The Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) Review: Evolution
by Brett Howse on June 15, 2017 9:00 AM ESTThe Microsoft Surface Pro has undeniably carved out a new segment in the PC space. But what was once a powerful, but heavy, thick, and unwieldly tablet when it was first launched, has become a thin, light, and even more powerful tablet in the following years. It was really the launch of the Surface Pro 3 that finally changed Microsoft’s fortunes in the hardware game. This was the first Surface Pro that was able to bring the weight and thickness into check, and the 3:2 aspect ratio screen was a revelation in this product category where 16:9 or 16:10 displays were really all that was offered in the Windows world.
In October 2015, Microsoft launched the refreshed Surface Pro 4 which was a bigger improvement than you would have guessed. The overall dimensions and look of the tablet were similar to the Pro 3, but the display was a big step forward, offering 267 pixels per inch, and outstanding color reproduction. The new keyboard launched with the Surface Pro 4 was really one of the biggest highlights though, offering an edge to edge keyboard with island keys, and a far more useable trackpad as well.
Now approaching the summer of 2017, it’s been a while since the Surface Pro 4 launched, but its successor has finally come to market: the Microsoft Surface Pro (2017). Yes, Microsoft has dropped the numbering system – and this is probably the the most appropriate time to do it, I feel – but far more important than whatever name Microsoft picks is the hardware. Although on the outside it may seem to be a small refresh, Microsoft has over 800 new custom parts inside, improving their flagship 2-in-1 device in several key areas.
The Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book were the first devices launched with Intel’s Skylake-U series processors, and Microsoft had to work overtime to sort out some power management issues with the then-new Skylake platform and Modern Standby. So it’s perhaps not that surprising to see them sit out the initial launch of Kaby Lake until they could ensure they had all the bugs worked out.
But with the launch of the Surface Pro this year, they’ve now moved onto the latest Intel CPUs, which offer both improved performance and thermals. Microsoft has not made any other dramatic changes for processing though, and the Surface Pro keeps the same CPU lineup as the outgoing model, but with 7th generation replacing 6th generation. That means there is a Core m3-7Y30 4.5 W CPU in the base model, a Core i5-7300U in the mid-range, and a Core i7-7660U in the top end. However Microsoft has also extended the passive cooling configuration to the Core i5 as well. This change comes thanks to some important improvements in the cooling system, which we’ll take a look at in a bit.
Microsoft Surface Pro | |||||
Model Tested: Core i7-7660U, 16GB, 512GB, $2199 | |||||
Processor | Intel Core m3-7Y30 (2C/4T, 1.0-2.6GHz, 4MB L3, 14nm, 4.5w) Intel Core i5-7300U (2C/4T, 2.6-3.5GHz, 3MB L3, 14nm, 15w) Intel Core i7-7660U (2C/4T, 2.5-4.0GHz, 4MB L3, 14nm, 15w) |
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Memory | 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB Dual-Channel | ||||
Graphics | Intel Core m3-7Y30 Intel HD 615 (24 EUs, 300-900 MHz) Intel Core i5-7300U Intel HD Graphics 620 (24 EUs, 300-1100 MHz) Intel Core i7-7660U Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 (48 EUs, 64 MB eDRAM, 300-1100 MHz) |
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Display | 12.3" 2736x1824 3:2 PixelSense LG Display, Touch and Pen support 100% sRGB color + enhanced color, individually calibrated panels |
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Storage | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB PCIe NVMe PM971 | ||||
Networking | 802.11ac, 2x2:2, 866Mpbs Max, 2.4 and 5GHz Bluetooth 4.1 Marvell AVASTAR |
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Audio | Stereo Speakers (front facing) Dolby Audio Premium |
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Battery | 45 Wh, 45 W AC Adapter with USB charging port | ||||
Right Side | USB 3.0 Mini DisplayPort 1.2 Surface Connect Port (charging and docking) |
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Left Side | Headset Jack | ||||
Power Button Volume Rocker |
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Keyboard Connector | |||||
Dimensions | 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm (11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches) | ||||
Weight | Core m3: 766 grams (1.69 lbs) Core i5/i7: 786 grams (1.73 lbs) |
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Cameras | Rear: 8.0 MP auto-focus Front: 5.0 MP auto-focus and Windows Hello support |
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Extras | Surface Pen and Dial (sold separately) Surface Dock - 2 x mDP 1.2, 4 x USB 3.0, 1 x Gigabit (sold separately) micro SD card slot TPM 2.0 |
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Pricing | 128 GB Intel Core m3 with 4GB of RAM: $799 128 GB Intel Core i5 with 4GB of RAM: $999 256 GB Intel Core i5 with 8GB of RAM: $1299 256 GB Intel Core i7 with 8GB of RAM: $1599 512 GB Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM: $2199 1 TB Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM: $2699 |
The new Surface Pro is certainly evolution rather than revolution, but considering the success Microsoft has seen with the Pro, it’s hard to argue with the company's choice. In fact, despite the older generation CPU, it wouldn't be a stretch to state that the Surface Pro 4 was still the top of its category, with the best display, good battery life, and great performance. The new Surface Pro makes more subtle improvements, keeping many of the successful attributes of the outgoing model.
