It's a tablet. 99% of people removing the screen are replacing an already damaged screen. I have a 2018 mbp, a 2020 iPad pro 11/256gb, surface pro 5 i5/256, and surface book i5/256... The surface book is great on a laptop stand and is a workhorse in the office, but my surface pro goes everywhere with me. The iPad I just got because the price was so great, but it's legit only an oversized iphone. I only use it for Facetime and snapchat. The smart keyboard is meh and the pencil is too slippery to write with (compared to the surface pen which gives a more realistic drag). And I'm putting the mbp on eBay. It's legit like stone age... I only have it because it was a present. Yea the specs are nice, but I need touchscreen and stylus capability.
@@apathy11303crazy idea: someone wants to upgrade the storage. Would it have killed them to integrate the storage in an area that could be accessible by unscrewing a portion of the device? Say, under the stand?
I finally decided to purchase a surface and its the best decision ive ever made. I use this for everything. It didnt just replace my macbook and iPad, it also replaced my iMac. I realized the only thing i used my macbook for was playing league, watching videos, and checking mail. I absolutely love this device and recommend it to everyone especially college students, 3 of my friends have already bought one with my recommendation and love it. This product definitely deserves so much more attention than it gets. Its truly amazing. I play league on it, take my notes, i can watch a lecture and take notes on the side with split screen. I can watch netflix while doing an assignment and the list goes on and on. I love this thing, i rarely do reviews but the surface really deserves one and ill post it on all surface vids i can because this truly deserves more praise than it gets. If you want more than a pretty aluminum toy, get a surface. As an apple user for the last 10 years, you've truly caught my attention Microsoft.
I read your comment and then i see your video 'Why You SHOULDN'T Buy a Surface Pro 3: Surface NO 3'. I'm a bit confused now. Are you happy with your Surface Pro or not ?
Quick tip to whoever is watching this vid to repair his own surface.. To remove the screen without cracking it keep (or install one if you don't have one already) the screen protector on it.. It supports the glass making it tougher and less prone to bending to a break.. Also use thin plastic cards (like plastic playing cards) .. not ones like credit cards or metal plyers like in the video as those would put much stress on the glass because their small size concentrates the force on a small area, their material is rigid and isn't forgiving and the large heavy metal handle pivoting on the edge of the case creates a force on the glass that's gonna break eventually.. So using such tools is basically a formula for failure and it would be surprising not to fail.. Anyway heat and patience are your best friends.. Don't lose patience mid-process and ruin everything even if you're goind 1cm per hour.. You can always leave and come back later to it when you're relaxed.. It's better than ruining the poor thing.. Also don't pry it will stress the glass and eventually break it. . Instead try to steadily and slowly slice the adhesive underneath the screen with the thin plastic cards i described earlier.. And lastly, dont start at a corner.. It's best to start at the bottom where the keyboard connectors are.. It really depends on the technique but it's the least place to cause stress on the glass.. And finally.. Wish you good luck.
Nice video, I was just looking into how tearable it is in the event that I have to replace thermal paste (fan is on full blast even while idling). One tip I would recommend is getting the thinnest guitar picks you can find. I use .50mm picks myself, since they're the easiest to snake under the glass, followed by some thicker 1.0mm to keep the glass from re-sticking to the case and giving it some extra leverage as you're working your way around. Just some food for thought, since I hate risking breaking anything that shatters like that.
A valiant attempt....but why? This is the best example of high-power tablet engineering, production-line efficiency and truly the only way you'll get a Core i5 U-series processor into this, the smallest casing ever seen with this level of processing power.
Thank you for publishing this video. I have a faulty Surface Pro 4 where the battery started to blow up just right after the warranty run out. Microsoft Support dismissed the problem and did't gave my any help, but was passing the problem from one to another table. So eventually I have to solve the problem myself by buying a battery and replace it myself. This behavior is really unintelligible for me, as a battery that blows up is not just a convenience problem, it is an actual safety risk and should be attended by Microsoft instantly and without further questions... I would never spend again $1'000+ in a Microsoft Hardware product and definitely do not advise to buy a Surface.
Great Video guys very good repair. Like a service repair technician I can suggest you using a plastic sludger or a credit card ,so that way will be harder to damage the glass screen panel. All the best and thanks again for that video! You are great! :)
Came here to say use plastic rather than metal tools for prying glass off. Metal more likely to break glass. Great video called "Microsoft Surface 1796 Easy Screen Removal Part 1" 💪
It depends on which Surface Pro 3 you have, it seems. Many of the repair videos I have seen state that there are screws underneath the feet that need to be removed which removes the display and under is the SSD slot. There's no heating needed to remove the display
Ouch! 😢 I love my pro 3 still, and despite having other, newer computers around I still like some features. I need to deep clean or replace the cooling fan and now I'm a little scared of the proposition. The fan is a little loud nowadays, and makes awful noises when I move the computer 😬. The air intake is easy to find, but there is no direct access to blow air backward through the system
I used to have an alienware m15x for everything, gaming, note taking, school work, music, and netflix. I then sold my alienware and used the money I got from it, and a little help from my graduation gift money, purchased a Surface Pro 3 and built my own gaming desktop. Best decision I ever made. My desktop is great for stay at home gaming, and even taking to LAN parties, although I did purchase Gear Grip to help transport it, and the surface pro 3 is great for school. Due note it is a school/work machine, it will handle games that don't take a whole lot to run, but for hardcore FPS action I would not recommend it. It does run Civ 5 beautifully though. Point I am trying to make is the Desktop/Pro3 combo is an amazing combination to use and works well for just about everything.
Really? I tried a few games and they did ok, but I always try to run them at native res, because I hate low res gaming it really messes with me, or maybe I'm used to the 780 ti in my desktop so anything less feels really bad
not in the surface, they are running a dual core i5, still 64bit but it is dual core. It took me a while to realize this too, but after installing linux to a separate partition and trying to dehash some passwords using brute force seeing it take longer than expected I investigated and my surface only has dual core but it is for sure an i5
***** ah, thanks for the tip. Its hard to keep all the different models of intel chip straight. As cool as the SP3 is, with the price, the dual core thing makes the choice that much harder between Note Pro 12.2 and this thing. Hmmmm.
