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bomblord1 · Feb 10, 2015

I've been considering getting a surface pro for school (and light gaming on the go) and I've mulled it over a hundred times but I still can't come to a decision. There's several reasons I'm considering it two of the biggest are
1. The ability to take notes on the screen with the included pen
2. light gaming when not at home.
I'm considering either the pro 2 or the Pro 3 i3 as anything else is way out of my price range. However, My main concern is with performance after reading about early benchmarks and throttling issues. The example below illustrates what I am talking about.
Throttling issues even make the i5 perform worse than the surface 2[/QUOTE]
I have read that Microsoft released an updated that resolved the throttling but I may be better off getting the pro 2 if I'm concerned with performance as I have not seen any reviews of the updated firmware's performance. However, the pen, being able to open one note at a click, and the larger screen real estate of the pro 3 are a huge draw to me for school

Anyway, that's my dilemma. I'm open to alternative systems but robust pen functionality and support for applications like photoshop and illustrator are a must.

Are there any gaffers who would be willing to help a fellow out as I have no idea what to choose.

Unicorn · Feb 10, 2015

I use my Surface Pro 2 (i5) for gaming and it does wonderfully. Granted I don't push it for games that have come out in recent years, but 2011 and back work great. Just gotta play at 720p for more "pretty" games.

Pro 3 performance might be due to it having pretty much the same specs as the SP2, but running at a higher resolution/screen ratio.

LegalEagleMike · Feb 10, 2015

if you cant get at least the i5 I wouldnt bother personally. If you are going to throw that much money at a surface get the good ones. If not use your school funds more wisely and just get a laptop.

bomblord1 · Feb 10, 2015

MJFJD said:
if you cant get at least the i5 I wouldnt bother personally. If you are going to throw that much money at a surface get the good ones. If not use your school funds more wisely and just get a laptop.

I have a laptop is somewhat bulky and useless for things like note taking.

SerTapTap · Feb 10, 2015

There's a not quite OT thread in Off Topic for the SP3, I love mine, don't really do much gaming on it though. It seemed to play 2D games fine, non-resource intensive stuff played fine, In Home Streaming was perfect. But I can't really attest to the differences with the SP2, but ergonomically I wouldn't consider anything less than an SP3 due to the new typecover, lovely screen, proper stand, it's a proper laptop replacement now.

Don't get the i3 SP3 though, the i5 isn't much pricer for pretty significant storage/perf improvements. You might be too late, but it was on sale on Ebay a couple days ago from someone.

Unicorn · Feb 10, 2015

bomblord1 said:
I have a laptop is somewhat bulky and useless for things like note taking.

Pro 2 is the right size for backpack and school use. I feel the 3 doesn't provide enough of a difference.

Honestly, pressing the pen to open onenote is like 1 step less than just pressing the Window icon, then onenote on the SP2.

doowrah · Feb 10, 2015

I'd love to hear how capable one is for something like Hearthstone or Binding of Isaac

ILoveBish · Feb 10, 2015

I really want a pro 2, but feel the prices are too high for them used.

jblank83 · Feb 10, 2015

bomblord1 said:
I have a laptop is somewhat bulky and useless for things like note taking.

If you want to take notes with a Surface Pro you'll be buying a bluetooth keyboard, which makes it just as bulky and awkward to take notes. Unless you plan on hand writing all your notes, at which point it's easier to just use paper. Size difference between the two is minimal, assuming a 13-15 inch laptop screen.

Laptop just sits on an arm rest in an auditorium chair or on a desk.

As for gaming, a Surface Pro is good for light gaming and not much else. I ran FRAPs to confirm framerates on mine. It struggled to reach even 20 fps in Dead State, and that at 720p resolution with settings at minimum. It struggled to maintain 20 fps in Enslaved Odyssey to the West at 720p and minimum settings. It plays Hearthstone at 720p and medium settings with frame drops during large particle effects. It plays most indie 2d games just fine. I wouldn't expect it to play anything modern or anything in the future at an acceptable frame rate.

gatisimo · Feb 10, 2015

I have the Pro 2, and on a recent vacation trip to Disney, it was my go-to for nightly Dota 2 matches, Marvel Heroes and Diablo 3, while the family slept. I had the graphics options turned down a bit, but it performed flawlessly (with a mouse).

edit: also for Hearthstone. It doesn't perform as well as my desktop, but obliterates my iPad and Note 4 in performance while also looking better.

legacyzero · Feb 10, 2015

I have an i7 Surface Pro 3 and its amazing. I play a lot Rogue Legacy on it with a DS4 connect thru Blue Tooth.

jblank83 · Feb 10, 2015

bomblord1 said:
I have a laptop is somewhat bulky and useless for things like note taking.

