Always nice to see older tech get some love! For anyone that isn't doing anything CPU-intensive, this is a great option and much better than a Chromebook IMO.
My wife bought an used Surface Pro 3 August 2020 in great condition - the 4GB RAM, i5, 128GB version, for web browsing, media consumption and document creation. She got it with a backlit Surface Pro 4/5/6 keyboard. It has been an year and she loves it.
I bought a surface pro 3 in november! The 8gb, i5, 256 gb version. Awesome machine, still runs like a charm and is very smooth. I paid around 400 for it and I dont regret it at all. A great budget option if you cant affort the newer versions.
Really fond memories of this device. The SP3 was my first Surface device and I own two of them. Back when I was attending college, I got an i5 8GB RAM 256GB config used for relatively cheap. I use to run a couple of VMs on it for a few classes and the large bezels were nice for note taking when I was having to hold it and write with a SP4 Pen. After I got my degrees, I relegated it to being my portable at home computer since it was convenient for if I changed rooms. I then got a used i3 model as my daily driver. Still use them both even now. Though I actually tend to carry a SP2 around more often than the i3 SP3 since even though the SP3 is slimmer, the SP2 is still smaller and that can be convenient for a lot of situations. (SP2 has same config as my i5 SP3 including having the same CPU from Microsoft swapped from the 4200u to the 4300u in the SP2. Plus having dual fans helps it a lot in comparison to the SP3)
I bought one of these for my 24th the i5 model, it still works like a dream. It's no gaming machine but it does play nice with point and click games and some other mouse friendly games (even starcraft II on it's lowest setting). I use it mostly for drawing and writing on the go. Best birthday present to myself ever.
Nice video. I still have Surface Pro 2 and it is still pretty usable for web browsing and movies. The battery life is not the greatest, but it does the job. Got my wife a Surface pro 4 and that is still a very good machine for office work...
Nice and very informative review . I am considering purchasing the surface pro 3 8gb ram 512 gb storage i7 on eBay. It’s brand new with 1 year warranty has window 10 and it’s on sale for $629 .
Hello. Thank you for your message. Yes the product is brand new and the price is Australian dollars. There’s a few refurbished ones on the market and they are around the same price.
They certainly do look premium! I was considering a HP Surface-clone with 8th gen Intel not so long ago, as a replacement for my old Samsung 700T, but in the end my brother parted with his old laptop - Dell Latitude 3450. I downgraded the RAM from 16GB to 8GB (don't see myself needing more in this device) and expect to use it for few more years. Looks pretty basic, but I enjoy the simplicity. Need a new battery and LCD ribbon though. I lately got my hands on a DELL Studio 1537 in almost perfect condition as well and it's surprising how snappy internet browsing can be on a C2D 2GB DDR2 machine with Lubuntu. I'm almost tempted to upgrade it to it's best (right now it has C2D T5470), but unfortunately we're at this point in time where best CPUs for this socket are only getting pricier and pricier. Also: need to get rid of rubbery cover coating, as with age it got sticky.
I think this is an awesome machine for Windows and I wanted it myself. On Linux it is not so rosy, where you will need a lot of configuration and Kernel patching, and as it uses 4th Gen CPU, so it uses older and no longer developed Driver. I instead chose Toshiba Portege Z20 with much more ports, better (but definitely not perfect) Linux support Broadwell CPU, and much bigger dual-battery. I'm really happy with it but it is definitely heavier that Surface and can be more expensive and harder to find. If you want all the ports then I really recommend it, if not Surface is a great one.
Nice to see that these lowered in price to be solid choices. Myself I also draw, and find its biggest gripe to be a deal-breaker to me, for you see, the original two Surface Pros had WACOM EMR technology, and from Surface Pro 3 onwards they moved on to N-Trig (Microsoft bought N-Trig right after releasing the Surface Pro 3), and in my personal experience, active pen technologies are still behind. However, if you are into note-taking, N-Trig is appropriate. Also, the latest Surface Pen is compatible with the Surface Pro 3 (but not all functions, tilt-sensitivity is not supported).