Question: Now that you got the glass/screen off successfully how to you put it back together? Regarding to the "glue". Do you reheat it and the glue will then re bond or do you need to get/buy a particular type of adhesive to glue it back together?
If you want to have a device that you can service, don't buy a superthin, light-weight device that is sealed. Also, I think the batteries in this will last 3 years easy. There are people still running iPad 1s and 2s and they still work just fine.
I am a Surface Pro 3 user and love it to an extent. However, for MSFT not to offer an available 5 or 3 year replacement warranty with no question asked make it hard for me to recommend. I completely agree with this awesome review!!!
Thanks, Bill. Great vid! Kudos for the advice for Microsoft in the conclusion whilst referencing logical comparisons and not getting too emotional about this issue as some people do. I really like slim devices though I hope they can make it a little more simplified in future too.
Microsoft made the Surface Pro 3 so difficult to service, that they refuse to do it themselves. if you send yours in for repair, what you get back is a new one, at a premium if your warranty is expired. I'm replacing the battery in mine myself, since their only answer was to buy a new one full-price. I do appreciate the extremely helpful customer service technician who dedicated 2 days of remote diagnostics to determine the actual problem with it. He also shared a link to instructions to complete the job, as well as pointing out where to get the specialty tools and replacement battery.
looks like something that could be solved by 3d printing a suction and heating setup, I'd imagine that after rendering a few videos the screen is very close to being able to be detached under a uniform vacuum.
+GreningerProductions The heat would be enough yes, but that fan is powerful and the cpu is top right from viewing position. so only that tiny proportion of the screen would be loose enough to start pulling. you deffinatly need a seperate heat source, I wouldnt reccomend removing the screen of a fully powerd up and frame crunching device either :D
Your device is actually half the size of what you see. The OS and whats saved within it is the board and the SSD. Which only takes 1 quarter of the device's shell. The space hoger is the battery. You say how small the Surface Pro 3's board is right.
Apple, Microsoft, Samsung they are all the same, they literally make it extremely difficult so you use their repair service instead of going to mom and pop stores to get your stuff repaired....
+MrViral20 You have to take form factor into consideration, I can't really imagine a tablet/slate which is both easy to open and still maintains a slimline form factor.
I could try to explain things to you, but you're obviously a moron. so I'll try to make it very simple. if you want an easily serviceable device, DON'T BUY A TABLET!
Tablets as well as Hybrids are modular in design and are not purpose built for home repair. That is what helps to keep costs down in manufacturing phase. Laptops are semi-modular which means they may include proprietary parts and are designed with functionality in mind. Desktops are non-modular/manufactured which means they are purpose built for future proofing/upgradability/functionality in mind. Some desktops (Apple) do have some modular design concepts included, but that isn't a detractor to productivity and repair. The comparison of a modular device to a semi-modular device is NOT a fair comparison. Comparing the Surface Pro 3 to an iPad or similarly styled tablet/hybrid is far more farer. This review seems subjectively based on the comparison to a semi-modular device and I expect more from an educated "expert."
I read in the comments that all homes should have a home repair infrastructure for electronic devices. That is a unreasonable and unrealistic viewpoint. The average consumer want to use products, not repair. Most people have not the time, technical skill or ability to do at home repairs. This device is marketed at mobile professionals for content creation and light consumption which includes people that are looking for modular designs. That is why Microsoft offers warranty programs. The money you will spend doing the self-repair will be equal to or cost more than paying for the warranty, acquiring the skills to repair yourself, or paying someone else to repair it. You don't buy modular devices with the intent of self-repair. This is why the comments the engineer makes in the video are baseless.
Apple has been known for non-upgradable devices for decades, so its fair that an iPad can’t be upgraded, but anything that runs Windows has been upgradable for decades, so why is Microsoft changing their ways now? They want to be like Apple. Apple does tablets and phones better. Microsoft does desktops and laptops better with the help of Dell and HP. Why pay more for a non-upgradable device? Hard drives were meant to be replaced.
I've fixed many tablets and tablet like devices. Most of them have a stick down screen, especially Apple devices. what I have determined, most anything with a digitizer gets stuck down with glue until you get to large hardware like all-in-one desktops. It's nice to be able to service the device, that microSATA SSD can be replaced with larger ones, they even sell them on Amazon.
don't really need fast reads for file dumps like videos and flac tracks and pictures, the 256 or 512 ssd is imo enough for the OS+programs+most used media files.
I'm building a custom PC, how can I use the SP3 SSD on my motherboard ?? Does it fit straight in a sata port or an M.2 port ? I was so proud of my surface pro 3. I would recommend it to everyone for almost 4 years UNTIL it died the other day for no apparent reason, it was showing absolutely no weakness. Now I feel I'll never buy from Microsoft again, especially when you know they make it next to impossible to fix. At least I'm glad it lasted 4 years, for some of us this kind of breakdown happen right after the warranty is over. I now recommend building a custom pc and using a more affordable tablet/laptop if you can do that.
Dropped my Surface Pro 3 and dented a corner. The screen is not cracked, but it pops up because of the dent, and a dark spot started showing up on the screen a few days later. Going to open it up although I know it will crack my screen, but doing it myself is 40% cheaper than going to Microsoft. Going to upgrade the SSD too, as well as trying to tape up the case's hottest area with thermal insulation tape, and I'm gonna see if I can add another heat pipe onto the CPU cooler and spread the heat out like the Surface Pro 4 does, I see a lot of empty space around the CPU.
Thanks to people like CNET for making this type of informative videos and RUclips so that one make better choices when buy a device. Too bad for Microsoft for making things that later can become a pain in the brain; will certainly choose a different manufacture that offers a better quality product. Thanks CNET.
Sorry - but the argument that because the SP3 is as expensive as a laptop it should be as easy to take apart as a laptop is.. well, weird. Microsoft makes it clear: the SP3 is a tablet that's power enough to be a laptop. It's not a laptop that can be turned into a tablet. Considering that the low end model is around the same price as a similarly equipped iPad Air - which is also a tablet - THAT is what it should be compared to for service, and guess what? The iPad Air also rates poorly for DIY repair - for pretty much the same reasons. Making any tablet this thin is hard to do... and in fact with the exception of the front panel, most of it looks pretty easy to service. The front panel, on the other hand is thin for a reason - this is how Microsoft got rid of the parallax and made writing on the Surface so natural. Basically, I think Microsoft's repair model is 'we eat the screen and just replace it regardless'.