If you want to take notes with a Surface Pro you'll be buying a bluetooth keyboard, which makes it just as bulky and awkward to take notes. Unless you plan on hand writing all your notes, at which point it's easier to just use paper. Size difference between the two is minimal, assuming a 13-15 inch laptop screen.

Laptop just sits on an arm rest in an auditorium chair or on a desk, same as a Surface Pro + Keyboard.

As for gaming, a Surface Pro is good for light gaming and not much else. I ran FRAPs to confirm framerates on mine. It struggled to reach even 20 fps in Dead State, and that at 720p resolution with settings at minimum. It struggled to maintain 20 fps in Enslaved Odyssey to the West at 720p and minimum settings. Both of these were ports of 360/PS3 era games, which should indicate to you the power level of the Intel HD 4400 graphics chip inside the Surface Pro 2.

On the subject of what it does well, it plays Hearthstone at 720p and medium settings with frame drops during large particle effects. It plays most indie 2d games just fine. I wouldn't expect it to play intense 3d games or anything in the future at acceptable frame rates.

doowrah said:
I'd love to hear how capable one is for something like Hearthstone or Binding of Isaac

They play fine. Hearthstone plays well with a pen due to the wacom mesh underneath the screen. It also plays decently with mobile style touch controls, though I find them more fiddly and clunky, less accurate.

Unicorn · Feb 10, 2015

doowrah said:
I'd love to hear how capable one is for something like Hearthstone or Binding of Isaac

60fps for sure.

I play Guild Wars 2 (20ish FPS low-med specs), Dark Souls, Just Cause 2 MP (lower settings and FPS), Quake Live, Jedi Academy, Skullgirls, Crusader Kings 2, Spelunky, Shadowrun, XCOM: Enemy Unknown (reboot game), among the plethora of indie-size games like Mark of the Ninja, Nidhogg, Luftrausers, Hotline Miami, etc.

SP2 has been a fantastic portable gaming format for me.

rbenchley · Feb 10, 2015

As long as it's fine for Steam Streaming, I would be satisfied. I've been trying to decide between a Surface Pro 3 and a Thinkpad X1 Carbon for my next laptop. Playing Darkest Dungeon on it would probably be pretty sweet.

jblank83 · Feb 10, 2015

rbenchley said:
As long as it's fine for Steam Streaming, I would be satisfied.

It's 5ghz capable, so the rest is up to your router.

LegalEagleMike · Feb 10, 2015

bomblord1 said:
I have a laptop is somewhat bulky and useless for things like note taking.

the pen works fine for light note taking. If you want note taking for a class room setting I recommend a good old fashioned legal pad.

ncsuDuncan · Feb 10, 2015

Surface Pro 3 (i5) + four 360 Wireless Controllers + one 360 USB adapter = my portable rig for SportsFriends/Towerfall/etc.

Add in an HDMI cable (and mini DisplayPort adapter) and you can hook into a TV for better couch multiplayer viewing.

Had a blast playing Starwhal while standing in line for PAX panels.

I love my Surface; it's my main PC but it's small enough I can casually take it anywhere like a tablet.

commish · Feb 10, 2015

rbenchley said:
As long as it's fine for Steam Streaming, I would be satisfied. I've been trying to decide between a Surface Pro 3 and a Thinkpad X1 Carbon for my next laptop. Playing Darkest Dungeon on it would probably be pretty sweet.

Worked fine for me. It does pretty well for gaming overall, relatively speaking.

GifGafIsTheBestGaf · Feb 10, 2015

i almost had the opportunity to get a SP3 as a gift last year, but looking at that graph in the OP im in luck because the second biggest reason was to play dota2 on the go

tookhster · Feb 10, 2015

I use an i5 Surface Pro 3 for college, and it's a life changer. And I have owned and used both a MacBook and regular windows laptop. The ability to write notes on powerpoint slides, worksheets, and all that with the stylus has made my hardest classes so much easier. I do most of my PC gaming on my PC, but stuff like Dota and LoL runs fine whenever I'm bored.