One of the features that many will be happy to see is that Microsoft will finally be offering a 4G LTE model as well, although it won’t be available for a couple of months. It’s one of the requests they’ve had from many of their customers, so it’s great to see it as an option.
Accessories have been one of Microsoft’s strongest suits, especially with the keyboard and pen that launched with the Surface Pro 4. Both the keyboard and pen have seen continuous improvement, and once again, Microsoft has released new versions as well. The flip side to that however is that the one accessory that was included with previous Surface Pros, the Surface Pen, is no longer included. This is a process that started with the Surface Pro 4 – where Microsoft introduced some mid-cycle SKUs that dropped the pen for a lower cost – and has now been extended to the entire lineup.
Overall it's tough to make massive changes when you already have one of the most successful products in a category, but we’ll dig into the changes that are here and see how the latest Surface Pro stacks up both against the competition, as well as the outgoing model.
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North01 - Thursday, June 15, 2017 - link
Great review! Hopefully you can also review the i5 model, or at least comment on the performance of their new fanless design. While I've been hearing positive things, I would really like to know how it throttles when dealing with a heavy workload.id4andrei - Thursday, June 15, 2017 - link
Only the Verge so far has received an i5 model and according to the reviewer it supposedly gets better battery life. The i7 allegedly suffers a 20% drop in battery life.ryan.bunce - Thursday, June 15, 2017 - link
The previous Surface Pros were unable to drive dual 4K screens at 60Hz. Did you happen to test the new one with two 4K screens?MattMe - Thursday, June 15, 2017 - link
This I did not know. Do you mean with the external Surface (4) dock?I'm sure I'd seen shots of people doing that. I've very sure I've seen it with the Surface Book, and that uses the same CPU SKUs at the Pro 4.
ryan.bunce - Thursday, June 15, 2017 - link
Yes with the dock, but also if you daisy chain the monitors together. Here's a couple of articles from folks who've noted it:http://tiamat.tsotech.com/surface-book-incapable-o...
https://www.petri.com/run-two-4k-monitors-surface
Brett Howse - Thursday, June 15, 2017 - link
This is a limitation of the Intel GPU. It only provides DisplayPort 1.2 streams, so you can only connect one UHD/60Hz display per stream. There are two though, since you can connect one on the dock, and one on the device itself, so you can run 2 UHD/60Hz but the cabling is a bit silly.ryan.bunce - Friday, June 16, 2017 - link
So must be the two port on the SP4 Dock are just daisy chained on the same channel. Makes sense - all the more reason why a thunderbolt port on the SP would be great.soliloquist - Thursday, June 15, 2017 - link
I always wanted to see a detailed thermal/throttling test between the i5 and the i7 on the SP4 and would be even more interesting with the 2017 SP (since the i5 is fanless).Really wish you would have run the thermal test a little longer. In your original SP4 tests you really didn't see the thermal limits reached until around 25 mins (which is when you stopped testing this time).
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9727/the-microsoft-s...
From this article you say "The Iris does allow a lot more graphics potential, but for longer duration requirements, it may not offer much of an upgrade."
This is what I would really like to see examined. Is the extra money for the i7 really worth it, particularly when longer durations are taken into account.
Thanks for the great write up otherwise.
Brett Howse - Thursday, June 15, 2017 - link
I'll run a longer test and let you know how I make out. The temperatures were stable though so it *should* be the same, but I can try this and let you know.soliloquist - Friday, June 16, 2017 - link
Thanks. Will look for it!