I scored one of these off eBay for $190 CAD ($150 USD) Mine is also the i5 with the 256gb SSD, didn't come with the Type Cover, maybe I'll find one on the cheap but meh if I don't got it. I purchased this as a tablet not a laptop replacement I carry around a 17inch laptop when I want to use a laptop haha. Biggest concern is when the battery completely bites the dust on these 7 year old tablets. The seller said he got it to last 3 hours & 24mins streaming a video online. That isn't bad but a long shot from the original 9 hours that I'd imagine if it was new 9 hours of RUclips I am sure was more then possible haha. I've seen video that yeah you can replace the batteries.... But ugh will that be allot of work! Either way this is my upgrade from a Chuwi Hi12 tablet that recently bit the dust. I am going to be much happier with the 4th gen i5 then this vs the Intel Atom!
Surface pro 3 was a great device for its time, with the main drawback being fan noise and thermal trottling, except for the i3 model, which, slight correction to the video, was indeed a y series chip (the following year it was renamed core m). It still had a fan, but thanks to the lower wattage (11w) it's hardly ever on. I sold my i5 but keep my i3 because of this. I did not replace it with a new surface but with what is still my current machine, a HP Elite X2 1012, which contrary to Surface is serviceable (I replaced with 512GB sata ssd with a 1TB NVME and changed the battery that has swollen, while my surface 3, non pro, died because of that), has LTE and is fanless... and last but not least, the keyboard is on another level, thinkpad level. Surface pro 4 keyboard (the one you use in the video) is still good and better than the pro 3 one, but the HP one is way better....Still I plan to keep my i3 as a secondary device, it's worth more to me than the money I would get from it... (under $200...)
Thanks so much for sharing your information and corrections. I had the Y in my notes but I missed it in the editing process. Also, cheers for your keen eyes on the Pro 4 keyboard. HPs answer to the Surface has always captivated me but I haven't had the pleasure.
@@LaptopRetrospective hope you can get one for review in the future... By the way, already in the 3rd gen HP went with small bezels, à la Surface pro X. I haven't tested that, but the first gen is still pretty fast (core M7 with full power, unlike other Core M chips, which I furthur increased to U levels via Intel xtreme utility...) And fanless has spoiled me to a point I can hardly go back...
I picked up an i5 8gb/128gb SP3 in Tokyo last year for $75. It was in pristine condition, except the touchscreen doesn't work. I really love using it though. I use a 512gb micro SD card in mine, so I'm not sure why a limit of 200gb was mentioned at 3:27?
can you confirm you can access all the 512gb? the research i've done says it can only do 128gb of expansion. this is great news as i've just bought a 2nd hand SP3
I'm wondering about buying one now. I actually want it to work like reading papers, filling excels files and that's it. I'm just worried that the screen will be too big for being handy as it's supposed to be for what I'm looking... Like something lighter and smaller than my laptop
hm.. i got the surface pro 4 with the keyboard and pen for $400 and I'm wondering if I could've had a better deal, haha. Oh well, its in very good condition and it runs quite well so no complaints so far!
I am being offered the lower tier unit with pen and keyboard and power cord. In good shape for $120. Is this a good deal? I am to pick this up today if so. Thanks for the video.
Coming with the accessories is a bonus. Sometimes I like to price out what they cost by themselves and see what's left and imagine I'm paying that for the computer.
@@LaptopRetrospective Oh that's unfortunate. I was looking for a device with better pen support than my X200t, but a replacable battery is a must have for me.
Anyone have issue with the USB port? Tablet has been fine but the other day I tried to get my port to recognize my thumb drive with no luck. Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe one of the usb cords that has multiple USB ports on it? Maybe the thumb drive was too heavy?
@@LaptopRetrospective It wasn't for me. I got it for my mom. I figured since she's not a heavy tech user she won't care about it being an old used model. She doesn't care about the pen or keyboard either. As long as it runs RUclips and Facebook she's happy. 🤗 And she's comfortable using a regular stylus with it.
I've got reports that it can handle larger cards. I suspect that 128GB was the largest common card tested at its release. Someone in the comments mentioned larger sizes worked.
