Microsoft Surface Pro Review 2017

Hey, guys! I hope all is well. Today we do our in-depth review of the 2017 Microsoft Surface Pro. Today we review the 7th generation core i5 model which has no fan. Today's review is for the creator, but anyone tuning in today can gain new knowledge about the 2017 Surface Pro.
As always we break today's review down from the logical perspective. We talk about the how and why. We speak about Microsofts new Alcantara Type Cover, the new Surface Pen which has four thousand plus pressure levels and tilt functionality.
As a longtime Surface user and someone who was let down by the Surface Pro 4, I did not know what to expect. I stopped using the Surface Pro at 4th generation due to not being able to properly do the full spectrum of my work on it along with being part of the group who experienced the many bugs that it came with.
If you have been with me for a while you have seen the other things we have tested here on the channel and over the years on other platforms. When it comes to pulling off the full spectrum of work a lot of tools had fallen short. Today we find out if the Surface teams original vision has become realized.
~-~~-~~~-~~-~
Check out: "Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus The Pocket Digital Art Tool Review "
• Video
~-~~-~~~-~~-~

[@iHustleLXXXI]

I have the SP2017 I7/8GB/256GB Memory and I love it. I purchased it to replace the MacBook Pro 2012 13" Retina. I got a new job that only uses Internet Explorer 11 and Apple doesn't use IE11 so I had to get a device that was thin but powerful enough to use all of the apps on the native Windows operating system. Right now, I have the MS Surface Dock and it's connected to two external monitors and it acts as a desktop to me. I use this tablet everyday and haven't had an issue with it. I even purchase the Surface Arch mouse and the Surface Keyboard for my desktop setup. I love this device bc of what it can do and I can't believe that it does what it does and I just love everything about this tablet.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Bryan Yu Glad to head it worked out for you!

[@dougb70]

@13:13 the kickstand needs a "lock" so you can keep it at an angle and draw on it

[@CladioJulianoArt]

doug b I haven’t run into any issues where the stand moves from whatever position I have it in. That could be cool tho

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Hey guys- I apologize for the poor quality and movement. Newer content is adjusted. I’ll have a follow up soon which will be of much higher quality and less movement.

[@veecel]

The juice (read: artists' demo section) begins at the 17:30 mark. Cladio, did you see the 2016 Creative Cloud KZbin video titled Adobe Illustrator + Microsoft Surface Pro? The pen looks impressive in that video presentation. BTW, the comments section on this post has been very helpful.

[@mashley444]

I love and use my Surface pro for my art, I have the 2017 the i7 and 16gb ram. My biggest issue with it is it constantly crashes when using refine selection. I believe this has to do with the graphics card. For serious artists they need to upgrade to a larger one.

[@waqqas6799]

Is it good for professional art?

[@elizabethdenna3792]

So, i'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but i will need to actually download the latest intel graphics driver by disc instead of downloading it? If so, where to get said disc...(disclaimer: can't hold up with the tech-y talk)

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Elizabeth Denna Not a stupid question at all- go check out my most recent upload and it shows you exactly how to put it in- along with a link to the driver.

[@elizabethdenna3792]

Thank you!

[@seagulldreams]

Cladio Juliano I watched this video on installing drivers last week. Did you delete it? I got my surface pro today and would like to utilize that driver your talking about.

[@sleipnnir5385]

Thankyou very much for such an elaborate review :) sorry to trouble you but do you know if it's any good to use with paint tool sai? I use that program predominantly but know it can be a little temperamental. I would love to get one but this uncertainty is making me hesitate 😅

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Beth Clark Thank you for tuning in! I’m not positive for I am not a user- but the software I use which is Paintstorm Studio is pretty hefty software and I’ve had no major problems in terms of performance. Checking out the performance video that’s up on the channel here may help you as well. You should shoot an email out to Paint tool and ask them if the software is compatible with the 2017 surface pro pen. I’m not sure if paint tool supports n-trig (the pen tech in surface).

[@sleipnnir5385]

Cladio Juliano thankyou very much for your suggestion! I will take your advice and give them an email! 😊

[@willmcelroy6376]

excellent review. i think you sold me on it. I'm a songwriter music producer, do you think the surface pro will perform well under music recording, Daw, music production, songwriting circumstances?

[@saikou1991]

How long battery life if we use it all time for illustrating/drawing? Thanks

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Photoshop, clip studio, Illustrator = about 8 hour run times for me, Paintstorm about 6 hours in standard power, in low power 8 hours. I have a full review of the machine here on the channel if you want to check it out!

[@saikou1991]

Cladio Juliano your answer gave me courage to buy it with no doubt, i gonna get i7 specs, since i only want to make comic faster, thank you for useful information

[@PegeenShean]

Thank you! Curious, how well does Adobe After Effects and Premier Pro do on this?

