP or Toshiba besides the detachable keyboard?

Pro 4 is seeming a bit unlikely unless you mean next year, I was expecting it to launch with Windows 10 and that deadline is rapidly approaching. I'm starting to think they're switching to a low end/high end every other year upgrade cycle, so we'd get Surface 3 this year, surface pro 4 next year. But who knows.

Steam In Home Streaming works fantastically on the Surface Pro 3, can't imagine Xbox One streaming wouldn't (or if it sucks, it'd be because of the software/xbox, not the surface).

Gaming is fine if you remember it's roughly non-gaming laptop specs. Most games will run at least, and it's just a factor of how far down you have to crank the graphics settings. Stuff not optimized for low end PCs will be iffy, 2D games and less intensive indie games should run with no trouble at all. But if you want Witcher 3 at 1080/1440p you're going to need to stream it.

Pro 3 has everything over a regular mid-grade laptop, more or less. Way, way smaller, slimmer, lighter, the pen, detachable keyboard, use it as a tablet, 1440p display, pretty high end for a non-gaming laptop. Even at it's loudest it's fairly quiet for a laptop (but loud for a tablet). It's basically a higher end professional laptop in a tablet form factor. Great build quality too, shouldn't show marks if you drop it a bit, battery is supposed to last a long time.

You can read up on the design of the SP3 here, there's a lot going on that you might not appreciate without reading or having it in your hands.

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

For those running the Win 10 Preview on your SP3 how has it been? Crashes, system freezes etc? I'm debating on whether I should use it or not.

 

[everthustodeadbeats]

Pro 4 is seeming a bit unlikely unless you mean next year, I was expecting it to launch with Windows 10 and that deadline is rapidly approaching. I'm starting to think they're switching to a low end/high end every other year upgrade cycle, so we'd get Surface 3 this year, surface pro 4 next year. But who knows.

Steam In Home Streaming works fantastically on the Surface Pro 3, can't imagine Xbox One streaming wouldn't (or if it sucks, it'd be because of the software/xbox, not the surface).

Gaming is fine if you remember it's roughly non-gaming laptop specs. Most games will run at least, and it's just a factor of how far down you have to crank the graphics settings. Stuff not optimized for low end PCs will be iffy, 2D games and less intensive indie games should run with no trouble at all. But if you want Witcher 3 at 1080/1440p you're going to need to stream it.

Pro 3 has everything over a regular mid-grade laptop, more or less. Way, way smaller, slimmer, lighter, the pen, detachable keyboard, use it as a tablet, 1440p display, pretty high end for a non-gaming laptop. Even at it's loudest it's fairly quiet for a laptop (but loud for a tablet). It's basically a higher end professional laptop in a tablet form factor. Great build quality too, shouldn't show marks if you drop it a bit, battery is supposed to last a long time.

You can read up on the design of the SP3 here, there's a lot going on that you might not appreciate without reading or having it in your hands.

What do you think are the best performing games on the Pro 3? That would include the indie games and stuff. I kind of want to make my Pro 3 a nice gaming machine when I go out of town.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Hey guys, so...I found a scratch on my SP3 today. It's about 2 or 3 mm, not deep, and completely vertical. The issue is that I can always see it when the SP3 is on because it lights up in rainbow colors.

Time to buy a screen protector.

 

[derFeef]

How do you completely turn off the SP3? Keeping the power switch pressed and swipe down, or via start menu does still use lots of battery when its "off". Or is that normal.

 

[Blablurn]

im using a wireless mouse with a usb connector right now. but i wanna use my single usb port for smth else

so i would like to buy a bluetooth mouse

got any recommendations?

 

[Drifters]

im using a wireless mouse with a usb connector right now. but i wanna use my single usb port for smth else

so i would like to buy a bluetooth mouse

got any recommendations?

Buy a USB hub or better yet, get the Dock. I'm currently using the Dock and I cannot imagine the SP3 without it.

 

[RayStorm]

Buy a USB hub or better yet, get the Dock. I'm currently using the Dock and I cannot imagine the SP3 without it.