The surface 3 is extremely lightweight, I am considering getting it but I also like repairability. unfortunately that is not something that any suface offers
Great video, I dont know wtf people on here expected from a video called cracking open that are saying "why crack it open?" Good to know if I want to add ram or expand the SSD its damn near impossible.
Great thanks for showing people this review,i do repair tablets in the caribbean and must say that this tab is very smooth & fluent with great specs but must admit that it's fragile body is truly a big let down also takes a lot of patience to fix,great specs comes with great price also if it need repairs so are the price of it parts,if you have one case it up well and enjoy.
Hello, Thanks for the very interesting video. That’s for Service guys very helpful ;-) How did you glue the display again? You removed the MB fast, is there a std. S0 Slot that’s upgradable? I plan to upgrade a I5 with 64GB to 512GB/8GB Kind regards Mike
I 've had my Surface Pro3 i5 4g ram for about 1 years now, i love it but wish i could add more ram to it only because i just want to not because its slow or anything.
Microsoft and Intel worked very closely together to put a full x86 machine in a device that is only a few millimeters thin, if they'd make it repairable, that would probably not be possible
I wouldnt mind if Microsoft made it a big thicker but with a removable back. Which would make sense in case the device overheats. But no, Microsoft has to grow their turnover so it has to be unrepairable and overheat...
All you have to do is watch how regular people react to technology to know why Microsoft made dumb choices like this, because having a thinner laptop is more important to modern consumers than a laptop being good, to cool itself properly or last long on battery alone. They don't care that they are getting a worse end product because of how sleek and pretty their new toy is.
repairable? What exactly would you have to do to the surface to warrant a repair in the first place? It's designed with no moving parts, and a solid form factor.
+Pandan Fan, SSD, battery, all things that can fail over time. The device won't be under warranty forever. That is when the user will have to weigh the cost of repair verses repairing it themselves, or just replacing it with a new device altogether. For a device at this price tag, it is common to take the ability to upgrade or repair into account.
it is 2020 and when my SP3 battery gets to th poing of not holding a charge it will make a great 12 inch digital picture frame. Luckily it is still real good.
I don't think its fair to criticise "disappointed at Microsoft" for not getting it easier to open up. The Air is a completely different thing to the SP3. There is always compromises if you want to make things thinner, sturdier, lighter. If Apple ever make an iPad Pro it will also be hard to open up just like the SP3. The same goes for different types of screws. I design hard ware every day and its not practical to use 1 type of screw for everything. The product end up weighing more, thicker, and you have to make other sacrifices too. All these modern devices are going to cost lots of money to upgrade or fix, you cannot even upgrade newer MacBooks and even to change the hard drive and a quick fan service on my MacBook Pro costs me £75 excluding the hard drive. If you use authorised repairers and such its going to cost but its worth it as its usually guaranteed/insured.
Just as the laptop replaced our desktop PC's, this is a tablet, it's not a laptop and now it's replacing our laptops. When laptops came out, they where (actually are) more difficult to be opened that the desktops, and it is the same here, tablets are actually even more difficult. Why would it be a disadvantage. Besides, there's always the warranty service if something happens to this tablet and it needs to be opened. It is the best tablet BTW, it's beautiful and unique.
so why should microsoft make it super easy to crack open pro 3 ? isnt it made to be used closed i mean how many times are you gonna want to open up thepro 3 to take a look at it ah? i just do not understand this video :/
The SP3 uses a stranded M-sata SSD and as there price comes down you may want to replace it with a bigger one. you may also want to clean the cooling fan or replace the battery.
I've had my Surface Pro 3 since it came out. I use it to watch live streaming video because I don't have a TV in my room. It works perfect for what I need but I fear it is overheating. If it were my laptop or a regular computer I would Crack the Case open and clean the whole cooling assembly and all the related components along with putting new thermal paste in place. Would something like that be recommended for my usage, or should I just look at it trying to clean it out using the old method of canned air and a vacuum cleaner?
All these fan boys back in the day apparently had no heating issues, meanwhile i was on my third surface pro 3 around launch, and I got the i7 model. The over heating is ridiculous and it has pretty much made using it on battery alone unviable as it dies within an hour. Would've been nice if i could have cracked this open and done what Microsoft support seemingly refused to do each time i sent mine back in. Handing people refurbished units DOESN'T CUT IT. Open mine up and find the damn problem. Still salty about that even after all these years because its a great device with fantastic power for its size. Maybe the newer surface pro's got the heating problem fixed.
I see a lot of folks commenting stating that they have opened it up no problem. I have the issue where the battery will not charge and would like to replace it, but most accounts say you cannot do this without the screen cracking (like he did) any suggestions on how you all did this successful?
Thanks, that's awesome, and I too watched it on my surface pro 3. I missed where the hard drive is, I'll have to watch it again. Or is it just an integral chip on the mobo?
Considering how compact it is, I don't see how this should be easy to dissemble in the first place unlike a standard laptop with the screen separate and all the internals underneath the keyboard. This is a laptop crammed into a tablet body
+Robert Perry cooling = better performance. if your that bothered jam a papperclip in it. You'll just end up dealing with a 1GHz CPU instead of the unlocked i series it comes with. I don't believe for one seccond the elite book would come anywhere near the susttained performance of the surface with the fan
Unless your servicing your surface which you shouldn't be you definitely cannot call the surface a bad device I have one I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars
I once had to service a Surface Pro 1 and asked through Support on Microsoft website. Since I had my Surface registered and with warranty, all they did was swap mine with a completely new one, free of charge. I guess there was a bug that kept shutting down the Surface. Since Microsoft swaped me a new substitute, I have had no problem at all. :)
They did this to force you to buy the more expensive models, I got the Pro 3 i5/128gb/4gb and it simply isn't enough RAM. MS didn't want you to be able to increase ram or HD space. iPad's might be easier to open, but you cannot increase RAM more HD space with plug in modules like with the Intel based Pro. So I think they were designing it to be not upgradable like the iOS devices, forcing you to pay a silly huge premium up from for more storage.