@@LaptopRetrospective HEHEH Was my Mrs computer. She takes it to school as she does not care if it get stolen or damaged. Does all you want really. Productivity ect
@@LaptopRetrospective yeah i was browsing around and most of them stated that it had screen flickering issues. So should i go for pro 3? I dont want to go the ios route, so much limitations, i also dont want to spend so much money on newer surface pro model. Do you have any suggestions? Just needed a tablet for writing notes + edit documents.
I paid 380 euros for a Galaxy book 12" 8Gb 256 SSD with 4G LTE. I think if you can find one it is much better than Surface Pro 3 and maybe on par with Surface Pro 4.
The Type Cover is garbage and the drivers for some reason, are either missing or don’t work. A compatible Bluetooth keyboard does work upon being paired when connected.
the surface 1 2 and 3 pros and just normal 3 should NOT be upgraded to windows 10 alot of people install windows 10 on it but it compromises performance (and uses more ram so bad for 4gb models and sometimes 8 gb models) ALOT of the touch screen issues are down to windows 10 been slowtchy and just having near to no good support for touch screen devices and terable gestures although the start menu may be better for mouse users there is a update that adds a windows 10 esc start menu for when a type/touch cover is attached and use the metro start when not attached or use the windows button on the screen 8.1 is THE BEST os for surface tablets and should be put back to there original 8.1 os install
Always nice to see older tech get some love! For anyone that isn't doing anything CPU-intensive, this is a great option and much better than a Chromebook IMO.
Agreed!
My wife bought an used Surface Pro 3 August 2020 in great condition - the 4GB RAM, i5, 128GB version, for web browsing, media consumption and document creation. She got it with a backlit Surface Pro 4/5/6 keyboard. It has been an year and she loves it.
Awesome, glad to hear it's still in use.
I bought a surface pro 3 in november! The 8gb, i5, 256 gb version. Awesome machine, still runs like a charm and is very smooth. I paid around 400 for it and I dont regret it at all. A great budget option if you cant affort the newer versions.
Great to hear it!
I got a SP7 i5 for 400 it's great
Really fond memories of this device. The SP3 was my first Surface device and I own two of them. Back when I was attending college, I got an i5 8GB RAM 256GB config used for relatively cheap. I use to run a couple of VMs on it for a few classes and the large bezels were nice for note taking when I was having to hold it and write with a SP4 Pen. After I got my degrees, I relegated it to being my portable at home computer since it was convenient for if I changed rooms. I then got a used i3 model as my daily driver. Still use them both even now. Though I actually tend to carry a SP2 around more often than the i3 SP3 since even though the SP3 is slimmer, the SP2 is still smaller and that can be convenient for a lot of situations. (SP2 has same config as my i5 SP3 including having the same CPU from Microsoft swapped from the 4200u to the 4300u in the SP2. Plus having dual fans helps it a lot in comparison to the SP3)
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and memories of how you used these devices!
I bought one of these for my 24th the i5 model, it still works like a dream. It's no gaming machine but it does play nice with point and click games and some other mouse friendly games (even starcraft II on it's lowest setting). I use it mostly for drawing and writing on the go. Best birthday present to myself ever.
Nice! Glad to hear you're getting life out of it.
Nice video. I still have Surface Pro 2 and it is still pretty usable for web browsing and movies. The battery life is not the greatest, but it does the job. Got my wife a Surface pro 4 and that is still a very good machine for office work...
Awesome. Thanks for sharing your experience with these machines.
@@LaptopRetrospective well, it's not a thinkpad, but they are well made, that's for sure :)
Agreed. Not a ThinkPad but still an important historical device that had an impact across the industry.
Ive owned one of these for years. Looking to upgrade to the Surface Book 2 or 3 after watching your videos.
I enjoy my Surface Book 2. If you can I'd go for the 3. It has been improved nicely. I didn't go for it because I already had the 2.
Very informative video, thank you. I had never heard of a docking station, just purchased one for $40 on eBay, no more port issue. Thanks!
Awesome! Glad it was helpful.
just got a refurbished one cheap with i7 4650u and it holds up pretty well, cool machines!
That's awesome! What are you using it for?
@@LaptopRetrospective haha just for fun i really love old tech, and it's been nice on the go, i love it
Nice and very informative review . I am considering purchasing the surface pro 3 8gb ram 512 gb storage i7 on eBay.