Problem with both of those is: If you want to use your Surface on the go/not stationary neither usb hub nor dock are very practical.

 

[Blablurn]

Problem with both of those is: If you want to use your Surface on the go/not stationary neither usb hub nor dock are very practical.

Bingo

 

[pieface]

So I've just bought a brand new warranty replacement Surface Pro 3 i5 128GB (with 6 months warranty) with a new Pen, used docking station and used official MS keyboard for £550

Thought it was a pretty decent deal considering retail that would cost £800-900. Bit risky with only 6 months warranty but i'm a risk taker.

 

[Layd Dly]

im using a wireless mouse with a usb connector right now. but i wanna use my single usb port for smth else

so i would like to buy a bluetooth mouse

got any recommendations?

I love the Microsoft Surface Edition Arc Mouse. Its pricey but n absolute must if you are mobile/on the go.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I love the Microsoft Surface Edition Arc Mouse. Its pricey but n absolute must if you are mobile/on the go.

MS Scult Comfort is really good, too. It also doesn't use the USB port.

On the go, though, I usually just use the touch pad and/or touch the screen for most things.

 

[Chezzymann]

Just sent my surface pro 3 in for 'service' last night since my screen was cracked. Is there any way to see the status of the replacement surface? The only tracking available is for the one I shipped to them.

 

[aaaaa0]

I don't know if this video has been posted, but this is great:

https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Ignite/2015/BRK3302

Vineet Thuvara talks about the various engineering challenges designing the Surface Pro 3.

 

[Rehynn]

Soooo.... I just got a new monitor at work (ASUS VE228), and everything seems fine when my SP3 is connected, except for Firefox, where the colors are washed out and lines are blurry. I tried adjusting the image, but all I can do is different variations of bleh.

What could be causing this?

 

[SerTapTap]

Soooo.... I just got a new monitor at work (ASUS VE228), and everything seems fine when my SP3 is connected, except for Firefox, where the colors are washed out and lines are blurry. I tried adjusting the image, but all I can do is different variations of bleh.

What could be causing this?

DPI scaling issue perhaps? Go to compatability options and disable it maybe. Haven't had that exact issue, but a few recording apps of mine reacted real weird to non-baseline DPI settings and that fixed 'em

Just sent my surface pro 3 in for 'service' last night since my screen was cracked. Is there any way to see the status of the replacement surface? The only tracking available is for the one I shipped to them.

I dunno, they sent my replacement real fast though.

 

[Blablurn]

MS Scult Comfort is really good, too. It also doesn't use the USB port.

On the go, though, I usually just use the touch pad and/or touch the screen for most things.

i bought this one 2 days ago

its perfect

 

[Rehynn]

DPI scaling issue perhaps? Go to compatability options and disable it maybe. Haven't had that exact issue, but a few recording apps of mine reacted real weird to non-baseline DPI settings and that fixed 'em.

Thanks, I'll give it a try....if you'll tell me where to find said options Is it in Firefox or Win 8.1?

 

[SerTapTap]

Thanks, I'll give it a try....if you'll tell me where to find said options Is it in Firefox or Win 8.1?

Right click the executable (right click the jump list, then right click "mozilla firefox"), properties, compatibility, "disable display scaling" or something like that

 

[Rehynn]

Right click the executable (right click the jump list, then right click "mozilla firefox"), properties, compatibility, "disable display scaling" or something like that

Thanks. It didn't solve the problem, but at least I know that the problem is with DPI scaling. Will post if I find a solution.

 

[Rehynn]

Ha, I actually found a solution. You have to sign out of Win 8 and back in, thereby making Windows recognize the monitor as the primary display (which, for some reason, it doesn't do even if you set the external display as the only one to be used).

 

[thenexus6]

So I went to an electronic store today and had a go on the surface 3 and pro for the first time. Never really seen one in person before let alone used one.

Very impressed, I kind of want one even though I don't need it. Super high quality build and the keyboard was really cool. I just got a new macbook pro in January but if I was in the market I would consider this.