I have the i7-CPU 256GB SSD model with 8GB of RAM, and I think the RAM is defective. I contacted Microsoft last year and they wanted a whopping $600 to replace the tablet ($600 for an outdated tablet just sitting in one of their warehouses? No thanks!). I read elsewhere that the memory is "not upgradeable"; is that because it is inaccessible? Although you removed the motherboard, I did not see the RAM in your deconstruction of the tablet. I would greatly appreciate information regarding the Surface Pro 3's RAM specifications-the manufacturer, model/serial number, etc (preferably of the 8GB model). Thanks.
Not surprised at all. If you ever have or seen how to open a Microsoft Zune, you know for a fact they were actually trying to make their products HARDER to open, not easier.
why on earth would you assume or hope that a laptop in a tablet form factor would be easy to open or service? obviously that is a big part of the tradeoff when moving to this extremely slim and portable form factor. i enjoyed seeing your teardown and give you a thumbs up for being able to do so, but assuming or hoping it could be as easy as opening a laptop is simply silly.
It's a pain to open so that you won't be able to easily upgrade from 128GB to 512GB SSD, since Micro$oft makes some serious money on larger storage options (this "idea" stems from Apple though, too bad they didn't patent it).
The reason the SP3 is so hard to repair compared to the MacBooks is because the MacBooks are.. Well.. Laptops. Nobody drops their laptops as much as their tablets. Because, you can't use laptops while standing up, however you can easily use a tablet. And that is the time people drop their tablets, phones etc the most. I remember I've dropped and broken my phones screens more than 5 times, and every time I was standing up and using it. As a Surface is intended to be a tablet as well, you'll probably use it sometime while standing up.. And then drop it accidentally. But all that glue used to hold the components of the SP3 together will save you alot of cash. I bet that a touchscreen as good as the SP3's, costs a lot.
I read somewhere that you can use a milling machine or a dremel with an end mill to cut open the back of the surface pro so you can replace the SSD. Has anyone tried that?
Thank you very much for that Video. It is amazing how you could open the Surface Pro 3! (aside from breaking one first :D ) So thanks again!! You are great!
NOWADAYS COMPANIES ARE MAKING THEM DISPOSABLE TOO HARD FOR UPGRADES AND REPLACEMENTS OF PARTS HARD TO SERVICE, BATTERY INCLUDED DEVICES NEEDS THE BATTERY TO REPLACED AFTER ATLEAST 2 YEARS RAM AND SSD CAN ALSO MALFUNCTION ATLEAST THESE KINDS OF PARTS SHOULD BE EASILY REPLACEABLE OR FOR UPGRADES
2:26 "After detaching its cables and removing a few screws and the motherboard comes out". Couldn't pull the motherboard a tiny bit. All visible screws are out. Don't know what to do.
Not meaning to be sarcastic but hey, I didn't name your channel. Cracking Open. Yes I can see how very apt that name is. You really did crack open a Surface Pro and my guess is other parts were damaged in the process, hence the suspiciously short opening part of the video. You Americans, honestly.
If you are replacing the screen, it's a no-brainer that it doesn't matter whether you'll break it some more when trying to remove it. I can't stress enough. Be REALLY careful around the camera area. In fact, you're better off breaking that section in small glass pieces. If I were you I would use the least amount of glue you can get away with when putting it back together as the SSD and battery can be available on eBay. WEAR EYE PROTECTION!!
When an expert from a device disassembly program is cracking the screen while trying to open the device he sends a clear message: don't do it at home.
It's a tablet. 99% of people removing the screen are replacing an already damaged screen. I have a 2018 mbp, a 2020 iPad pro 11/256gb, surface pro 5 i5/256, and surface book i5/256... The surface book is great on a laptop stand and is a workhorse in the office, but my surface pro goes everywhere with me. The iPad I just got because the price was so great, but it's legit only an oversized iphone. I only use it for Facetime and snapchat. The smart keyboard is meh and the pencil is too slippery to write with (compared to the surface pen which gives a more realistic drag). And I'm putting the mbp on eBay. It's legit like stone age... I only have it because it was a present. Yea the specs are nice, but I need touchscreen and stylus capability.
@@apathy11303crazy idea: someone wants to upgrade the storage. Would it have killed them to integrate the storage in an area that could be accessible by unscrewing a portion of the device? Say, under the stand?
I finally decided to purchase a surface and its the best decision ive ever made. I use this for everything. It didnt just replace my macbook and iPad, it also replaced my iMac. I realized the only thing i used my macbook for was playing league, watching videos, and checking mail. I absolutely love this device and recommend it to everyone especially college students, 3 of my friends have already bought one with my recommendation and love it. This product definitely deserves so much more attention than it gets. Its truly amazing. I play league on it, take my notes, i can watch a lecture and take notes on the side with split screen. I can watch netflix while doing an assignment and the list goes on and on. I love this thing, i rarely do reviews but the surface really deserves one and ill post it on all surface vids i can because this truly deserves more praise than it gets. If you want more than a pretty aluminum toy, get a surface. As an apple user for the last 10 years, you've truly caught my attention Microsoft.
STOP SPAMMING
What processor did you get
I read your comment and then i see your video 'Why You SHOULDN'T Buy a Surface Pro 3: Surface NO 3'. I'm a bit confused now. Are you happy with your Surface Pro or not ?
Paul Verdu interesting...
i agree with you, i'm a second year college student. i use it for everything. i have the i5 , 128 ssd
I am guessing it wasn't designed to be serviced by the user
Quick tip to whoever is watching this vid to repair his own surface.. To remove the screen without cracking it keep (or install one if you don't have one already) the screen protector on it.. It supports the glass making it tougher and less prone to bending to a break.. Also use thin plastic cards (like plastic playing cards) .. not ones like credit cards or metal plyers like in the video as those would put much stress on the glass because their small size concentrates the force on a small area, their material is rigid and isn't forgiving and the large heavy metal handle pivoting on the edge of the case creates a force on the glass that's gonna break eventually.. So using such tools is basically a formula for failure and it would be surprising not to fail..
Anyway heat and patience are your best friends.. Don't lose patience mid-process and ruin everything even if you're goind 1cm per hour.. You can always leave and come back later to it when you're relaxed.. It's better than ruining the poor thing..
Also don't pry it will stress the glass and eventually break it. . Instead try to steadily and slowly slice the adhesive underneath the screen with the thin plastic cards i described earlier..
