Surface Pro 9 vs. Surface Pro 3: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Surface Pro 9 and Surface Pro 3 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Surface Pro 9 image

Surface Pro 9

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Surface Pro 3 image

Surface Pro 3

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Surface Pro 9 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 9 is better than Surface Pro 3.

Much newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2014

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1265U inside Surface Pro 9 has a 412% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-4650U inside Surface Pro 3.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i7-1255U
6,415
Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i7-1265U
6,336
Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i5-1235U
5,715
Surface Pro 9 - Intel Core i5-1245U
5,700
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

Surface Pro 9 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Pro 3. It supports up to 32GB versus 8GB of system memory on the Surface Pro 3.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 9
32 GB
Surface Pro 3
8 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 9 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Pro 3. It supports up to 5200MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the Surface Pro 3.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 9 - LPDDR5
5,200 MHz
Surface Pro 3 - LPDDR3
1,600 MHz
8% larger display

Surface Pro 9 has a 13-inch screen size 8% larger than the 12-inch Surface Pro 3.

Display size
Surface Pro 9
13-inch
Surface Pro 3
12-inch

Surface Pro 3 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 3 is better than Surface Pro 9.

About 10% lighter

Surface Pro 3 weighed 1.76 pounds, 10% lighter than the 1.94 pounds Surface Pro 9.

WeightSurface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
Pound
1.94 lbs.
1.76 lbs.
Kilogram
0.88 kg
0.80 kg
Has one more port and slot

Surface Pro 3 has more ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 9. It has six versus five amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 9.

PortsSurface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
headphone jackNoYes
microSD card slotNoYes
Mini DisplayPortNoYes
SSD slotYesNo
Surface ConnectYesYes
Surface Type Cover portYesNo
Thunderbolt 4Yes x2No
Type Cover portNoYes
USB-ANoYes
Total56
More versatile connectivity

Surface Pro 3 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 9. It has four versus one commonly used port and slot on the Surface Pro 9.

PortsSurface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
headphone jackNoYes
microSD card slotNoYes
Mini DisplayPortNoYes
Thunderbolt 4YesNo
USB-ANoYes

Prices

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

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i7 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 16GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Graphite Microsoft Copilot
 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i7 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 16GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Graphite Microsoft Copilot
By Microsoft
$1,172.25
$1,599.99 27% OFF
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 13" Touch-Screen Intel Core i5-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD Platinum
 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 13" Touch-Screen Intel Core i5-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD Platinum
By Microsoft
$924.99
$1,299.00 29% OFF
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Copilot, Graphite (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022), 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i5 Fast Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage with Windows 11, Copilot, Graphite (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$699.99
$749.99 7% OFF
See at Amazon
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
See at Amazon
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
See at Amazon
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 9Surface Pro 3
Released20222014
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 12, 2022
  • Pre-ordered: October 12, 2022
  • Released: October 25, 2022
  • Introduced: May 20, 2014
  • Pre-ordered: May 20, 2014
  • Released: June 20, 2014
PricingStarting at $999.99Starting at 799$
Generations

Exterior

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
Dimensions11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 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)
Weight1.94 lb (879 g)
  • 1.76 lbs (800 g)
Colors
Sapphire Forest Platinum Graphite
Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Not included.
  • Compatible with 
    Surface Pro Signature Keyboard Surface Pro X Keyboard
  • Type Cover Features:
    • 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 Slim Pen Storage
    • Magnetic dock
    • Automatically wireless charge Surface Slim Pen
  • 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 9Surface Pro 3
Size13 Inches12 Inches
Info
  • 13” PixelSense™ Flow Display
  • Resolution: 2880 x 1920
    5.53M Pixels.
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • Color profile: sRGB and Vivid
  • Dynamic refresh rate: up to 120Hz
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Contrast ratio: 1200:1
  • Touch: 10-point multi-touch
  • Brightness: 450 nits maximum (typical), 2 nits minimum
  • Gorilla® Glass 5
  • Adaptive Color
  • Auto Color Management supported
  • Dolby Vision IQ™ support
  • 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 9Surface Pro 3
Left (2)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
Right (1)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Type Cover port
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x SSD slot
    M.2 2230 NVMe 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 9Surface Pro 3
Processor
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1235U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.30 → 4.40 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.70 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1245U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.60 → 4.40 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  4. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.80 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB 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. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1235U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, → 1200 MHz
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz
  3. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1245U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, → 1200 MHz
  4. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, → 1250 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
8GB 16GB 32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5 RAM
4GB 8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.
64 GB 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB
SSD
Fans Number1-

Connectivity

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6E: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology

Battery

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
Size
  • 47.7 Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 46.5 Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
42.2 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 15.5 hours of typical device usageUp to 9 hours of web browsing
Power Supply
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)
  • 36W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 31W

Software

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
OSConsumer models
  • Windows 11 Home
Business models
  • Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro
Windows 8.1 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 10
Built-in Apps
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one-month trial
Microsoft Office 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
Camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD and 4K video
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 5.0MP rear-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
Audio
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®
  • Front and rear-facing microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio enhanced sound

Misc

Surface Pro 9Surface Pro 3
Inking
  • Designed for Surface Slim Pen 2
  • Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
    4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision magnetic storage
  • Supports Tactile signals with Surface Slim Pen 2
  • The integrated storage and wireless charging for Surface Slim Pen 2 with Surface Pro Signature Keyboard
Supports Surface Pen
256 levels of pressure
N-trig Active Pen technology
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
Security
  • TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Windows 11 Secured-core PC
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
In the box
  • Surface Pro 9
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Pro 3
  • Surface Pen
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1-year limited hardware 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 9Surface Pro 3
At Glance
Released in Late
2022
3:2 2.8K
13”
1920p 60~120Hz
Weight
1.94 lb
0.88 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1265U
10C/12T, 1.80 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,336
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,336
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5
Starting at
$999.99
i5, 8GB, 128GB, Win 11 Home
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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