 

[Nightengale]

Bought a Surface 3 earlier this week.

I can definitely feel the performance sluggishness every now and then, but considering my use case, it's definitely a great piece of hardware.

I just hope W10 fixes some of the usability inconsistencies of W8.1

 

[Chezzymann]

My surface pro 3 replacement status has been 'Your shipment has arrived at the exchange center and is being prepared for processing' for the past four days. Is it normal for it to take that long? I'd imagine it should have updated by now.

 

[thenexus6]

How does Opera run on the surface?

 

[SerTapTap]

My surface pro 3 replacement status has been 'Your shipment has arrived at the exchange center and is being prepared for processing' for the past four days. Is it normal for it to take that long? I'd imagine it should have updated by now.

When I sent mine in they basically immediately sent out a replacement. I guess it depends if they can actually fix it, but I thought with these crazy slim form factors almost nothing can be fixed and it's almost always a replacement.

Bought a Surface 3 earlier this week.

I can definitely feel the performance sluggishness every now and then, but considering my use case, it's definitely a great piece of hardware.

I just hope W10 fixes some of the usability inconsistencies of W8.1

It does, at least in desktop mode. Can't speak for tablet mode as I used it on my desktop, but Win 10 is exactly what windows 8 should have been. Taskbar at all times and metro in window alone do sooooooo much to improve the experience.

What model of the Surface 3 did you get? I'm interested in the Surface 3 though only academically, I doubt I'll go below the "pro" line in the future. I don't mind spending the extra few hundred since it's basically saving me from buying a tablet (I really do need to sell the ol' ipad now)

How does Opera run on the surface?

I've only used Chrome but they're both Webkit, it performs fine though streaming video does kick on the fan. But I'd rather it kick on the fan than stutter. Unless you mean the not-pro, I have the pro 3 i5.

 

[BumRush]

What would the SP4 have to have vs. the SP3 to make it truly possibly for newer games (at high settings)? Is it even possible right now which such small form factor?

 

[Pooya]

What would the SP4 have to have vs. the SP3 to make it truly possibly for newer games (at high settings)? Is it even possible right now which such small form factor?

High setting for newer games? nope, nothing they can do about that any time soon or ever. You need something roughly 2-3 times faster than Iris Pro 5200 with eDRAM to do that and that's still the fastest Intel GPU yet by quite a gap and it's not even close to the TDP limit of SP size. So no.

They could do something else though, include a Thunderbolt port like Macbook Pros do and that could enable external GPU functionality. I had experience running modern games on Haswell ULV CPUs and they're surprisingly capable, but just barely enough. Newer Skylake CPUs should be good enough, combine that with a high end desktop GPU and it will run anything on high setting or better.

It's just that it won't be portable if you had that in mind. MSI already has a gaming laptop that works like this. It doesn't have a dedicated GPU at all. New AW laptops do it too.

 

[BumRush]

High setting for newer games? nope, nothing they can do about that any time soon or ever. You need something roughly 2-3 times faster than Iris Pro 5200 with eDRAM to do that and that's still the fastest Intel GPU yet by quite a gap and it's not even close to the TDP limit of SP size. So no.

They could do something else though, include a Thunderbolt port like Macbook Pros do and that could enable external GPU functionality. I had experience running modern games on Haswell ULV CPUs and they're surprisingly capable, but just barely enough. Newer Skylake CPUs should be good enough, combine that with a high end desktop GPU and it will run anything on high setting or better.

It's just that it won't be portable if you had that in mind. MSI already has a gaming laptop that works like this. It doesn't have a dedicated GPU at all. New AW laptops do it too.

How about, say, Witcher 3 at medium settings? Would that be possible? I plan to be on the road a decent amount and I'd love the portability of a tablet while still being able to do light / medium gaming...

 

[SerTapTap]

Really doubt the Surface line will ever target hardcore gaming. Any GPU improvements will only be because they happen to come with whatever Intel processor they decide on and CPU performance will target productivity tasks. It's nice that the Surface plays games, but it's a side benefit and will probably always be right around "pretty good non-gaming laptop" level of game performance.