That said, I'm not sure about the i3. So you'll have to get feedback from someone who has one. However, if you're willing to sacrifice your light gaming needs, or somehow find a way to afford the i5 version, I STRONGLY recommend getting a SP3 for college over any other laptop if you're going to get one around that price range. I truly believe OneNote is the sole reason why I have a great GPA right now.

gatisimo · Feb 10, 2015

Also, I use my Pro 2 for note taking at work. If we're in a conference room, I open it up and use the keyboard. I can also immediately swing it back and take notes with the pen (I bought a Bamboo Feel, don't use the regular stylus). Rather than using hand-written notes, I primarily use the handwriting recognition keyboard and "write" my notes out like that.

If I need to include an image, screenshot or what have you, I drop it in and can write over that as well. I've had it for over a year now and it's been a game-changer.

Chezzymann · Feb 10, 2015

The i3 is fine for indie games like shovel knight, fez, guacamelee, and basic 3D games like Minecraft, Portal, and Team Fortress 2, but if you want to play anything modern at anything above low settings then you shouldn't get it. Luckily I'm mostly into the games I just listed so its not a problem for me.

kubus · Feb 10, 2015

Anyone with a Surface Pro played Life is Strange on it? I'm curious about the performance as I have the PS4 season pass but will be in Japan when all the remaining episodes are released. Might get the Steam season pass then.

Btw OP in my country (Netherlands) Microsoft gives a hefty discount on the Surface Pro and accessories in their own online store if you're a student. Perhaps they have the same promotion in your region?

LowSignal · Feb 10, 2015

I want a surface pro but I'll wait a little longer to see what is coming.

PensOwl · Feb 10, 2015

OP if you're going to be using your Surface for ebooks, reading pdfs, scientific journals, or even comics I would highly recommend the Surface Pro 3 for the superior aspect ratio. The SP2 is awkward to hold portrait and results in documents that are too small with annoying black bars on the top and bottom.

jblank83 · Feb 10, 2015

LowSignal said:
I want a surface pro but I'll wait a little longer to see what is coming.

I'd definitely wait to see what the Surface Pro 4 offers. The reason I held off of a Surface Pro 3 purchase is that the CPU/GPU upgrade was minimal while the cost was high.

Hopefully SP4 brings a true generational upgrade in terms of processing capability, as well as larger screen sizes.

Noobcraft · Feb 10, 2015

I seriously wish I could afford a SP3 on my college student budget. Keeping up with my professors in my human anatomy/genetics and molecular biology classes this semester is a nightmare. I'm going through 2 pages of notebook paper (front and back) per lecture.

PeterVenkman · Feb 10, 2015

Played Darkest Dungeon on mine recently. It is one pen gesture away from being completely playable with just the pen. I need to add the escape button tons flick, then it will be perfect. Surface Pro 2 btw

Poodlestrike · Feb 10, 2015

I'd recommend waiting to see what the SP4 offers, or else jump on a 2. The 3 isn't really enough of an upgrade to justify the price difference.

Trogdor1123 · Feb 10, 2015

I prefer the i3 units to the i5 ones, they are just so much quieter.

BabyFaceKillah · Feb 10, 2015

my friend uses his pro 2 to play games all the time

he runs DayZ,Skyrim, and a few others just fine

Izuna · Feb 10, 2015

There is a way to get the Surface Pro 3 to fun faster, but you gotta put a fan or something on it lmao.

I think they wanted the same software across the board and the i7 model actually overheated. It's a shame but meh, that aspect ratio isn't great for gaming anyway.

My SO is close to getting an SP3 but I want to see if they announce a 4th model.

jblank83 · Feb 10, 2015

Noobcraft said:
I seriously wish I could afford a SP3 on my college student budget. Keeping up with my professors in my human anatomy/genetics and molecular biology classes this semester is a nightmare. I'm going through 2 pages of notebook paper (front and back) in a 50 minute lecture.

I'm in medical school. The pace just gets tougher, more information and faster flow.

There are better ways to take notes. One is to print out the slides (assuming your professors provide PPT slides of their presentations) and make small notes on each slide. Another is to take only essential notes, listen to the points they stress, not try to write down everything. Transcribing what the professor says word for word is a waste of time. Another is the Cornell method of note taking:

http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.html

Unicorn · Feb 10, 2015

izunadono said:
There is a way to get the Surface Pro 3 to fun faster, but you gotta put a fan or something on it lmao.

I think they wanted the same software across the board and the i7 model actually overheated. It's a shame but meh, that aspect ratio isn't great for gaming anyway.