And lastly, dont start at a corner.. It's best to start at the bottom where the keyboard connectors are.. It really depends on the technique but it's the least place to cause stress on the glass..
And finally.. Wish you good luck.
Great suggestion. Thanks.
Nice video, I was just looking into how tearable it is in the event that I have to replace thermal paste (fan is on full blast even while idling). One tip I would recommend is getting the thinnest guitar picks you can find. I use .50mm picks myself, since they're the easiest to snake under the glass, followed by some thicker 1.0mm to keep the glass from re-sticking to the case and giving it some extra leverage as you're working your way around. Just some food for thought, since I hate risking breaking anything that shatters like that.
A valiant attempt....but why? This is the best example of high-power tablet engineering, production-line efficiency and truly the only way you'll get a Core i5 U-series processor into this, the smallest casing ever seen with this level of processing power.
Thank you!
+Gabby Serrano ???
comparing it to an ipad, the ipad isnt a computer, this is.
Because eventually the motherboard will croak.
Lol and I'm here trying to figure out how to replace the ssd, I guess I gotta trash this high efficiency modern marvel 😒
Thank you for publishing this video. I have a faulty Surface Pro 4 where the battery started to blow up just right after the warranty run out. Microsoft Support dismissed the problem and did't gave my any help, but was passing the problem from one to another table. So eventually I have to solve the problem myself by buying a battery and replace it myself. This behavior is really unintelligible for me, as a battery that blows up is not just a convenience problem, it is an actual safety risk and should be attended by Microsoft instantly and without further questions... I would never spend again $1'000+ in a Microsoft Hardware product and definitely do not advise to buy a Surface.
Great Video guys very good repair. Like a service repair technician I can suggest you using a plastic sludger or a credit card ,so that way will be harder to damage the glass screen panel. All the best and thanks again for that video! You are great! :)
Came here to say use plastic rather than metal tools for prying glass off. Metal more likely to break glass.
Great video called "Microsoft Surface 1796 Easy Screen Removal Part 1" 💪
A very slim guitar pick
It depends on which Surface Pro 3 you have, it seems. Many of the repair videos I have seen state that there are screws underneath the feet that need to be removed which removes the display and under is the SSD slot. There's no heating needed to remove the display
Ouch! 😢 I love my pro 3 still, and despite having other, newer computers around I still like some features. I need to deep clean or replace the cooling fan and now I'm a little scared of the proposition. The fan is a little loud nowadays, and makes awful noises when I move the computer 😬. The air intake is easy to find, but there is no direct access to blow air backward through the system
I used to have an alienware m15x for everything, gaming, note taking, school work, music, and netflix. I then sold my alienware and used the money I got from it, and a little help from my graduation gift money, purchased a Surface Pro 3 and built my own gaming desktop. Best decision I ever made. My desktop is great for stay at home gaming, and even taking to LAN parties, although I did purchase Gear Grip to help transport it, and the surface pro 3 is great for school. Due note it is a school/work machine, it will handle games that don't take a whole lot to run, but for hardcore FPS action I would not recommend it. It does run Civ 5 beautifully though. Point I am trying to make is the Desktop/Pro3 combo is an amazing combination to use and works well for just about everything.
Really? I tried a few games and they did ok, but I always try to run them at native res, because I hate low res gaming it really messes with me, or maybe I'm used to the 780 ti in my desktop so anything less feels really bad
in my pro 3 I have the i5 as well, dual core, and 4 gig of ram with the 128 gig ssd, that extra 4 gig or ram can really make a huge difference
Kevin Pyro i5s are quad core, i3s are dual core.
not in the surface, they are running a dual core i5, still 64bit but it is dual core. It took me a while to realize this too, but after installing linux to a separate partition and trying to dehash some passwords using brute force seeing it take longer than expected I investigated and my surface only has dual core but it is for sure an i5
***** ah, thanks for the tip. Its hard to keep all the different models of intel chip straight. As cool as the SP3 is, with the price, the dual core thing makes the choice that much harder between Note Pro 12.2 and this thing. Hmmmm.
I just learned to not bother taking mine apart.
one of the best reviews I've heard so far!
Question: Now that you got the glass/screen off successfully how to you put it back together? Regarding to the "glue". Do you reheat it and the glue will then re bond or do you need to get/buy a particular type of adhesive to glue it back together?
Instead of removing the front panel with a tool which cracked the screen, why not use a suction cup.
If you want to have a device that you can service, don't buy a superthin, light-weight device that is sealed. Also, I think the batteries in this will last 3 years easy. There are people still running iPad 1s and 2s and they still work just fine.
Wondering if you could crack open a piece of paper, that would be great, thanks.
watching this from my surface pro 3 :D
Me to
cover your screen surface one of your brothers is being riped into picies oh god!
TheGoldenEagleEye me too
Captain Alien Dito :)
***** xDDDDDDDDDDDDD
I am a Surface Pro 3 user and love it to an extent. However, for MSFT not to offer an available 5 or 3 year replacement warranty with no question asked make it hard for me to recommend. I completely agree with this awesome review!!!
He opens an iPad Air that is also glued and equally difficult to open. However, he gloats on the fantastic construction. Not biased at all.
Thanks, Bill. Great vid!
Kudos for the advice for Microsoft in the conclusion whilst referencing logical comparisons and not getting too emotional about this issue as some people do.
I really like slim devices though I hope they can make it a little more simplified in future too.
I have a surface pro 3. Charging port seems to be going bad. I don't think they want it serveable. They want you to buy something new from them.
Microsoft made the Surface Pro 3 so difficult to service, that they refuse to do it themselves. if you send yours in for repair, what you get back is a new one, at a premium if your warranty is expired. I'm replacing the battery in mine myself, since their only answer was to buy a new one full-price. I do appreciate the extremely helpful customer service technician who dedicated 2 days of remote diagnostics to determine the actual problem with it. He also shared a link to instructions to complete the job, as well as pointing out where to get the specialty tools and replacement battery.
looks like something that could be solved by 3d printing a suction and heating setup, I'd imagine that after rendering a few videos the screen is very close to being able to be detached under a uniform vacuum.
