Microsoft has quietly added an Intel Core i7-based model to its Surface Pro 3 lineup, boosting the number of models from 5 to 6. The new tablet/laptop features the same 1.7GHz Core i7 processor and 8GB of memory as its bigger brothers, but price has been kept in check by skimping slightly on the storage front.
While older i7 models came with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, the new variant comes with only 128GB of space. And as SSDs remain prohibitively expensive even now, this downgrade – if we may call it that – has also brought the price down to $1,299, which is exactly how much you’d have to play for the Core i5 256GB model. So in that price tier, you now have the choice between a better processor and less storage, or vice versa. However, you move up from Intel’s HD 4400 graphics to HD 5000 graphics, which bumps the number of GPU EUs from 20 to 40. The Core i7 has a lower base frequency at 1.7GHz vs 1.9GHz on the Core i5, but it can turbo up to 3.3GHz which will outperform the Core i5’s 2.9GHz in bursty workloads. Moving to the Core i7 also gets you 4MB of total CPU cache, instead of the 3MB in the Core i5.
It is worth noting that, in addition to the models above, Microsoft still offers a version at $799 with an Intel Core i3-4020Y CPU, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and Intel HD 4200 graphics.
The new model went on sale in Japan first two weeks back and should be available in the US in the coming weeks. And, just to make your buying decision a bit easier – what with the dizzying choice on offer now – here are all the versions of the Surface Pro 3 with their US prices:
- Intel Core i3 — 64GB, 4GB RAM – $799
- Intel Core i5 — 128GB, 4GB RAM – $999
- Intel Core i5 — 256GB, 8GB RAM – $1,299
- Intel Core i7 — 128GB, 8GB RAM – $1,299
- Intel Core i7 — 256GB, 8GB RAM – $1,549
- Intel Core i7 — 512GB, 8GB RAM – $1,999