[@msvblessedful]

Thanks so much for an thorough review!

[@CladioJulianoArt]

msvblessedful Very welcome!

[@CladioJulianoArt]

msvblessedful Thank you for tuning in!

[@AndyfromPBG1]

If you'd be nice enough to reply, does anybody else have an issue with the screen coming back on about 30 seconds after closing the type cover? It happens on battery, plugged in, and docked.

[@ColossusCo]

Thanks for the review! Have you used the iPad pro/pencil at all? I am looking to get a mobile tablet style device that I can use for sketching, I like the surface because I can use full software. But what is most important to me is drawing feel. Would you still suggest the 2017 surface over anything else?

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Colossus Co. Did you catch the part where I showed the iPad Pro in this Review? I honestly really enjoy both- but they are different experiences. On the channel here you can see my iPad Pro Review- I compare perform here in this review but it was a quick one. I’ll be doing a new video on both. What I love about Surface is the versatility. Has so much versatility built within. I love iPad Pro for Apple Pencil & how great the hardware fades away- and it’s unique user experience/UI. Both iPad Pro & Surface get high recommends from me. Apple Pencil is one of my favorite tools to work with. Surface pen is too. Lol I know that doesn’t help much. I have a good compare & contrast video coming on both so keep a look out!

[@ColossusCo]

Cladio Juliano thanks for the quick reply, I'm going to try and try each one out sometime soon. I'll be on the lookout for your next video!

[@PegeenShean]

Thank you! Curious, how well does Adobe After Effects and Premier Pro do on this?

[@bartpues]

I'm really thinking of picking up a unit but not sure what I should buy, the i5 of i7 model? I'm aware this isn't an easy answer, and it will depend on my personal use. I want something portable that can be used in small scale graphical design (I'm not a professional). Money is not a decisive factor...

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Check out the power video I just put up- might help answer your question.

[@bartpues]

Thank you for your very quick answer... looking at this performance video, I can helping assuming the underlying message is... the i5 is more that enough. (But I'm still wondering if the i7 with fan is much better, probably not if you count in the extra money and the noise of a fan...)

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Bart Pues Honestly I do large work and the i5 has been great for me. I’m very happy with it.

[@rajthomas4224]

Bart Pues it really depends if you are doing graphically work then go for the i7 because it has a gpu. That is like the only difference I found when using the i7 or the i5

[@bartpues]

Like said money was not the issue, so I ordered a i7 to be on the safe side... Thanks a lot for all the help, I'm looking forward try it.

[@StephenMuir0]

Hey Cladio, thanks for the great in-depth review. This is just what I was looking for. I'm in software development, but since having a pen with a surface pro 3 I can't go back to computing without it, something always seems to be missing without the pen.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Right there with ya! Thanks for watching.

[@robertfussenegger9664]

Cool video! Would like to see Your point of view by comparing the ipad pro to the surface pro.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Robert Fussenegger Check the channel- I have video comparing the two!

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Robert Fussenegger And thank you for tuning in!

[@BenAbuBakr]

Hi i would like to know if this i5 8gb Ram can handle coding in android studio or should i take the i7 16gb Ram version?

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Hi, Ben. I'm not positive on Android studio but I do know a lot of developers who use Surface- My performance is very good on the i5 with the manual install of the graphics driver that I speak about in the Surface performance tips video. It really depends on what kind of software you plan on developing. What will you be developing?

[@BenAbuBakr]

Cladio Juliano hi thanks for replying. I would be developing simple android apps but in the long run will do graphics editing for the contents and in the near future android game development. I will always be on the go and I like to have the most powerful, less expensive and mobility tool in my daily work. That is why i choose 2 in 1 instead of a laptop.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Got ya. It's hard to say which to go for in that case but I can tell you that the i5 has served me well.

[@teC5]

For android studio i would certainly recommend 16gb Ram because you most likely want to run ADV, unless you have a spare phone around at all times.

[@ngkstudio4845]

Would you reccomend this over the ipad pro 12.9? Considering what you get for the price?

[@CladioJulianoArt]

D_unexpected 1 Oh damn that’s a hard one- what would your main use case be when using the machine?

[@ngkstudio4845]

Cladio Juliano mostly drawings. Lettering and comics specifically. And rarely editing.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

D_unexpected 1 When it comes to illustrating- I really enjoy doing it on both- but my favorite for pure illustration is iPad & Pencil. They are both great tools though. I recommend both lol- I know that doesn’t help, but I enjoy both for different things. For your use case- and for the price it hits- I think you’d be happy with iPad Pro and pencil. I have a bunch of iPad stuff up here on the channel that might be good info for you- and I will be doing a compare and contrast video on both tools.