+GreningerProductions The heat would be enough yes, but that fan is powerful and the cpu is top right from viewing position. so only that tiny proportion of the screen would be loose enough to start pulling.
you deffinatly need a seperate heat source, I wouldnt reccomend removing the screen of a fully powerd up and frame crunching device either :D
Your device is actually half the size of what you see. The OS and whats saved within it is the board and the SSD. Which only takes 1 quarter of the device's shell. The space hoger is the battery. You say how small the Surface Pro 3's board is right.
Apple, Microsoft, Samsung they are all the same, they literally make it extremely difficult so you use their repair service instead of going to mom and pop stores to get your stuff repaired....
+MrViral20 You have to take form factor into consideration, I can't really imagine a tablet/slate which is both easy to open and still maintains a slimline form factor.
I could try to explain things to you, but you're obviously a moron. so I'll try to make it very simple. if you want an easily serviceable device, DON'T BUY A TABLET!
Tablets as well as Hybrids are modular in design and are not purpose built for home repair. That is what helps to keep costs down in manufacturing phase. Laptops are semi-modular which means they may include proprietary parts and are designed with functionality in mind. Desktops are non-modular/manufactured which means they are purpose built for future proofing/upgradability/functionality in mind. Some desktops (Apple) do have some modular design concepts included, but that isn't a detractor to productivity and repair. The comparison of a modular device to a semi-modular device is NOT a fair comparison. Comparing the Surface Pro 3 to an iPad or similarly styled tablet/hybrid is far more farer. This review seems subjectively based on the comparison to a semi-modular device and I expect more from an educated "expert."
I read in the comments that all homes should have a home repair infrastructure for electronic devices. That is a unreasonable and unrealistic viewpoint. The average consumer want to use products, not repair. Most people have not the time, technical skill or ability to do at home repairs. This device is marketed at mobile professionals for content creation and light consumption which includes people that are looking for modular designs. That is why Microsoft offers warranty programs. The money you will spend doing the self-repair will be equal to or cost more than paying for the warranty, acquiring the skills to repair yourself, or paying someone else to repair it. You don't buy modular devices with the intent of self-repair. This is why the comments the engineer makes in the video are baseless.
Thx Cuz. I learn a lot from ur insight
Apple has been known for non-upgradable devices for decades, so its fair that an iPad can’t be upgraded, but anything that runs Windows has been upgradable for decades, so why is Microsoft changing their ways now? They want to be like Apple. Apple does tablets and phones better. Microsoft does desktops and laptops better with the help of Dell and HP. Why pay more for a non-upgradable device? Hard drives were meant to be replaced.
Thank you very much for your video. I was encouraged to buy a surface with battery issues but at this point, na na.
I've fixed many tablets and tablet like devices. Most of them have a stick down screen, especially Apple devices. what I have determined, most anything with a digitizer gets stuck down with glue until you get to large hardware like all-in-one desktops. It's nice to be able to service the device, that microSATA SSD can be replaced with larger ones, they even sell them on Amazon.
Do you fix the surface pro 3
+Dragon Steel why would you upgrade the ssd just get a 128 or 256 USB stick and dump your stuff there.
shayson1357 Data read rates. USB 3 still = slow.
don't really need fast reads for file dumps like videos and flac tracks and pictures, the 256 or 512 ssd is imo enough for the OS+programs+most used media files.
I'm building a custom PC, how can I use the SP3 SSD on my motherboard ?? Does it fit straight in a sata port or an M.2 port ?
I was so proud of my surface pro 3. I would recommend it to everyone for almost 4 years UNTIL it died the other day for no apparent reason, it was showing absolutely no weakness. Now I feel I'll never buy from Microsoft again, especially when you know they make it next to impossible to fix. At least I'm glad it lasted 4 years, for some of us this kind of breakdown happen right after the warranty is over. I now recommend building a custom pc and using a more affordable tablet/laptop if you can do that.
The Pro 3's SSD is mSata, not M.2....so unfortunately it will not work. There are msata to sata adapters, though. Look on Amazon and other places.
Dropped my Surface Pro 3 and dented a corner. The screen is not cracked, but it pops up because of the dent, and a dark spot started showing up on the screen a few days later. Going to open it up although I know it will crack my screen, but doing it myself is 40% cheaper than going to Microsoft. Going to upgrade the SSD too, as well as trying to tape up the case's hottest area with thermal insulation tape, and I'm gonna see if I can add another heat pipe onto the CPU cooler and spread the heat out like the Surface Pro 4 does, I see a lot of empty space around the CPU.
Thanks to people like CNET for making this type of informative videos and RUclips so that one make better choices when buy a device. Too bad for Microsoft for making things that later can become a pain in the brain; will certainly choose a different manufacture that offers a better quality product. Thanks CNET.
Sorry - but the argument that because the SP3 is as expensive as a laptop it should be as easy to take apart as a laptop is.. well, weird. Microsoft makes it clear: the SP3 is a tablet that's power enough to be a laptop. It's not a laptop that can be turned into a tablet. Considering that the low end model is around the same price as a similarly equipped iPad Air - which is also a tablet - THAT is what it should be compared to for service, and guess what? The iPad Air also rates poorly for DIY repair - for pretty much the same reasons.
Making any tablet this thin is hard to do... and in fact with the exception of the front panel, most of it looks pretty easy to service. The front panel, on the other hand is thin for a reason - this is how Microsoft got rid of the parallax and made writing on the Surface so natural. Basically, I think Microsoft's repair model is 'we eat the screen and just replace it regardless'.
The surface 3 is extremely lightweight, I am considering getting it but I also like repairability. unfortunately that is not something that any suface offers
Thanks Mr. Bill. !!
Great video, I dont know wtf people on here expected from a video called cracking open that are saying "why crack it open?"
Good to know if I want to add ram or expand the SSD its damn near impossible.
Great thanks for showing people this review,i do repair tablets in the caribbean and must say that this tab is very smooth & fluent with great specs but must admit that it's fragile body is truly a big let down also takes a lot of patience to fix,great specs comes with great price also if it need repairs so are the price of it parts,if you have one case it up well and enjoy.
99.9% of people who buy these don't crack them open.
Hello,
Thanks for the very interesting video. That’s for Service guys very helpful ;-)
How did you glue the display again?
You removed the MB fast, is there a std. S0 Slot that’s upgradable?
