Surface 3 vs. Surface Pro 5: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Surface 3 and Surface Pro 5 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Surface 3 image

Surface 3

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Surface Pro 5 image

Surface Pro 5

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Surface 3 Pros

Reasons that Surface 3 is better than Surface Pro 5.

About 19% lighter

Surface 3 weighed 1.37 pounds, 19% lighter than the 1.69 pounds Surface Pro 5.

WeightSurface 3Surface Pro 5
Pound
1.37 lbs.
1.69 lbs.
Kilogram
0.62 kg
0.77 kg
Has one more port and slot

Surface 3 has more ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 5. It has seven versus six amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 5.

PortsSurface 3Surface Pro 5
headphone jackYesYes
microSD card slotYesYes
Micro USBYesNo
Mini DisplayPortYesYes
nanoSIM card slotYesNo
Surface ConnectNoYes
Type CoverYesNo
Type Cover portNoYes
USB-AYesYes
Total76

Surface Pro 5 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 5 is better than Surface 3.

Newer manufacturing

2017 vs. 2015

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-7660U inside Surface Pro 5 has a 156% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Atom x7-Z8700 inside Surface 3.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core i7-7660U
1,992
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core i5-7300U
1,777
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core m3-7Y30
1,202
Surface 3 - Intel Atom x7-Z8700
776
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 5 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface 3. It supports up to 16GB versus 4GB of system memory on the Surface 3.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 5
16 GB
Surface 3
4 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 5 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface 3. It supports up to 1866MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the Surface 3.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 5 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Surface 3 - DDR3
1,600 MHz
13% larger display

Surface Pro 5 has a 12.3-inch screen size 13% larger than the 10.8-inch Surface 3.

Display size
Surface Pro 5
12.3-inch
Surface 3
10.8-inch

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Surface 3 Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5" Touch-Screen Intel Core i5-8GB Memory - 256GB Solid State Drive (PKX-00003) Matte Black (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5" Touch-Screen Intel Core i5-8GB Memory - 256GB Solid State Drive (PKX-00003) Matte Black (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$299.00
$319.00 6% OFF
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Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
 Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i3 - 8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$474.99
$629.99 25% OFF
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Microsoft Surface 3 128GB WiFi Tablet 10.8" Intel Atom - Silver (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface 3 128GB WiFi Tablet 10.8" Intel Atom - Silver (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$199.94
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Surface Pro 5 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet 12.3in 2K IPS Touchscreen Surface Laptop w/Backlitkey, Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Mini DisplayPort, MicroSD XC Card Reader Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet 12.3in 2K IPS Touchscreen Surface Laptop w/Backlitkey, Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Mini DisplayPort, MicroSD XC Card Reader Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$314.90
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Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet,12.3 inch (2736 x 1824), Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6 GHz, 8 GB RAM 256GB SSD, CAM, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet,12.3 inch (2736 x 1824), Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6 GHz, 8 GB RAM 256GB SSD, CAM, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$288.28
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Microsoft Surface Pro 5 12.3" Touchscreen (2736 X 1824) Tablet PC, Intel Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Including Keyboard, WiFi, USB 3.0, Camera, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 5 12.3" Touchscreen (2736 X 1824) Tablet PC, Intel Core i5-7300U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Including Keyboard, WiFi, USB 3.0, Camera, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$329.00
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Specs Comparison

Availability

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
Released20152017
Release Date
  • Introduced: March 21, 2015
  • Pre-ordered: March 21, 2015
  • Released: May 5, 2015
  • Introduced: May 23, 2017
  • Pre-ordered: May 23, 2017
  • Released: June 15, 2017
PricingSurface 3 Wi-Fi
  • $499 - 2 GB | 64 GB
  • $599 - 4 GB | 128 GB
Surface 3 4G LTE
  • $599 - 2 GB | 64 GB
  • $699 - 4 GB | 128 GB
Starting at 799$
Generations

Exterior

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
Dimensions10.52” x 7.36” x 0.34” (267 mm x 187 mm x 8.7 mm)
Width: 10.52” (267 mm)
Height: 7.36” (187 mm)
Thickness: 0.34” (8.7 mm)
11.50” x 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.9” (201 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.5 mm)
Weight
  • Surface 3: 1.37 lbs (621 g)
  • Surface 3 with Keyboard: 1.95 lbs (884 g)
  • Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (768 g)
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
Colors
Silver
Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Supports up to three-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
    • Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g)
    • Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm)
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
Size10.8 Inches12.3 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1280 (2.4M Pixels)
  • Density: 214 PPI
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: supports Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels)
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating

Ports

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
Surface 3 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Right (4)
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x Micro USB
    Charging Port
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Type Cover
Under Kickstand (2)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
  • 1 x nanoSIM card slot
    Surface 3 with LTE only, Optional
Surface Pro 5 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking Station
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Type Cover port
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x microSD card slot

Internal Specs

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
Processor
  1. Intel® Atom™ x7-Z8700
    4 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 2.40 GHz, 2MB Cache, 2W
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y30
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.00 → 2.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.50 → 4.00 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Intel® Atom™ x7-Z8700
    Intel® HD Graphics
    16 Execution Units, 20 → 600 MHz
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y30
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7660U
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 640
    48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1100 MHz
Memory
2GB 4GB
1600 MHz DDR3 SDRAM.
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
  • 64GB 128GB
    eMMC
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD

Connectivity

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
MoreOptional LTE
  • Nano SIM Tray
  • GPS
  • Assisted GPS
  • GLONASS
-

Battery

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
Size27.5 Wh45 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 10 hours of video playbackUp to 13.5 hours of video playback
Power Supply
  • 13W Micro USB power supply
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W

Software

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
OS
  • Windows 8.1 Pro
  • Upgradable to Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro (Creators Update)
Built-in Apps1-Year Microsoft Office 365 PersonalMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
Camera
  • 3.5MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
Audio
  • Single microphone
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio enhanced sound
  • Dual microphones
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium

Misc

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
InkingSupports Surface Pen
256 levels of pressure
N-trig Active Pen technology
Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
magnetic storage
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Proximity sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Digital compass
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
Security-
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • Surface 3
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Pro (5th Gen)
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
More
  • Casing: Magnesium
  • Kickstand: 3 positions
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power

Key Features

Surface 3Surface Pro 5
At Glance
Released in Early
2015
3:2 FHD+
10.8”
1280p 60Hz
Weight
1.37 lb
0.62 kg
Powered By
Intel Atom x7-Z8700
4C/4T, 1.60 → 2.40 GHz
Geekbench 5
224
Single Core
Geekbench 5
776
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics
16 Execution Units, 20 → 600 MHz
Configurable up to
4GB
1600 MHz DDR3
Surface 3 Ports
Released in Mid
2017
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.69 lb
0.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-7660U
2C/4T, 2.50 → 4.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
877
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,992
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 640
48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1100 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 5 Ports

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