A dock with a dedicated GPU would be really cool but seems too niche to me. MS isn't going to make gaming laptops anytime soon. Maybe if Surface really exploded in sales.

 

[Pooya]

How about, say, Witcher 3 at medium settings? Would that be possible? I plan to be on the road a decent amount and I'd love the portability of a tablet while still being able to do light / medium gaming...

nope, Witcher 3 doesn't scale all that much, medium is about as demanding. There is the issue of RAM too, 8GB shared RAM isn't going to cut it for newer games.

I think next model or the one after it should be able to run most of last gen ports very well even at max, don't expect more than that anytime soon. You can do light gaming on Surface Pro, just don't play AAA games on the road :b change your tastes a little and it can work out very well. For example it should run Pillars of Eternity well I think, haven't tried.

You can get laptops that can run AAA games well right now. Alienware 13 can provide pretty decent gaming experience and it's portable enough, although too thick for a 13 inch laptop and it looks like an spaceship...the thing is it's not going to last very long, they get outdated very fast.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Microsoft just launched the i7/8gb ram/128gb storage version of the Surface Pro 3 for $1,299 - which is the same price as the i5 edition with 256gb storage.

http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-adds-cheaper-core-i7-model-to-its-surface-pro-3-lineup/

 

[derFeef]

Microsoft just launched the i7/8gb ram/128gb storage version of the Surface Pro 3 for $1,299 - which is the same price as the i5 edition with 256gb storage.

http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-adds-cheaper-core-i7-model-to-its-surface-pro-3-lineup/

Ugh. Ah well, the i5 runs well, no complaints...
/sobs

 

[Drifters]

Microsoft just launched the i7/8gb ram/128gb storage version of the Surface Pro 3 for $1,299 - which is the same price as the i5 edition with 256gb storage.

http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-adds-cheaper-core-i7-model-to-its-surface-pro-3-lineup/

why.jpg With the thermal issues of the i7 I would stay away from those at all costs.

 

[SerTapTap]

Microsoft just launched the i7/8gb ram/128gb storage version of the Surface Pro 3 for $1,299 - which is the same price as the i5 edition with 256gb storage.

http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-adds-cheaper-core-i7-model-to-its-surface-pro-3-lineup/

Probably would have gone with that if I could..or maybe not. I got the i5 since it was easily the best balance of price/performance. And it's a more "disposable" price if I happen to pick up a Surface Pro 4.

 

[BumRush]

nope, Witcher 3 doesn't scale all that much, medium is about as demanding. There is the issue of RAM too, 8GB shared RAM isn't going to cut it for newer games.

I think next model or the one after it should be able to run most of last gen ports very well even at max, don't expect more than that anytime soon. You can do light gaming on Surface Pro, just don't play AAA games on the road :b change your tastes a little and it can work out very well. For example it should run Pillars of Eternity well I think, haven't tried.

You can get laptops that can run AAA games well right now. Alienware 13 can provide pretty decent gaming experience and it's portable enough, although too thick for a 13 inch laptop and it looks like an spaceship...the thing is it's not going to last very long, they get outdated very fast.

Thanks! I'm a console gamer only right now, but will really need a tablet for my job so I wanted to see what's possible.

 

[commish]

High setting for newer games? nope, nothing they can do about that any time soon or ever. You need something roughly 2-3 times faster than Iris Pro 5200 with eDRAM to do that and that's still the fastest Intel GPU yet by quite a gap and it's not even close to the TDP limit of SP size. So no.

They could do something else though, include a Thunderbolt port like Macbook Pros do and that could enable external GPU functionality. I had experience running modern games on Haswell ULV CPUs and they're surprisingly capable, but just barely enough. Newer Skylake CPUs should be good enough, combine that with a high end desktop GPU and it will run anything on high setting or better.

It's just that it won't be portable if you had that in mind. MSI already has a gaming laptop that works like this. It doesn't have a dedicated GPU at all. New AW laptops do it too.

