Question for Surface Oppos

"pjhusa" (pjhuskinja)
11/21/2016 at 15:34 • Filed to: None

Because of the Black Friday deals, I have decided that I would like to purchase a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 for school. However, I am unsure regarding which configuration I should buy.

I’m deciding between the Core m3/4 GB RAM/128 GB SSD, or the Core i5/8 GB RAM/256 GB SSD. Best Buy has the m3 with the Signature Type Cover for a paltry $599, while Microsoft themselves will offer the i5 with a regular Type Cover for $999.

The pros (no pun intended) of the m3 include a fanless design (equals lighter weight), the fancier keyboard, and the cheaper price, but the processor is weak and the RAM is rather lacking. Conversely, the i5 has a more powerful processor, more storage space, and more RAM, but it costs more.

Now, I was set with going with the i5, but potentially saving $400 on the m3 has made me reconsider. As I am buying this device for school, my usage will probably include using the internet, some drawing, marking up PDFs, and typing documents on OneNote, Word, or Google Docs. I doubt that I will do any photo or video editing, nor gaming, but the need may rise on the go. I feel that the m3 will satisfy these needs, but the amount of RAM may be inadequate. However, this brings me to my next concern...

Will the m3 be viable in the long run? I don’t want to buy one now, only to replace it in a mere 2 years or so. How long would it last? I hope that I can use this device for another 4 to 4.5 years, or perhaps even longer. As such, I would be willing to shell out the extra cash for a more reliable, long-lasting device, if the m3 cannot satisfy this need.

Please help me out here, and I hope to hear from you guys soon!

EDIT: Thanks for the suggestions, and it seems like more people are leaning towards the i5/8 GB RAM combo. I would like to point out that this will not be my primary computer: I have an i7 with 16 GB RAM on my main laptop. This will just be a supplementary device. I wonder if that changes anything.

DISCUSSION (45)

MUSASHI66 > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 15:39

I just bought one for my wife. 128GB/4GB was not even on my radar. Too little RAM for my taste, and the 128GB SSD will fill up in no time.

I won’t recommend anything less than i5/8GB RAM to anyone these days.

If money is really tight, 4GB/128GB model will work OK, but you will probably have to get creative with storage pretty quickly.

Or, do what I did - I got her a 6 month old i5/256GB with the type cover for $730 after playing on craigslist for a while.

Tripper > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 15:42

On PC’s that are not upgrade-able/expandable, I always put RAM first. I’m sure the M3 processor is fine for what you will be using it for, however I’d want 8gb RAM.

404 - User No Longer Available > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 15:44

I’m deciding between the Core m3/4 GB RAM/128 GB SSD, or the Core i5/8 GB RAM/256 GB SSD. Best Buy has the m3 with the Signature Type Cover for a paltry $599,

Of course us Canadians are getting shafted, it’s $829 without the cover for us.

Rico > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 15:45

I don’t think any full blown PC with 4GB of Ram is viable in today’s age. Even if you will keep the load light.

lone_liberal > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 15:45

I would buy as much processor and especially RAM as I could comfortably afford. Those are the things that will keep it usable for longer. Running Windows with 4GB of RAM is pretty marginal even if you’re just trying to run Chrome with multiple tabs open.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 15:50

Don’t by a core m unless you hate yourself. You will notice how slow it is. Pay the extra money for the i5 and enjoy an experience which is 100x better than the core m.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 16:05

I have used my SP3 for a couple years now and still like it very much. W10 does on occasion have some hiccups, but overall it’s smooth, fast and runs well on the SPs.

I opted for the next-up-from-cheapest-spec and got the i5/4GB RAM version. I would, as others have already pointed out, be sure to get the most RAM you can get.

On occasion, especially after updates, my fan will get stuck on high for a while. It usually never runs that much, or is very quiet when it does.

I would also not advise using the microSD slot for extra storage. It could be the card I am using, but I am having all kinds of OS trouble when I have that card inserted. iTunes won’t load unless I open the USB eject icon to force the SP to look at that SD card.

pjhusa > MUSASHI66
11/21/2016 at 16:11

Thanks for your reply! Money is not exactly a problem for me: it’s just that $400 isn’t merely chump change, you know. Please see my edit to this post, too!

pjhusa > Tripper
11/21/2016 at 16:12

I see what you’re saying. I also felt that 4 GB RAM would be rather restrictive too. Oh, and by the way, please reference my edit to this post.

pjhusa > lone_liberal
11/21/2016 at 16:13

I see. Even casual use on my main laptop, in fact, exceeds 4 GB RAM when I observe the statistics on Task Manager. Still, please see my edit to this post, and I would appreciate if you get back to me with any new suggestions.

