Surface Pro 5 vs. Surface Pro 3: Full specs comparison

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

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Surface Pro 5 image

Surface Pro 5

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Surface Pro 3 image

Surface Pro 3

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Surface Pro 5 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 5 is better than Surface Pro 3.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2017 vs. 2014

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-7660U inside Surface Pro 5 has a 61% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-4650U inside Surface Pro 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 3 - Intel Core i7-4650U
1,236
Surface Pro 3 - Intel Core i5-4300U
1,234
Surface Pro 5 - Intel Core m3-7Y30
1,202
Surface Pro 3 - Intel Core i3-4020Y
782
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 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
Surface Pro 5
16 GB
Surface Pro 3
8 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 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
Surface Pro 5 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Surface Pro 3 - LPDDR3
1,600 MHz

Surface Pro 3 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Surface Pro 3 over Surface Pro 5.

Prices

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

Surface Pro 5 Price
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
$314.00
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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 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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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
$379.22
$399.99 5% OFF
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
Released20172014
Release Date
  • Introduced: May 23, 2017
  • Pre-ordered: May 23, 2017
  • Released: June 15, 2017
  • Introduced: May 20, 2014
  • Pre-ordered: May 20, 2014
  • Released: June 20, 2014
PricingStarting at 799$Starting at 799$
Generations

Exterior

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
Dimensions11.50” 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)
11.50” 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)
Weight
  • Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (768 g)
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
  • 1.76 lbs (800 g)
Colors
Platinum
Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • 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.
  • 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.

Display

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
Size12.3 Inches12 Inches
Info
  • 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
  • Resolution: 2160 x 1440 (3.1M Pixels)
  • Density: 216 PPI
  • ClearType Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Touch: 10 point multi-touch
  • Surface Pen support

Ports

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
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
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

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
Processor
  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
  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
Integrated Graphics
  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
  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
Memory
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
4GB 8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD
64 GB 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB
SSD

Connectivity

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
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 4.1 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology

Battery

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
Size45 Wh42.2 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 13.5 hours of video playbackUp to 9 hours of web browsing
Power Supply
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W
  • 36W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 31W

Software

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
OSWindows 10 Pro (Creators Update)Windows 8.1 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 10
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trialMicrosoft Office 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
Camera
  • 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
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 5.0MP rear-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
Audio
  • Dual microphones
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Front and rear-facing microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio enhanced sound

Misc

Surface Pro 5Surface Pro 3
InkingSupports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
magnetic storage
Supports Surface Pen
256 levels of pressure
N-trig Active Pen technology
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
Security
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
In the box
  • Surface Pro (5th Gen)
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Pro 3
  • Surface Pen
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
More
  • 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
  • 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 5Surface Pro 3
At Glance
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
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

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