Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on June 23, 2014 3:55 AM ESTDisplay Analysis
I published an analysis of Surface Pro 3's display shortly after receiving my review unit. For those of who you haven't seen it already, the results and analysis are reprinted below.
With Surface Pro 3, Microsoft finally accepts that while 16:9 may be a great aspect ratio for watching movies but it's not optimal for a multi-purpose tablet. The tablet features a 12" 2160 x 1440 display (RGB stripe, not RGBW/PenTile), which ends up being a 3:2 aspect ratio. The difference is immediately noticeable in notebook-style use. While the Surface Pro 2 was never quite all that comfortable to use as a laptop, Surface Pro 3's display makes it substantially more laptop-like. There doesn't appear to be a big impact to tablet use either with the larger display. Particularly with Windows 8.1's split screen mode, the larger display ends up working extremely well. The LCD continues to be laminated to the cover glass just like with previous Surfaces.
Default 150% Scaling on Surface Pro 3, the 2160 x 1440 display behaves like a HiDPI 1440 x 900 display
Color accuracy is improved out of the box as well. The original Surface Pro had a display capable of being quite accurate, if calibrated, but out of the box it was a bit of a mess. Microsoft slowly improved out of box calibration over the years, eventually culminating in what we have today with Surface Pro 3.
Max brightness drops a bit compared to Surface Pro 2, likely due to the Pro 3 having 50% more pixels to light. Black levels at max brightness are pretty good, thanks in part to Microsoft's optically bonded LCD/cover glass stack. Contrast ratio remains competitive with previous designs.
Grayscale accuracy is the biggest issue with the new display, green levels are just way too high:
Our basic sRGB gamut test paints a great picture for Surface Pro 3. Full saturation color reproduction is excellent:
The saturation sweep also looks solid:
Unfortunately Surface Pro 3 doesn't do so well on our GMB color checker test. Part of the problem is its performance in the grayscale swatches included in this test:
Overall the Surface Pro 3 display is a huge improvement over the previous two generations, but it doesn't quite meet the high standards set by some of the other competitors on the market today from both notebook and tablet spaces.
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jeffkibuule - Monday, June 23, 2014 - link
30% lower power consumption, 30-40% increase in GPU performance.Morawka - Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - link
It will have either or, not both. It will either use 30% less power at the same performance (GPU included) or use the same power with a 30% increase in performance. You cant have both unless there is a new architecture, and broadwell is simply a haswell shrink.Sure they can take the power savings and add more GPU EU's but that's gonna negate the power savings.
Laxaa - Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - link
Skylake is after Broadwell, right? Maybe wait for that one?I am lookin into buying a new laptop next year, and as a graphic designer, the Surface Pro 3 looks appealing because of the pen. CPU performance seems fine for my needs, but I want lower power consumption and a better GPU(If I had to choose I'd take a better GPU) The size looks fine, and I'm not sure if I'd like it to be tinner. 9.1 mm is still pretty thin.
mkozakewich - Monday, June 30, 2014 - link
I've found that putting everything on low-power mode is still usable, but gives me an extra hour or two of battery life (on the original Surface Pro, even). Everything should be fluid enough for you with the latest one.Just make sure that issue with the edges of the screen is gone, with the move to NTrig.
Krysto - Monday, June 23, 2014 - link
Not the best laptop, not the best tablet. I think that pretty much sums up Surface in general. It's an all-compromise device.eddman - Monday, June 23, 2014 - link
You lug your laptop AND tablet around while those who are tired of it or don't have the means to do so, take an SP3.Is it really that hard to see what and who a surface pro is meant for?
name99 - Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - link
This argument only works if you're frequently in the position of having to carry both.A far more common situation is, for example, you take your laptop to school/work and use it to do laptoppy things well, an you use your table at home to do tabletty things well.
Sure if you are, for example, a journalist or traveling salesman you may be in the position of wanting to carry tablet and laptop functionality with you, and S Pro may make sense. But I think the journalist point of view (for obvious reasons) gets rather more attention on the internet than is warranted by the relevant fraction of people with these sorts of requirements.
PaulC543 - Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - link
No, the argument doesn't -only- work as you outlined, there's any number of reasons one might prefer a single device.I don't travel much, but when I do, I need a system capable of making revisions to work if need be. I have no need for the amount of text entry that would make a traditional laptop more attractive, so a tablet that could run my desktop programs was ideal. I can use it around the house for tabletty things, dock it and use it for real work, and take it when traveling to do both tabletty and work tasks.
People really need to accept that there are other use scenarios than their own. It really seems to be a mental block for the people who don't get the value of the Surface. I'm not saying the audience who do get the Surface is huge, it's clearly not, but it seems to be big enough to support Microsoft's continued development of the device, and that's all that really matters.
I don't comment on and criticize server products, because I have neither the knowledge, need or interest in the hardware that serves the market. I really wish people who don't have the knowledge, need or interest in the market the Surface serves would kindly refrain from criticizing since it's almost entirely baseless and/or misplaced.
gken8 - Tuesday, July 1, 2014 - link
let me shed light on this, the legal profession loves this tablet.ymcpa - Tuesday, June 24, 2014 - link
There is also the position where you might carry only one device but frequently find that you wish you had another device with you. For example, you might be using a laptop for work but when you go on a break, you wish you had a tablet with you to do some browsing or to watch a video. Or you are on vacation with your tablet but you get a call from work asking for some info and you wish you had your laptop with you.