Microsoft Surface Pro 3 4YM-00001 with Intel i3, 64GB

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 4YM-00001 is the cheapest version of the popular 12-inch Windows tablet series. With a price of $800 without keyboard cover included, the Surface Pro 3 4YM-00001 offers the Intel Core i3-4020Y dual-core processor, 64GB of internal storage space, and 4GB of RAM.

A detailed overview of the Surface Pro 3 can be found here. In short, it’s a premium-class device with extremely high-resolution 2160×1440 display, support for pen input via active digitizer technology, a battery life rated at up to nine hours, a kickstand on the back, and thickness of just 0.4″. This overview is focused on specs of the 4YM-00001 model.

The i3-4020Y CPU is optimized for power efficiency, yet providing decent speed for day-to-day web and office tasks and multimedia. The benchmark score of 2,300 points puts it ahead of the current Intel Celeron and Pentium budget chips with up to 1,950 points. But, it greatly lags behind the Core i5-4200U/4210U/4300U with scores of more than 3,200, found in the pricier Surface Pro 3 configurations and many mainstream laptops. The i3-4020Y also slower than the more popular “U” i3 variant – the i3-4010U with 3,500 points and a greater power consumption. Another downside of the i3-4020Y in comparison to the i5-4300U and i7-4650U SP3 processors is graphics. The i3 has the Intel HD 4200 IGP, which is slower than the HD 4400 and HD 5000 series of the i5 and i7, respectively. However, none of them is optimized for gaming, but they can crunch less demanding games or even some demanding titles if graphics settings and resolution are lowered. You can find a comparison of all Surface Pro 3 processors here.

Storage is the most limiting factor of the 4YM-00001 in comparison to other models. Altough it’s double the size of 32GB found in many cheap Windows tablets, the built-in 64GB solid state drive shares many limitations of crippled storage space. True, you can use supported microSD memory cards for storage expansion (up to 128GB in this case). But, you can’t plan installing too many apps and games from the Windows Store, because they can’t be installed on the microSD or other exteral storage. The traditional x86 Windows programs can be installed on it, but keep in mind that microSD is much slower than the built-in SSD, so loading programs and files will be laggy.

As for RAM memory, 4GB is twice smaller than 8GB you can find in higher-end Surface Pro 3 configurations, but it’s nevertheless quite enough for normal PC use. An average user hardly ever reaches 4GB, despite having many programs and browser tabs opened at the same time.

Overall, purchasing the 4YM-00001 configuration instead of the next level up in the hierarchy will save you $200, which is a nice amount of money on today’s Windows laptop and tablet market. For instance, you can now buy a fully functional Windows tablet or notebook for 200 bucks. The included Intel i3 and 4GB RAM will satisfy the vast majority of users. But, if you plan using your Surface Pro 3 in the long run, getting a 128GB / Intel i5 or higher model is more future proof and recommended.

As for non-Surface alternatives, you can check out numerous hybrid laptop/tablet PCs with similar specs and pricing. Many of them can be better buying options because they come with detachable or non-detachable keyboards. For the Surface Pro 3, compatible keyboards are sold separately and start at $130.