It’s brand new with 1 year warranty has window 10 and it’s on sale for $629 .
Brand new? That seems rare, I'd be confirming what that means. Price is definitely on the higher end if you compare it to a current gen model.
Hello. Thank you for your message.
Yes the product is brand new and the price is Australian dollars. There’s a few refurbished ones on the market and they are around the same price.
Gotcha. If it is a good price compared to a new one in AUD, it sounds nice.
They certainly do look premium!
I was considering a HP Surface-clone with 8th gen Intel not so long ago, as a replacement for my old Samsung 700T, but in the end my brother parted with his old laptop - Dell Latitude 3450. I downgraded the RAM from 16GB to 8GB (don't see myself needing more in this device) and expect to use it for few more years. Looks pretty basic, but I enjoy the simplicity. Need a new battery and LCD ribbon though.
I lately got my hands on a DELL Studio 1537 in almost perfect condition as well and it's surprising how snappy internet browsing can be on a C2D 2GB DDR2 machine with Lubuntu. I'm almost tempted to upgrade it to it's best (right now it has C2D T5470), but unfortunately we're at this point in time where best CPUs for this socket are only getting pricier and pricier. Also: need to get rid of rubbery cover coating, as with age it got sticky.
I really want to look at that HP clone as pointed out in another comment, was far more user serviceable.
I think this is an awesome machine for Windows and I wanted it myself. On Linux it is not so rosy, where you will need a lot of configuration and Kernel patching, and as it uses 4th Gen CPU, so it uses older and no longer developed Driver.
I instead chose Toshiba Portege Z20 with much more ports, better (but definitely not perfect) Linux support Broadwell CPU, and much bigger dual-battery. I'm really happy with it but it is definitely heavier that Surface and can be more expensive and harder to find. If you want all the ports then I really recommend it, if not Surface is a great one.
Toshiba computers are unobtainable here. Interesting to hear what theirs was like.
Nice to see that these lowered in price to be solid choices. Myself I also draw, and find its biggest gripe to be a deal-breaker to me, for you see, the original two Surface Pros had WACOM EMR technology, and from Surface Pro 3 onwards they moved on to N-Trig (Microsoft bought N-Trig right after releasing the Surface Pro 3), and in my personal experience, active pen technologies are still behind.
However, if you are into note-taking, N-Trig is appropriate. Also, the latest Surface Pen is compatible with the Surface Pro 3 (but not all functions, tilt-sensitivity is not supported).
Interesting! Thanks for sharing Juan. As a person that doesn't draw, I don't have a lot of experience with which technology might be preferable.
I scored one of these off eBay for $190 CAD ($150 USD)
Mine is also the i5 with the 256gb SSD, didn't come with the Type Cover, maybe I'll find one on the cheap but meh if I don't got it.
I purchased this as a tablet not a laptop replacement I carry around a 17inch laptop when I want to use a laptop haha.
Biggest concern is when the battery completely bites the dust on these 7 year old tablets.
The seller said he got it to last 3 hours & 24mins streaming a video online. That isn't bad but a long shot from the original 9 hours that I'd imagine if it was new 9 hours of RUclips I am sure was more then possible haha.
I've seen video that yeah you can replace the batteries.... But ugh will that be allot of work!
Either way this is my upgrade from a Chuwi Hi12 tablet that recently bit the dust.
I am going to be much happier with the 4th gen i5 then this vs the Intel Atom!
Nice find. Hope it serves you well.
I picked up one the i5 4gb ones without the keyboard for $150 in 2017 and its been a cozy weeb machine for weird anime sites and reading mangos
Haha, whatever works I suppose.
Surface pro 3 was a great device for its time, with the main drawback being fan noise and thermal trottling, except for the i3 model, which, slight correction to the video, was indeed a y series chip (the following year it was renamed core m). It still had a fan, but thanks to the lower wattage (11w) it's hardly ever on. I sold my i5 but keep my i3 because of this. I did not replace it with a new surface but with what is still my current machine, a HP Elite X2 1012, which contrary to Surface is serviceable (I replaced with 512GB sata ssd with a 1TB NVME and changed the battery that has swollen, while my surface 3, non pro, died because of that), has LTE and is fanless... and last but not least, the keyboard is on another level, thinkpad level. Surface pro 4 keyboard (the one you use in the video) is still good and better than the pro 3 one, but the HP one is way better....Still I plan to keep my i3 as a secondary device, it's worth more to me than the money I would get from it... (under $200...)