Gamecat235 > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 16:14

I’m not gonna help, but when we looked at all of the models for my wife, we ended up with the Surface Book. She’s a teacher and is in grad school and she needed a “real” keyboard, but wanted everything else that the Surface has to offer. It’s a nice option, but it definitely cost more than we were initially budgeting.

Even when were looking at the specs for the Pros, we were looking on the mid/higher end. Ended up with an i5/128/8GB (the storage is smallish, but between a public facing streaming service, network storage and external storage, we know how to manage data/music/movies/pictures).

The M3 seemed slow, when compared to the i5. I’d recommend playing with them in the store, for a while.

pjhusa > Rico
11/21/2016 at 16:14

Yes, in my opinion, 4 GB RAM seems to be rather lacking for me. However, please do reference my edit to this post. I’d like to wonder if that changes your thoughts in any way.

pjhusa > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
11/21/2016 at 16:15

I see. Noting that you have a Surface yourself, how loud can the fan be? And by “a while”, how long does it run for? My main HP laptop has a very irritating fan that could activate for even the most menial of tasks, and it stays on for a good 20 minutes or so.

pjhusa > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
11/21/2016 at 16:16

I was slightly alarmed when I found out that it has a base clock speed of 900 MHz... Still, please read my edit to this post. I’d like to know if any of your thoughts change. Thanks!

pjhusa > Gamecat235
11/21/2016 at 16:18

They also have a deal on the i5/256 GB/8 GB RAM/dGPU Surface Book for $1,499, and while I do prefer the laptop-style build of that model, I can’t really justify spending an extra $500 over the Pro 4.

pjhusa > 404 - User No Longer Available
11/21/2016 at 16:18

You guys get better standard equipment on your BMWs, though.

Rico > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 16:19

Well that does change things quite a bit. My thing is this, how much RAM/Storage does the OS occupy? I don’t have much experience with Windows 10.

MUSASHI66 > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 16:20

In that case, I presume the lower end one would be enough. Maybe go to a microsoft store and play with them side by side and see if you can live with the performance of a 4GB and weak processor.

My wife has been playing Minecraft on hers, using the Surface Dock and 2x 27" 1080p monitors, with nary a fan turning on.

Gamecat235 > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 16:21

Yeah, it was really because this was going to replace her macbook pro that we went for the full blown book. It is a nicer computer, but if it’s not your primary, then the mid level, non-M pro would probably be worthwhile.

She went in thinking about the pro, but the keyboard sold her on the book. It’s pretty darn nice and the extra oomph from the fullsize form factor when connected is nice for battery life.

But given your edit, I would say that the pro should be fine, as long as you’ve played with it for a bit to make sure it’ll work for you comfortably.

RyanFrew > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 16:28

Microsoft employee here! I don’t work in WDG or a Microsoft Store, but I do use Surface products every day. Honestly, I’d recommend the Book if you can spring for it. Give a lot of thought to whether it will bother you not having a hinge on the SP4 and whether you’ll ever need that extra power. Personally, it drives me nuts not having the hinge and I’ve managed to run out of RAM on a couple of occasions. If you’re cool with the SP4's setup, though, it’s a good computer and I would recommend the i5. $500 is $500, but this isn’t a good area to try to save money. You’ll use this every day, multiple hours a day...it should cost more than a couple of textbooks. ;)

RyanFrew > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 16:30

RyanFrew > Rico
11/21/2016 at 16:31

Too much. I wouldn’t buy a W10 device without at least 8gb, tbh.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 16:37

Usually until I do a hard reboot (volume up+power and hold both) without the keyboard and SD card. That seems to solve it. Since I have so little RAM, having lots of tabs open can also make the fan run, but that is to be expected.

I use mine for work and at home. At work I have it docked and use the Logitech touchpad for my mouse. You can even still use the type cover with the dock so you don’t need another keyboard if you don’t want one.

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and hope to get another couple of years out of it.

pjhusa > Gamecat235
11/21/2016 at 16:46

Ah, I see. Yeah, I think that the Surface Book would be a better buy than the MacBook Pro. Similar, beautiful design, but you also benefit from a larger (touch!)screen and lower price.

