I'll sell you mine. I thought it was a good idea but I never use it. I prefer a real Bluetooth keyboard. I'm not very fond of the Surface Type keyboard. I use mine mostly as a protector of when I don't want to carry my Bluetooth keyboard.
To Be SP3 Owners
- Thread starter omega1234
- Start date
I'll sell you mine. I thought it was a good idea but I never use it. I prefer a real Bluetooth keyboard. I'm not very fond of the Surface Type keyboard. I use mine mostly as a protector of when I don't want to carry my Bluetooth keyboard.
I kind of hate that they have released an i7 version, simply because I'm a sucker for getting the top version even if I don't really need it
Yes, that is really my dilemma. I don't really need the i7 but I if I stick with the i5 will I regret not going with the i7. Rats!! Do I just eat the $200 difference and don't look back. Wish we knew for certain what the battery life difference is between them. That would probably be the main reason for choosing between the two.
I no I don't need the i7, but I do need the battery life. It was that easy for me.
Edit: But now I'm second guessing myself and wondering if I should change my order to an i7. On an unrelated note, I just saw a (very poorly done) review on PC Mag that says they got 8 hours 55 minutes in their battery tests with the i5.
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I want to get the Surface Pro 3 256 GB with i7 through AAFES, (a military store), rather than Best Buy or even Microsoft store. AAFES offers a better warranty for 3 years that costs only $179.00, compared to Best Buy which is over twice as much and no better warranty. The warranty price is ridiculous! The only bad thing about AAFES, is that the Surface Pro 3 256 GB i7 version will not be available for pre order till June 20. I think the extra wait time will be well worth it and save me a lot of money. (no taxes and free shipping)
Any active duty military or retired military check out AAFES.
So I will be getting the 256 Gb and the i7 with cyan magnetic keyboard.
Any active duty military or retired military check out AAFES.
So I will be getting the 256 Gb and the i7 with cyan magnetic keyboard.
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Ruffles
Active Member
Because when you buy the best, you only cry once.
Ruffles
Active Member
I'll be interested to see some benchmarks between the two. According to Intel, there isn't much difference...even with the GPU.
ARK | Compare Intel® Products
And the SP is a slow machine generally with ULV processors so I take all the speed I can get
It's gonna be hard to wait for August though...
In Engineering its called, having a "Factor of Safety" ; and as is too often the case "The road (read Surface) to hell is paved with good intentions"
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I've looked up some comparisons between the i5-4300U and the i7-4650U with both the HD4400 and HD5000 respectively. I was also considering getting the i7 because of the HD5000 GPU until I read somewhere (I can't find it now -_-") that even though the HD5000 can handle graphics better (having 40EUs vs 20EUs), the higher demand of the GPU on the CPU causes throttling, which results in lower CPU performance. That's what helped me to decide on the i5 (plus the fact that the i7 is another 400 bucks more ex over here in Singapore). Here are some links depicting other performance stuff though. Maybe it'll help you guys to decide if it's worth the extra cash.
i7 vs i5
Intel Core i5-4300U vs i7-4650U
HD5000 vs HD4000 by AnandTech
1. AnandTech | A Look at Intel HD 5000 GPU Performance Compared to HD 4000
I pre-ordered an i5/256GB with a Purple Type Cover. If I find the article/forum discussing this I'll share the information here. Just can't seem to find it again...
EDIT: It was someone on this forum who read something on reddit. It's in this thread (http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/microsoft-surface-pro-2/6084-surface-pro-2-gaming.html) and at post #8. Reading it again though, they may have been talking about the i5 with a HD5000 and the CPU having a low performance may not be an issue with the i7 processor. I'm not sure though. What do you guys think? I'm still not so sure it justifies me spending another 400 bucks on the SP3 :/
i7 vs i5
Intel Core i5-4300U vs i7-4650U
HD5000 vs HD4000 by AnandTech
1. AnandTech | A Look at Intel HD 5000 GPU Performance Compared to HD 4000
I pre-ordered an i5/256GB with a Purple Type Cover. If I find the article/forum discussing this I'll share the information here. Just can't seem to find it again...
EDIT: It was someone on this forum who read something on reddit. It's in this thread (http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/microsoft-surface-pro-2/6084-surface-pro-2-gaming.html) and at post #8. Reading it again though, they may have been talking about the i5 with a HD5000 and the CPU having a low performance may not be an issue with the i7 processor. I'm not sure though. What do you guys think? I'm still not so sure it justifies me spending another 400 bucks on the SP3 :/
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bamaster
Member
I just pre-ordered the same. I have the SP2 i5/256 and I think it's great. My one complaint is that the screen and keyboard are a little small and kinda tricky to type on. Love the battery life, though. I chose the i5 because the 4650U is negligibly better. CPUBoss gives it a "No winner declared". The small video improvement isn't something I would use. The i5/256 is the clear winner here for anyone other than benchmark snobs, haha!
By the way, I used my student discount via the "Microsoft Store EDU Portal" to get 10% off. I wish I was able to add the Complete extended warranty, but it's not available online. Considering how many times I exchanged my SP2, this is an absolute MUST, trust me on this. I'll buy it once it arrives.
Kinda sucks that they changed the ac adapter. I like having a couple extras.
I also have a Lenovo X1 Carbon 2014 edition, and it has the i7 so if I need that, I have it.