Yeah an arctic usb fan pointing at the back of the SP3 was pretty much an essential accessory purchase, which really helped with thermal throttling.
Thanks so much for sharing your information and corrections. I had the Y in my notes but I missed it in the editing process. Also, cheers for your keen eyes on the Pro 4 keyboard. HPs answer to the Surface has always captivated me but I haven't had the pleasure.
@@LaptopRetrospective hope you can get one for review in the future... By the way, already in the 3rd gen HP went with small bezels, à la Surface pro X. I haven't tested that, but the first gen is still pretty fast (core M7 with full power, unlike other Core M chips, which I furthur increased to U levels via Intel xtreme utility...) And fanless has spoiled me to a point I can hardly go back...
@@studioviper3016 yeah and it made less noise that the surface fan...
I'll keep my fingers crossed I can look at one eventually.
I picked up an i5 8gb/128gb SP3 in Tokyo last year for $75. It was in pristine condition, except the touchscreen doesn't work. I really love using it though. I use a 512gb micro SD card in mine, so I'm not sure why a limit of 200gb was mentioned at 3:27?
Interesting! That's the information I came across but I'm happy to be wrong. I suspect it just wasn't tested with cards higher than that perhaps?
@@LaptopRetrospective yeah I guess 200gb SD cards were the biggest SD cards you could get when the SP3 came out
I've had things like that happen before with RAM sticks. Manufacturers say this is the max, then they make a bigger stick.
can you confirm you can access all the 512gb? the research i've done says it can only do 128gb of expansion. this is great news as i've just bought a 2nd hand SP3
Sharp looking machine, awesome dock setup. Those screen bezels though, lol.
For touch devices though you need those bezels for your thumbs.
I'm wondering about buying one now. I actually want it to work like reading papers, filling excels files and that's it. I'm just worried that the screen will be too big for being handy as it's supposed to be for what I'm looking... Like something lighter and smaller than my laptop
If the price is right, it's not huge to the point of being cumbersome. What's your current laptop that you are comparing it against?
@@LaptopRetrospective Asus VIVO book. I'm very happy with my laptop and it turns out it's 14" so is kinda pointless having a tablet 13"
I've heard of a few people being happy with the Vivo line. 👍
I bought min 256ssd i7 8gb ram. it runs very smooth
Nice!
Nice, found the i5 one for 170£ with Keyboard and 150£ without
Sounds decent!
hm.. i got the surface pro 4 with the keyboard and pen for $400 and I'm wondering if I could've had a better deal, haha. Oh well, its in very good condition and it runs quite well so no complaints so far!
If it works, it's in good condition and you're happy that sounds like everything that really matters. 👍
I am being offered the lower tier unit with pen and keyboard and power cord. In good shape for $120. Is this a good deal? I am to pick this up today if so. Thanks for the video.
Coming with the accessories is a bonus. Sometimes I like to price out what they cost by themselves and see what's left and imagine I'm paying that for the computer.
Looks great! Is the battery user replacable?
Only if you don't mind smashing the screen to pieces
The screen is held in by 3M adhesive. It can be tricky to remove. Having a good source of heat and entry tools lowers the risk of damaging it.
@@LaptopRetrospective Oh that's unfortunate. I was looking for a device with better pen support than my X200t, but a replacable battery is a must have for me.
Try looking up the HP Elite X2 1012. Much more serviceable.
Anyone have issue with the USB port? Tablet has been fine but the other day I tried to get my port to recognize my thumb drive with no luck. Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe one of the usb cords that has multiple USB ports on it? Maybe the thumb drive was too heavy?
Does anything work in the port at all? If not you might be looking at a damaged or dead port.
I found a refurbished one on Amazon for $330.00. last week. It only came with the charger but that's OK.