Yeah, the options would have to be (i) external GPU or (ii) some sort of streaming situation. I don't think it could do it otherwise in this form-factor without some magic. The Surface would probably melt through my legs otherwise.

 

[Drifters]

Problem with both of those is: If you want to use your Surface on the go/not stationary neither usb hub nor dock are very practical.

In that case, you must go buy this mouse as I've been using it on the go and I can't imagine life without it due to the SP3's less than stellar touch:
http://www.amazon.com/HP-x4000b-Bluetooth-Mouse-Matte/dp/B009KY58FE

 

[Chezzymann]

Is it normal for a surface pro 3 battery to decrease at a rate of 10% every 40 minutes when all youre doing is browsing internet on wifi and chatting on skype? I did the math and that would mean my battery would last around 6.6 hours if I used it constantly non stop until it died. My original surface pro 3 decreased at the same rate.

 

[xbhaskarx]

I've had my Surface Pro 3 for almost a month now and I love it. I have wanted one for a while but I resisted because they seem a bit pricey, fortunately I got work to pay for it. The body, keyboard, pen, surface mouse, dock, etc. are all very well designed.
The biggest downside is that the case I use for it i so small it looks like I'm carrying a purse.

 

[RayStorm]

Is it normal for a surface pro 3 battery to decrease at a rate of 10% every 40 minutes when all youre doing is browsing internet on wifi and chatting on skype? I did the math and that would mean my battery would last around 6.6 hours if I used it constantly non stop until it died. My original surface pro 3 decreased at the same rate.

Sounds pretty normal to me. What would you be expecting?

 

[Chezzymann]

Sounds pretty normal to me. What would you be expecting?

It said some press release it should last 9 hours but I guess that's with no programs running or wifi

 

[SerTapTap]

It said some press release it should last 9 hours but I guess that's with no programs running or wifi

9 hours seems a bit optimistic. I'd have to check my Sleep Study stats but I doubt I get that with moderate web browsing. 6-7 hours seems more accurate I would wager. It's not long enough to break the "leave it on the charger when you're not using it" rule almost all devices have since smartphones, that's for sure.

It'd be cool if they could add induction charging, even if slower, to the next model as an alternative to plugging it in. All these low battery devices wouldn't bother me as much if I could just set them all on a big mat and pluck them off in the morning.

 

[dLMN8R]

It also depends on which browser you're using.

 

[SerTapTap]

Oh yeah, I've heard Chrome is a battery hog...but I use Chrome's features too much to ditch it for now. Maybe if Edge is really really good and syncs as well as Chrome.

 

[Septimus Prime]

It'd be cool if they could add induction charging, even if slower, to the next model as an alternative to plugging it in. All these low battery devices wouldn't bother me as much if I could just set them all on a big mat and pluck them off in the morning.

I (kind of) use the dock that way. It takes an extra step of opening and closing the sides for entry and removal, but it fulfills that set-it-and-forget-it purpose for charging. Bonus: I can also use it as a faux desktop if I want.

 

[SerTapTap]

I (kind of) use the dock that way. It takes an extra step of opening and closing the sides for entry and removal, but it fulfills that set-it-and-forget-it purpose for charging. Bonus: I can also use it as a faux desktop if I want.

The dock is interesting but I'm not sure I'd get the $130 of use out of it. I only use my Surface in the same house as my desktop and I don't really need the extra USBs/a monitor often. Might buy one for the second floor once it's renovated though.

 

[TheSecondSpitter]

Hilarious that the Surface Pro 4 has a wikipedia page --
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_Pro_4

Question: What is the latest date MS will announce a SP4 Pro for a 2015 release?

 

[SerTapTap]

Hilarious that the Surface Pro 4 has a wikipedia page --
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_Pro_4

Question: What is the latest date MS will announce a SP4 Pro for a 2015 release?

2 and 3 were both announced a month before release.

 

[Schlep]

It won't be out until 2016. Mobile PC tech really stalled this year, so it's not exactly outdated. Broadwell isn't worth the bump. Might as well wait until mobile Skylake processors are plentifully available Q1 '16 or later.