[@ngkstudio4845]

Cladio Juliano thank you for your time. I have tested the 12.9 ipad pro and the size really works for me. I haven't used the surface pro but they seem both capable. I have decided to get the ipad pro 12.9 around June. By then hopefully some news about the new ipad pros might be out so I can decided whether to buy this one or the next generation. Love your channel well thought out review.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

D_unexpected 1 Good call- hold out a bit because that refresh is definitely coming on them, and thank you. Appreciate it. Let me know which route you go when you pull the trig!

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Get the Pro 6 quad core in Matte Black! 🤪🤓

[@jonjoe89]

Great review

[@CladioJulianoArt]

jonjoe89 Thank you!

[@rubyzaleta7299]

so just a question . im trying to buy a cover for my keyboard and some skins for this one but which one is it ? it asks what model it is and I don't know which one it is . is it just a surface pro ? or is it the pro 4 . or 5 . the one I have is the one in your video but which one is it ? I hope someone understands my question

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Ruby Zaleta It’s generally called the Surface Pro 2017 model.

[@azraelsdemon]

I'm really interested in getting one, I was wondering if you can install programs such as manga studio or the new version Clip studio paint pro?

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Aaron Doodles Of course!

[@azraelsdemon]

Cladio Juliano awesome thanks for the feedback, hoping I found a deal cyber monday

[@Hydra-tm7qm]

with Surface or Ipad who need Wacom anymore?

[@zevin83]

Wacom is still the go-to for professionals. From what I found (I've used both Surface pro devices and Wacom drawing tablets). iPad Pro and Surface Pro devices have very sheen drawing surfaces and it feels a bit slippery? Also the pressure sensitivity levels aren't at the level of Wacom devices. The 2017 Surface Pro has 4096 levels, whereas my Intuos Pro drawing tablet has over 8000. I feel Microsoft and Apple are getting close but don't think Wacom devices will be disregarded anytime soon.

[@JayJapanB]

Wacom are still the best for desktop use. They also have the best digitisers overall, however, I wouldn't get their mobile devices. The pen isn't worth the drop in device quality. Weight, screen, noise, stand, battery are all worse on Wacom aio devices. If you're planted at the same desk, get a Wacom Cintiq 27QHD.

[@bartpues]

I'm in need of some assistance; I have a surface Pro 2017 i7 and recently bought the newest gen3 pen but I'm unable to get the tilt function to work (this was one of the features that made us choose this setup). I have tried the latest firmware and drivers. Used different software including photoshop nothing helps. I saw in this video that photoshop has a pen preview window build in but I don't find it. Can somebody help me with that? At least that way I can see If PS detects the change in angle... thanks a lot....

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Bart Pues The best way to test if tilt is working is in the windows ink workspace in the sketch app with the pencil tool. Tilt has to be specially supported and setup for the pen in order for it to register. photoshop, windows sketch app and a few others are setup for it. In photoshop 2018 you have to go to the legacy brushes to see the brush preview pop up. If you go through a bunch of them the ones with the more paint brush tips it should pop up. They changed the software around with the 2018 version. Easiest way to test til is with the windows sketch app though. If it doesn’t work in that then you will want to give them a call and get a replacement pen.

[@bartpues]

that's the app with the windmill example right? It doesn't work... I'm in contact with support hope they figure it out.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Bart Pues It only works with the pencil in that app though- did you try it with the pencil? And do you have your pressure curve set correctly in the surface app?

[@bartpues]

super in that app with the pencil it works, all other apps it doesn"t but it probably a software issue. At least now I know it's not because of failing hardware... Pressure curve is set to default settings (slider halfway), should I change it? Thanks a lot for your help

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Bart Pues Should work with no problem in photoshop as well you probably don’t have the brushes with tilt selected in PS. Go through a bunch and you’ll find them. Not every brush has tilt in PS and same deal for other art softwares. Only some brushes are designed for tilt. You can also check out the sketchable app which supports tilt too.

[@07sammad]

Please tell me about Video editting on Surface pro...?

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Abdul Sammad Talha Hey my friend- I haven’t had the chance to do a full blown edit on the surface yet- I will be doing a follow up video which I will cover video for you guys.

[@Crimsonbraids]

Quick question: i5 8gb or i7 8gb?

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Daniel Plaza Check out the most recent video here on performance that should help. I get great performance with the i5 and it has no fan so it’s a silent operator. You will get more cooling w/the i7 because it has the fan- and a little bump in performance nothin major tho.