I plan to upgrade a I5 with 64GB to 512GB/8GB
Kind regards Mike
I 've had my Surface Pro3 i5 4g ram for about 1 years now, i love it but wish i could add more ram to it only because i just want to not because its slow or anything.
me too.
Microsoft and Intel worked very closely together to put a full x86 machine in a device that is only a few millimeters thin, if they'd make it repairable, that would probably not be possible
Literally cracking it open :P
it is easier than you think, i opened it just with my nails xD the hardest thing is don't lose the screws
I wouldnt mind if Microsoft made it a big thicker but with a removable back. Which would make sense in case the device overheats. But no, Microsoft has to grow their turnover so it has to be unrepairable and overheat...
Mabirc and overheat it absolutely does
All you have to do is watch how regular people react to technology to know why Microsoft made dumb choices like this, because having a thinner laptop is more important to modern consumers than a laptop being good, to cool itself properly or last long on battery alone. They don't care that they are getting a worse end product because of how sleek and pretty their new toy is.
repairable? What exactly would you have to do to the surface to warrant a repair in the first place? It's designed with no moving parts, and a solid form factor.
+Pandan Fan, SSD, battery, all things that can fail over time. The device won't be under warranty forever. That is when the user will have to weigh the cost of repair verses repairing it themselves, or just replacing it with a new device altogether. For a device at this price tag, it is common to take the ability to upgrade or repair into account.
i guess that's true, it was an honest question
thanks for answering
it is 2020 and when my SP3 battery gets to th poing of not holding a charge it will make a great 12 inch digital picture frame. Luckily it is still real good.
This makes sense to why they gave me a replacement tablet rather than repairing my old one lmao
yes you are right they should of mad it better and i hop the 4th one is much better
I totally agree with you, ill buy a Surface Pro when at least the SSD is replaceable. Hopefully the Ram as well but ill settle for just the SSD.
Excelent video i'm have a question What type of hard drive is? SSD m2 m or why
Watched this on my MacBook Air :)
I watched is on my surface pro 1 your point :P
i watched it on my pc...and im fine with it
***** What desktop you got :) specs man give me the specs
***** ok...if you realy want them
CPU: Intel I7 2600
Mainboard: Asus P8Z77-M
Ram: 2x 4GB DDR3 1333 Mhz CL 9-9-9-24
Gpu: Amd Radeon R9 270x 4GB Gpu Clock 1100 Mhz Memory Clock
-------1400 Mhz (Gigabyte Windforce Edition)
SSD: Corsair Force GT 120 (555 Mb/s Read 515 Mb/s Write)
HDD1 1,5 TB 7200 RPM Sata3
HDD2 3 TB 7200 RPM Sata3
PSU: Sharkoon WPM700 V2 (700 Watt)
Case: Enermax Fulmo ST ECA3270B
is this enough? ^^
***** That's god dam sexy computer ^_^
Surface Pro 4 is going to have it where you can changes parts out
I don't think its fair to criticise "disappointed at Microsoft" for not getting it easier to open up. The Air is a completely different thing to the SP3. There is always compromises if you want to make things thinner, sturdier, lighter. If Apple ever make an iPad Pro it will also be hard to open up just like the SP3. The same goes for different types of screws. I design hard ware every day and its not practical to use 1 type of screw for everything. The product end up weighing more, thicker, and you have to make other sacrifices too. All these modern devices are going to cost lots of money to upgrade or fix, you cannot even upgrade newer MacBooks and even to change the hard drive and a quick fan service on my MacBook Pro costs me £75 excluding the hard drive. If you use authorised repairers and such its going to cost but its worth it as its usually guaranteed/insured.
Just as the laptop replaced our desktop PC's, this is a tablet, it's not a laptop and now it's replacing our laptops. When laptops came out, they where (actually are) more difficult to be opened that the desktops, and it is the same here, tablets are actually even more difficult. Why would it be a disadvantage. Besides, there's always the warranty service if something happens to this tablet and it needs to be opened. It is the best tablet BTW, it's beautiful and unique.
so why should microsoft make it super easy to crack open pro 3 ? isnt it made to be used closed i mean how many times are you gonna want to open up thepro 3 to take a look at it ah? i just do not understand this video :/
The SP3 uses a stranded M-sata SSD and as there price comes down you may want to replace it with a bigger one. you may also want to clean the cooling fan or replace the battery.
ohh ! thats difficult task
yha but judging a lap by how easy or how hard it is to open it up
I've had my Surface Pro 3 since it came out. I use it to watch live streaming video because I don't have a TV in my room. It works perfect for what I need but I fear it is overheating.
If it were my laptop or a regular computer I would Crack the Case open and clean the whole cooling assembly and all the related components along with putting new thermal paste in place.
Would something like that be recommended for my usage, or should I just look at it trying to clean it out using the old method of canned air and a vacuum cleaner?
All these fan boys back in the day apparently had no heating issues, meanwhile i was on my third surface pro 3 around launch, and I got the i7 model. The over heating is ridiculous and it has pretty much made using it on battery alone unviable as it dies within an hour.
Would've been nice if i could have cracked this open and done what Microsoft support seemingly refused to do each time i sent mine back in. Handing people refurbished units DOESN'T CUT IT. Open mine up and find the damn problem. Still salty about that even after all these years because its a great device with fantastic power for its size. Maybe the newer surface pro's got the heating problem fixed.
I see a lot of folks commenting stating that they have opened it up no problem. I have the issue where the battery will not charge and would like to replace it, but most accounts say you cannot do this without the screen cracking (like he did) any suggestions on how you all did this successful?
Thanks, that's awesome, and I too watched it on my surface pro 3. I missed where the hard drive is, I'll have to watch it again. Or is it just an integral chip on the mobo?
+ann kiszt Got it, "the ssd card" so if one wished to upgrade the drive, this is what one would replace. Not worth the trouble, LOL.
I love my Surface Pro 3, but this video makes me hesitant to upgrade. I guess it's time to look at Lenovo or Dell.
Good work
Some things are never meant to be taken apart
Considering how compact it is, I don't see how this should be easy to dissemble in the first place unlike a standard laptop with the screen separate and all the internals underneath the keyboard. This is a laptop crammed into a tablet body
Great video.
I did not realize that the surface had a fan in it, I thought it was passively cooled, would definitely buy the hp elite book 1020 instead.