Not bad. Hope it serves you well.
@@LaptopRetrospective It wasn't for me. I got it for my mom. I figured since she's not a heavy tech user she won't care about it being an old used model. She doesn't care about the pen or keyboard either. As long as it runs RUclips and Facebook she's happy. 🤗
And she's comfortable using a regular stylus with it.
Awesome!
all the research i've done has said this can only do a 128gb micro SD card. can it use a 256gb card? since that's over 200gb.
I've got reports that it can handle larger cards. I suspect that 128GB was the largest common card tested at its release. Someone in the comments mentioned larger sizes worked.
@@LaptopRetrospective hope so, i just bought a 2nd hand SF3
Hi, can you review Lenovo Thinkpad L530?
I'd love to but I'd need to have one and one hasn't crossed my desk yet.
Mate. Mines still going strong.
That's awesome! What does it get used for over there? Video planning, benchmark notes, your how much you dislike Chromebooks list? 😁
@@LaptopRetrospective HEHEH Was my Mrs computer. She takes it to school as she does not care if it get stolen or damaged. Does all you want really. Productivity ect
I could see it being very useful for that role.
this or the surface pro 4? my old surface 3 is not charging now so i think its time for an upgrade.
The Pro 4 had some screen issues back in the day, did a video on it. Price and availability would be huge for me and what I need.
@@LaptopRetrospective yeah i was browsing around and most of them stated that it had screen flickering issues. So should i go for pro 3? I dont want to go the ios route, so much limitations, i also dont want to spend so much money on newer surface pro model. Do you have any suggestions? Just needed a tablet for writing notes + edit documents.
If a new one isn't in the budget then the Pro 3 is still solid.
@@LaptopRetrospective golden.thank you so much!
You're welcome. I hope it works out!
I paid 380 euros for a Galaxy book 12" 8Gb 256 SSD with 4G LTE. I think if you can find one it is much better than Surface Pro 3 and maybe on par with Surface Pro 4.
Could be, I've never used one.
👍👍
I hope i can save up for this or the surface go 1st gen
Used they can be pretty affordable.
nice
The Type Cover is garbage and the drivers for some reason, are either missing or don’t work. A compatible Bluetooth keyboard does work upon being paired when connected.
I can see the type cover being hit or miss.
So is this a laptop or a tablet? I'm confuse.
It is both and neither. Microsoft wanted a new form factor so they made one more or less .
the surface 1 2 and 3 pros and just normal 3 should NOT be upgraded to windows 10 alot of people install windows 10 on it but it compromises performance (and uses more ram so bad for 4gb models and sometimes 8 gb models) ALOT of the touch screen issues are down to windows 10 been slowtchy and just having near to no good support for touch screen devices and terable gestures although the start menu may be better for mouse users there is a update that adds a windows 10 esc start menu for when a type/touch cover is attached and use the metro start when not attached or use the windows button on the screen 8.1 is THE BEST os for surface tablets and should be put back to there original 8.1 os install
I'd say the Pro 3 with 8GB can handle it but that's about it. The rest is not advisable.
Can it run windows 11
It isn't officially supported.
@@LaptopRetrospective Alright that's means I can unofficially install it. Sounds good
Yes, very likely. I'd only do it if you have a Surface with 8GB of RAM or more.
"No Y models"
i3 model SP3:
Please review hp elite x2 1012 G1.
I hope to eventually.
Mine is over heating 😞
Sorry to hear that. Any ideas what is causing it?
Not alike I any way??? They are exactly alike. One is just newer and bigger.
Not really. Different CPUs, screen sizes, ports, hinges, design. What is the same is the build materials and some of the core design language.
@@LaptopRetrospective The iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 are not alike in ANY way either then
Almost bought a 4GB model in 2017. Glad I didn't, as that would have been a huge bottleneck.
8GB with 256GB SSD would be my starting point.
@@LaptopRetrospective Agreed, however I think people using this for lighter tasks would be fine with lower amounts of storage.
Very true.
Why did you downgrade it to Windows 10? At least say it comes with Windows 8.1 and that you downgraded it to Windows 10 for some reason.
That assumes you see Windows 10 as a downgrade. 😁