Oh yeah! That was the true deciding factor for me to get the SP2.

SerTapTap · Feb 10, 2015

Poodlestrike said:
I'd recommend waiting to see what the SP4 offers, or else jump on a 2. The 3 isn't really enough of an upgrade to justify the price difference.

The differences are primarily ergonomics and not performance. The screen, stand, typecover, thinness, weight, pen, all fantastic. It is not a device to compare by processor, storage or memory specs.

izunadono said:
My SO is close to getting an SP3 but I want to see if they announce a 4th model.

I'm almost certain there will be yearly upgrades, and probably one to launch along with Windows 10 this year

bomblord1 · Feb 10, 2015

jres80 said:
If you want to take notes with a Surface Pro you'll be buying a bluetooth keyboard, which makes it just as bulky and awkward to take notes. Unless you plan on hand writing all your notes, at which point it's easier to just use paper. Size difference between the two is minimal, assuming a 13-15 inch laptop screen.

Laptop just sits on an arm rest in an auditorium chair or on a desk.

As for gaming, a Surface Pro is good for light gaming and not much else. I ran FRAPs to confirm framerates on mine. It struggled to reach even 20 fps in Dead State, and that at 720p resolution with settings at minimum. It struggled to maintain 20 fps in Enslaved Odyssey to the West at 720p and minimum settings. It plays Hearthstone at 720p and medium settings with frame drops during large particle effects. It plays most indie 2d games just fine. I wouldn't expect it to play anything modern or anything in the future at an acceptable frame rate.

I want to take notes with a pen. I remember things way more easily if I write it vs typing it. I also hate carrying paper and a pencil it's just a thing.

kubus said:
Anyone with a Surface Pro played Life is Strange on it? I'm curious about the performance as I have the PS4 season pass but will be in Japan when all the remaining episodes are released. Might get the Steam season pass then.

Btw OP in my country (Netherlands) Microsoft gives a hefty discount on the Surface Pro and accessories in their own online store if you're a student. Perhaps they have the same promotion in your region?

10% discount I can get the i3 version for $720 which is the same price as the i5 pro 2. I really like the screen size and aspect ratio of the 3 though.

Havik · Feb 10, 2015

Are the SP 2 and 3 getting windows 10 support?

plainr_ · Feb 10, 2015

Trogdor1123 said:
I prefer the i3 units to the i5 ones, they are just so much quieter.

I wish they came with a bit bigger storage.

commish · Feb 10, 2015

izunadono said:
There is a way to get the Surface Pro 3 to fun faster, but you gotta put a fan or something on it lmao.

I think they wanted the same software across the board and the i7 model actually overheated. It's a shame but meh, that aspect ratio isn't great for gaming anyway.

My SO is close to getting an SP3 but I want to see if they announce a 4th model.

A 4th model is definitely coming - Sp3 was a pretty big success. If I was buying now and gaming was a concern, I'd buy an SP2 or wait for the 4th gen in a few months. SP3, while a better machine than the SP2 in many ways, is inferior when it comes to gaming and costs quite a bit more.

Trogdor1123 · Feb 10, 2015

plainr_ said:
I wish they came with a bit bigger storage.

100% agreed

Noobcraft · Feb 10, 2015

jres80 said:
I'm in medical school. The pace just gets tougher.

There are better ways to take notes. One is to print out the slides (assuming your professors provide PPT slides of their presentations) and make small notes on each slide. Another is to take only essential notes, listen to the points they stress, not try to write down everything. Transcribing what the professor says word for word is a waste of time. Another is the Cornell method of note taking:

http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.html

My anatomy teacher does share his PowerPoints (and there's the cadaver lab which is plenty memorable in it's own right lol. The Brachial Plexus is fun to work around), but my genetics teacher does all his work on the board in several colors, and his exams are all open book open note take home exams (they take approximately 10-15 hours a piece). I'm doing well in both courses actually but the pace is pretty fast.

jblank83 · Feb 10, 2015

Noobcraft said:
My anatomy teacher does share his PowerPoints (and there's the cadaver lab which is plenty memorable in it's own right lol. The Brachial Plexus is fun to work around), but my genetics teacher does all his work on the board in several colors, and his exams are all open book open note take home exams (they take approximately 10-15 hours a piece). I'm doing well in both courses actually but the pace is pretty fast.

10-15 hours?

What a dork.

Unicorn · Feb 10, 2015

Havik said:
Are the SP 2 and 3 getting windows 10 support?

