Surface Pro 3 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Surface Pro 3 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Surface Pro 3

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 image

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5

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Surface Pro 3 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 3 is better than Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5.

About 30% lighter

Surface Pro 3 weighed 1.76 pounds, 30% lighter than the 2.49 pounds Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5.

WeightSurface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Pound
1.76 lbs.
2.49 lbs.
Kilogram
0.80 kg
1.13 kg

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 Pros

Reasons that Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 is better than Surface Pro 3.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2017 vs. 2014

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-7600U inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 has a 52% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-4650U inside Surface Pro 3.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 - Intel Core i7-7600U
1,883
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 - Intel Core i5-7300U
1,777
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 - Intel Core i7-7500U
1,744
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 - Intel Core i5-7200U
1,611
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 - Intel Core i7-6500U
1,500
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 - Intel Core i5-6200U
1,333
Surface Pro 3 - Intel Core i7-4650U
1,236
Surface Pro 3 - Intel Core i5-4300U
1,234
Surface Pro 3 - Intel Core i3-4020Y
782
Supports larger memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Pro 3. It supports up to 16GB versus 8GB of system memory on the Surface Pro 3.

Max system memory size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
16 GB
Surface Pro 3
8 GB
Supports faster memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Pro 3. It supports up to 1866MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the Surface Pro 3.

Memory type and speed
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Surface Pro 3 - LPDDR3
1,600 MHz
16% larger display

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 has a 14-inch screen size 16% larger than the 12-inch Surface Pro 3.

Display size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
14-inch
Surface Pro 3
12-inch

Prices

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

Surface Pro 3 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (256 GB, Intel Core i5)(Windows 10 Professional 64 bit) (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (256 GB, Intel Core i5)(Windows 10 Professional 64 bit) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$274.99
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Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet (1631) Silver - 256GB, 12in, Windows 8, Intel Core i5 - Renewed
 Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet (1631) Silver - 256GB, 12in, Windows 8, Intel Core i5 - Renewed
By Microsoft
$158.00
$238.00 34% OFF
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Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Pentium® Gold - 4GB Memory - 64GB eMMC - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
 Microsoft Surface Go 3 - 10.5" Touchscreen - Intel® Pentium® Gold - 4GB Memory - 64GB eMMC - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$389.99
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 Price
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (5th Gen) 14-inch Laptop Computer, Intel Core i7-7600U 2.80GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint, Type-C, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (5th Gen) 14-inch Laptop Computer, Intel Core i7-7600U 2.80GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint, Type-C, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$359.00
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (5th Gen) - 14" FHD (1920x1080) Display (Intel Core i5-7300U, 16GB Ram, 256GB PCIe SSD, HDMI, Camera, WiFi) Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (5th Gen) - 14" FHD (1920x1080) Display (Intel Core i5-7300U, 16GB Ram, 256GB PCIe SSD, HDMI, Camera, WiFi) Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$274.99
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop 5th Generation, Intel Core i7-7600U 3.90 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 14 WQHD IPS 2560x1440 Display, Fingerprint Reader, Supported Windows 10 Pro, Renewed 2018
 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop 5th Generation, Intel Core i7-7600U 3.90 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 14 WQHD IPS 2560x1440 Display, Fingerprint Reader, Supported Windows 10 Pro, Renewed 2018
By Lenovo
$359.24
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Specs Comparison

Availability

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Released20142017
Release Date
  • Introduced: May 20, 2014
  • Pre-ordered: May 20, 2014
  • Released: June 20, 2014
-
PricingStarting at 799$-
Generations-

Exterior

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Dimensions11.50” x 7.93” x 0.36” (292 mm x 201.3 mm x 9.1 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.93” (201.3 mm)
Thickness: 0.36” (9.1 mm)
12.73” x 8.54” x 0.62” (323.5 x 217.1 x 15.95 mm)
Width: 12.73” (323.5 mm)
Depth: 8.54” (217.1 mm)
Height: 0.62” (15.95 mm)
Weight
  • 1.76 lbs (800 g)
Starting at 2.49 lbs (1.13 kg)
Colors
Silver
Black Silver
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.
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device.

Display

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Size12 Inches14 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 2160 x 1440 (3.1M Pixels)
  • Density: 216 PPI
  • ClearType Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Touch: 10 point multi-touch
  • Surface Pen support
  • 14” FHD
    1920 x 1080, IPS, 60Hz, anti-glare, non-touch.
  • 14” WQHD
    2560 x 1440, IPS, 60Hz, anti-glare, non-touch.

Ports

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Surface Pro 3 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
  • 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3
    Supports Power Delivery & DisplayPort.
  • 1 x USB 3.0
    Full-size USB-A ports.
  • 1 x Native Network RJ45
  • 1 x HDMI
  • 1 x Headphone / mic combo
  • 1 x MicroSD card reader
  • 1 x Micro SIM slot
  • 1 x Power button
  • 1 x Kensington lock slot

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Processor
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4020Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 11.5W
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.90 → 2.90 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 3.30 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6200U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.30 → 2.80 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6500U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.50 → 3.10 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7200U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.50 → 3.10 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  4. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  5. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7500U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.70 → 3.50 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
  6. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7600U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.80 → 3.90 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4020Y
    Intel® HD Graphics 4200
    20 Execution Units, 200 → 850 MHz
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4200
    20 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U
    Intel® HD Graphics 5000
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6200U
    Intel® HD Graphics 520
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6500U
    Intel® HD Graphics 520
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7200U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  4. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  5. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7500U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  6. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7600U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Memory
4GB 8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
  • 8GB 16GB
    1866 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR3 SRAM.
Storage
64 GB 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB
SSD
  • 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
    M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe (Replaceable).

Connectivity

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
  • Intel® Dual-Band Wireless-AC(2x2) 8265
    Up to 867 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac.
  • Intel® Dual-Band Wireless-AC(2x2) 8260
    Up to 867 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology
  • Bluetooth 4.1
Ethernet-
  • RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet port (10/100/1000)
More-
  • WWAN: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X7 LTE-A

Battery

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Size42.2 Wh
  • 3-cell smart lithium-ion
  • Battery Capacity: 57 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 9 hours of web browsing
  • Up to 15 hours
* Tested with MobileMark 2014
Power Supply
  • 36W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 31W
65 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
Supports Rapid Charge.

Software

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
OSWindows 8.1 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 10
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 30-days trial-

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
Camera
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 5.0MP rear-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • Front-facing camera
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
Audio
  • Front and rear-facing microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio enhanced sound
  • Dolby Audio™ Premium
  •  Microphones

Misc

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
InkingSupports Surface Pen
256 levels of pressure
N-trig Active Pen technology
-
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Optional dedicated Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader.​​
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Fingerprint Reader
  • dTPM 2.0 chip
  • Kensington lock slot
In the box
  • Surface Pro 3
  • Surface Pen
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
-
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
-
More
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 150 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
-

Key Features

Surface Pro 3Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5
At Glance
Released in Mid
2014
3:2 2.1K
12”
1440p 60Hz
Weight
1.76 lb
0.80 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-4650U
2C/4T, 1.70 → 3.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
632
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,236
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 5000
40 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
Configurable up to
8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 3 Ports
Released in
2017
16:9 WQHD
14”
1440p 60Hz
Weight
2.49 lb
1.13 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-7600U
2C/4T, 2.80 → 3.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
885
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,883
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 620
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3

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