Funny how the Surface with the i5 would cost a full $250 more than what I paid for my laptop... but I suppose that quality and portability come at a price.

pjhusa > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
11/21/2016 at 16:50

Ah, I see. Perhaps I should go with the slightly higher model... that could reduce instances of the fan running. And I find it amazing how you use it as your primary workhorse too!

pjhusa > RyanFrew
11/21/2016 at 16:53

Oh, both are SP4s. I prefer the design of the Book, but in the end, in my opinion, it’s not worth the extra $500 over the similarly specced (i5/8GB RAM/256 GB SSD) SP4. Now, after reading all the feedback from fellow Oppos, I am leaning towards getting the i5 SP4 model. Thanks for your response!

pjhusa > MUSASHI66
11/21/2016 at 16:56

Nice! If the fan isn’t so intrusive, based on the feedback that you and other Oppos gave, I think I’ll go for the Surface Pro 4 with the i5.

pjhusa > Rico
11/21/2016 at 16:56

No idea, haha. See Ryan Frew’s response, though.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 17:00

I teach people how to use the technology in their new/new-to-them Japanese luxury vehicle. I mostly just browse Oppo/technology websites all day unless I am in a car with someone. I have a couple of internal websites I need to use for data entry/search. Otherwise I am not taxing this thing at all. I have Chrome, FF, Slack, and sometimes iTunes open and they all run fine; apart from the SD card issue I already mentioned.

RyanFrew > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 17:00

Yep! I was referring to the ~$500 you’d save with the lesser processor

lone_liberal > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 17:10

If you’re going to do more than play solitaire on it, I’d still go with the model with more RAM. Otherwise it might be so limited in its abilities that it would be nothing but a shiny toy. The more that it can do, the more likely you are to actually use it.

pjhusa > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
11/21/2016 at 17:40

Good to hear that it fits in your life and suits your needs well.

pjhusa > RyanFrew
11/21/2016 at 17:40

Ah, hahaha. Guess I misunderstood you!

pjhusa > lone_liberal
11/21/2016 at 17:41

Makes sense. Thanks!

RyanFrew > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 17:43

Just looked at your post. There’s a $400 difference between the m3 and i5. You misunderstood me because I wrote that in a super confusing (and incorrect) way, especially given the $500 delta between the i5 SP4 and the Book.

404 - User No Longer Available > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 18:48

Oh you mean like the standard xDrive and automatic that the dealers make you want...

pjhusa > 404 - User No Longer Available
11/21/2016 at 18:54

Ha. It’s definitely something I’d (unfortunately) prefer, because Northeast. Of course, snow tires do exist...

404 - User No Longer Available > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 19:41

I’m up in Canada and I still don’t want it... But hey, who knows, I’m weird.

Justino6969 > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 21:12

If you’re just buying a secondary device, I suggest seeing if you can go browser based for on the go and just get a Chromebook. I have a Latitude, a MacBook Air, a Chromebook, and a souped up desktop, so I do have choices, yet I still highly recommend the Chromebook. Of course this all depends on what you are looking for in a device. Mine doesn’t have a touchscreen so I don’t know about drawing a marking up PDFs.

I use mine for in class during the week. 8+ hours of battery life on a 15" Acer Chromebook with a 1080p screen. I got it refurbed on Amazon for like $180 or something, and I think it’s amazing. Web browsing, Google Drive for all of my textbooks, Google’s office suite, and with the Android app store coming to them soon, the usability will only expand. I charge it once a week and never have to worry. Everything is instantaneous.

I work in IT, and the Surface Pros are nice, but I still think they’re overpriced and not worth the money. (To be fair, we only order the i7 monsters that cost several bills, so I can’t comment on the m3 vs i5. But, I do have more problems with Surface Pros than any other computer, from an IT standpoint).

MUSASHI66 > pjhusa
11/21/2016 at 23:44

Just watched my wife play again, and I heard the fans this time. I did have to get really close to it. Still, worth it imo, for the extra power.

RyanFrew > pjhusa
11/23/2016 at 20:01

Heyo! Just a heads up that the SP4 with i5 can be had for $800 now. I don’t know if it comes with the keyboard these days, but it will be less than $999, no matter what. https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Microsoft-Surface-Pro-4/productID.5072641000?tduid=(48dc7e336eb645ad28d078adc1d45884) (256380)(2459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-acueX1Sjr4Cy0BJYEhp0Zg)()

pjhusa > RyanFrew
11/23/2016 at 20:14

Thanks! But that one only has 4 GB of RAM, my main concern.

RyanFrew > pjhusa
11/23/2016 at 20:24

Derp. Good catch.

GE90man > pjhusa
03/02/2017 at 19:13

fast forward about 2 months you returned the surface for a chrome book

pjhusa > GE90man
03/02/2017 at 19:14

a *free* Chromebook.