Robert Perryy It can't be that annoying if you have just recognized it, right?
+Robert Perry cooling = better performance.
if your that bothered jam a papperclip in it.
You'll just end up dealing with a 1GHz CPU instead of the unlocked i series it comes with.
I don't believe for one seccond the elite book would come anywhere near the susttained performance of the surface with the fan
Unless your servicing your surface which you shouldn't be you definitely cannot call the surface a bad device I have one I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars
I once had to service a Surface Pro 1 and asked through Support on Microsoft website. Since I had my Surface registered and with warranty, all they did was swap mine with a completely new one, free of charge.
I guess there was a bug that kept shutting down the Surface. Since Microsoft swaped me a new substitute, I have had no problem at all. :)
Why is CNET still making this series? I find it very pointless to show how to take apart a device that was never designed for the user to tamper with.
They did this to force you to buy the more expensive models, I got the Pro 3 i5/128gb/4gb and it simply isn't enough RAM. MS didn't want you to be able to increase ram or HD space. iPad's might be easier to open, but you cannot increase RAM more HD space with plug in modules like with the Intel based Pro. So I think they were designing it to be not upgradable like the iOS devices, forcing you to pay a silly huge premium up from for more storage.
I have the i7-CPU 256GB SSD model with 8GB of RAM, and I think the RAM is defective. I contacted Microsoft last year and they wanted a whopping $600 to replace the tablet ($600 for an outdated tablet just sitting in one of their warehouses? No thanks!). I read elsewhere that the memory is "not upgradeable"; is that because it is inaccessible? Although you removed the motherboard, I did not see the RAM in your deconstruction of the tablet. I would greatly appreciate information regarding the Surface Pro 3's RAM specifications-the manufacturer, model/serial number, etc (preferably of the 8GB model). Thanks.
Not surprised at all. If you ever have or seen how to open a Microsoft Zune, you know for a fact they were actually trying to make their products HARDER to open, not easier.
Can anything be done to stop the over heating and throttling when you, open it?
why on earth would you assume or hope that a laptop in a tablet form factor would be easy to open or service? obviously that is a big part of the tradeoff when moving to this extremely slim and portable form factor. i enjoyed seeing your teardown and give you a thumbs up for being able to do so, but assuming or hoping it could be as easy as opening a laptop is simply silly.
my sp3 had a hard drive failure today. still under warranty.. but lost of work 😣
It's a pain to open so that you won't be able to easily upgrade from 128GB to 512GB SSD, since Micro$oft makes some serious money on larger storage options (this "idea" stems from Apple though, too bad they didn't patent it).
can you advise on a temperature to crack it open, say to heat it in an oven to 80 degree or somewhat and then use several vacuum suckers?
As you call it a laptop can you remove the keyboard of the macbook air as easy as that ?
Although both devices suck
The hard drive on my Surface Pro is going bad. I was hoping for an easy replacement. I guess that isn't going to happen.
Did you replace it?
If you go to all that trouble opening at least mod the device with an internal ssd or hub or 2nd wifi card or something
The reason the SP3 is so hard to repair compared to the MacBooks is because the MacBooks are.. Well.. Laptops. Nobody drops their laptops as much as their tablets.
Because, you can't use laptops while standing up, however you can easily use a tablet. And that is the time people drop their tablets, phones etc the most. I remember I've dropped and broken my phones screens more than 5 times, and every time I was standing up and using it.
As a Surface is intended to be a tablet as well, you'll probably use it sometime while standing up.. And then drop it accidentally. But all that glue used to hold the components of the SP3 together will save you alot of cash. I bet that a touchscreen as good as the SP3's, costs a lot.
I read somewhere that you can use a milling machine or a dremel with an end mill to cut open the back of the surface pro so you can replace the SSD. Has anyone tried that?
Why? Is it because Cnet can afford to take things apart for no reason?
Hi! What is the name of your keyboard? How much does it cost? Where can I buy it? Thanks!
I bought 2 sp2 new both 500gb and opened the 125gb I have changed it for 1tb and installed windows 8.1
Thank you very much for that Video. It is amazing how you could open the Surface Pro 3! (aside from breaking one first :D ) So thanks again!! You are great!
excellent ..then we can upgrade ssd and how about the ram and the graphical card please
NOWADAYS COMPANIES ARE MAKING THEM DISPOSABLE TOO HARD FOR UPGRADES AND REPLACEMENTS OF PARTS HARD TO SERVICE, BATTERY INCLUDED DEVICES NEEDS THE BATTERY TO REPLACED AFTER ATLEAST 2 YEARS RAM AND SSD CAN ALSO MALFUNCTION ATLEAST THESE KINDS OF PARTS SHOULD BE EASILY REPLACEABLE OR FOR UPGRADES
Why would you want to crack it open?
I think this is the best tablet...! At least for now..
Someone should open his skull up and inform his mom that he is very difficult to operate on!
How important are the antennas connected to the front facing camera ? I damaged mine slightly whenn prying screen open
2:26 "After detaching its cables and removing a few screws and the motherboard comes out". Couldn't pull the motherboard a tiny bit. All visible screws are out. Don't know what to do.
Call me crazy but does this guy swap back and forth between a northeastern and a Georgia or South Carolina accent?
Not meaning to be sarcastic but hey, I didn't name your channel. Cracking Open. Yes I can see how very apt that name is.
You really did crack open a Surface Pro and my guess is other parts were damaged in the process, hence the suspiciously short opening part of the video. You Americans, honestly.
You know when you have to get the hair dryer out it's better if you call the manufacturer aha
If you are replacing the screen, it's a no-brainer that it doesn't matter whether you'll break it some more when trying to remove it. I can't stress enough. Be REALLY careful around the camera area. In fact, you're better off breaking that section in small glass pieces. If I were you I would use the least amount of glue you can get away with when putting it back together as the SSD and battery can be available on eBay. WEAR EYE PROTECTION!!
Steve Ballmer is doing RUclips-Videos?
he is forgetting that this thing is an all in one PC in a 12" glass square with no shell design and its smaller and thinner than a MacBook air.
my pro3 needes a new cooling fan, is it replaceable, should i pay someone else?
How abut doing this with an iPad? How difficult is that going to be???
What can I use to re-past the display to the tablet? I have only a 5mm adesive similar to the glue that I removed