I wouldn't see why not since they run the full Windows 8 versus a tablet variation like the non-Pro versions (RT?)

Windows 8 users get free 10 upgrade (I think some have already opted for the beta on SP's, even).

vesvci · Feb 10, 2015

jres80 said:
If you want to take notes with a Surface Pro you'll be buying a bluetooth keyboard, which makes it just as bulky and awkward to take notes. Unless you plan on hand writing all your notes, at which point it's easier to just use paper. Size difference between the two is minimal, assuming a 13-15 inch laptop screen.

Laptop just sits on an arm rest in an auditorium chair or on a desk.

So true.

I was actually looking for a portable tablet/laptop over the weekend, and I considered the SP3 or a rMBP 13. I didn't find anything special about the SP3 after playing with it. The note taking with the pen seems like a great idea on paper, but I don't think it would be practical for me in real life. It's hard to beat the good ol' keyboard.

And man, I didn't realize SP3s were pricey. I guess MS prices it like a laptop/table hybrid...unrealistic, really.

Ended up with this puppy:

Less expensive than a similarly spec'd (i5, 16/256GB) SP3, and more practical. Now I just gotta try some light gaming on it.

ClayKavalier · Feb 10, 2015

jres80 said:
Unless you plan on hand writing all your notes, at which point it's easier to just use paper.

I disagree, I just got a Surface to use for school and I love writing notes on the screen. I can just carry the Surface around instead of a notebook for each class, I can write notes on top of PowerPoint slides without printing them, I can quickly Google graphs the professor uses and send them into my notes... And later I can have OneNote and Word displayed side-by-side if I want to type my notes up or consult them while writing a paper.

If you like to type notes I agree, the Surface is a bad buy, but I love it for handwritten notes.

As for the OP, it's OK for games. Anything from around PS2/ Xbox era will run fine, PS3/ 360 gen may run on lower settings. Valkryia Chronicles run fine on my i5. Xcom runs well but the fan really get goings when playing.

Games that use the touch screen are amazing. The entire time I had an iPad I wished EA would port a proper Civ with touch controls, and Civ 5 on the Pro is exactly what I wanted.

vesvci said:
I guess MS prices it like a laptop/table hybrid...unrealistic, really.

Is that not exactly what it is?

Noobcraft · Feb 10, 2015

jres80 said:
10-15 hours?

What a dork.

He gives us a week to do them, but yeah they take about 10-15 hours a piece.

midasmulligan · Feb 10, 2015

doowrah said:
I'd love to hear how capable one is for something like Hearthstone or Binding of Isaac

Wonderful for both. I have a surface pro 2 and actively play eu4, fm15, and scrolls without issue. I would say the worst part is that it gets heavy to hold in one hand. Aside from that, I think it was an excellent purchase.

Iced_Eagle · Feb 10, 2015

Havik said:
Are the SP 2 and 3 getting windows 10 support?

Of course. They're just regular Windows PC's after all. I have Win 10 preview on my SP2 now and it runs great.

doowrah said:
I'd love to hear how capable one is for something like Hearthstone or Binding of Isaac

Haven't tried Binding of Isaac, but Hearthstone works great. It has touchscreen support, so it controls just like the iPad version.

Civ V is another great one, which also has touchscreen support. If you reach super end game, it will occasionally drop frames with tons of AI to calculate and render, but overall it's great.

KnockOneOff · Feb 10, 2015

I have the pro surface 3, it's pretty good obviously won't run the latest AAA games, but emulation games and last gen games seem to work spot on

South Park stick of truth was the first game I tried and that works perfect

If you look at prosurfacegamer on YouTube he shows how quite a lot of games run on the surface and also how to tweak it for best performance!

One side tip if you get one though, don't treat the power like an iPad, unless you hit that standby button on the top your battery will be gone

or mine does anyway

doowrah · Feb 10, 2015

jres80 said:
On the subject of what it does well, it plays Hearthstone at 720p and medium settings with frame drops during large particle effects. It plays most indie 2d games just fine. I wouldn't expect it to play intense 3d games or anything in the future at acceptable frame rates.

They play fine. Hearthstone plays well with a pen due to the wacom mesh underneath the screen. It also plays decently with mobile style touch controls, though I find them more fiddly and clunky, less accurate.

I've heard heat is an issue with hearthstone though.

Also, I love the idea of playing with a stylus. Will make me look like I'm being more productive in class

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