[@Crimsonbraids]

Cladio Juliano thank you for your fast answer Claudio!!! And sorry I could not answer sooner! I am coming from a 2011 MacBook pro, and I fear missing graphic power for CAD, some insense Photoshop, illustrator and relatively simple 3d modeling. Thats when I consider to: a) get the i5, I'll need a desktop with more power if I need It, anyway b) get the i7 to do the trick and delay the need of a Powerhouse desktop a bit further What do you (or commenters) think? Also, thank you for your videos!

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Have you looked into the Surface Book 2? That may be something that matches your use case really well. It is a quad core machine with a powerhouse graphics card in it. It now comes in 13" and 15". You should have no problem with illustration, design, and even some 3D work on Surface Pro- but if you plan to really push things in CAD and other 3D the Book 2 might be the better choice for you.

[@Crimsonbraids]

Cladio Juliano yes... It was my dream, but they Won't be selling them in the EU :/ not in Spain anyway. Such a shame

[@grenimeregime7034]

does it work well when playing a games?

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Grenime Regime I’m not a gamer so I’m not sure- but I do know if you wanted to try gaming you would want the top spec- and it would be for gaming on low settings. Not really a machine made for gaming. The Surface Book 2 is made for gaming- that would be the better choice for games.

[@grenimeregime7034]

have you tried surface book i5 with Nvidia? i just want to know the difference between pro and book :)

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Grenime Regime The Book 2 is much more powerful. Quad core- + powerful dedicated graphics.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Grenime Regime I haven’t tried any of the book 2’s yet- I had the original book- but I didn’t have the one with the graphic card in the base.

[@T7RAP]

Does yours have backlight bleed ?

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Tati It has a little bit when at full 100% max brightness- but at normal brightness levels not really. Some of them have more light bleed than others.

[@T7RAP]

Cladio Juliano okay, thanks for the response . Mines has a lot of lightbleed at the bottom in landscape . I’ll be exchanging it 🙂

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Tati Welcome- got you. Hope you get one that has none!

[@8peterp]

8th gen processors will make real difference. now it's just Surface pro 4 2.0

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Peter P. For sure

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Peter P. 7th gen did impress though compared to old gens

[@8peterp]

I have the Pro 4 i5 now ,was thinking about upgrading but seems the new one running cinebench ,3dmark is same or only 10% faster. latest updates might made difference. had m3 pro 4 and surface pro 3 i5 too ,def. most refined but hopefully new one will come with quad core processors and usb-c

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Peter P. Check the performance video I have up For the this unit.

[@8peterp]

did the same driver update also clean install from iso and repartition ,made big difference ,some tests 30-40% improvement eg. 3dmark firestrike 930, didn't even run before. 8th gen in Lenovo miix 520 or dell latitude 2 in 1 would blow you away ,nearly speed of Alienware 15 r3 with i7 ,sadly low res screen and low tech pen. I think the big performance difference in drawing comes from the new ntrig tech they put into the 2017 model. would be interesting testing the 2017 i7 Surface with iris pro 640 which is twice as fast as the 620.

[@studentoftheword6115]

3:35

[@solzvibar7703]

Stady

[@mashley444]

I love and use my Surface pro for my art, I have the 2017 the i7 and 16gb ram. My biggest issue with it is it constantly crashes when using refine selection. I believe this has to do with the graphics card. For serious artists they need to upgrade to a larger one.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Ashley I’ve experienced no crashes like that with the i5 unit and I use Paintstorm studio which is one of the most taxing creation softwares. Do you have your Graphics driver updated to the latest? You’d need to do that manually by installing by disk and downloading it directly from Intel. What software are you using that crashes?

[@mashley444]

Cladio Juliano if you go to the adobe website forum lots of people are having this issue. The problem is the graphics card not being powerful enough. This is only happening in refine selection.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

That's more so a Photoshop optimization issue than an issue with the graphics. Try Affinity Photo and you'll learn that pretty quick. Or various non adobe software. It's all about clean code and proper optimization. One must remember Photoshop is made up of a bottom foundation core that is of legacy and the code spans back to the 80's. That's an optimization issue. Paintstorm studio is much much more taxing than Photoshop and has a much more taxing complex engine and we have no issues there. A graphics issue would be not being able to push very complex brushes at high resolution, on large scale canvas sizes like I show in this review. Another way you can tell it's the code is being able to refine your edges with the brush tool within that area with no problems. If you tried to fit a big dedicated graphics card in Surface you'd take away what they have achieved in lightness, thinness, and extreme portability. I've tested everything under the sun for many years, and I am a 20 year long working professional. The 7th gen chip pushes forward for creative professional. What was shown in the review was not achievable in the past. You can see other tools that I show on this channel not being able to achieve some of the things I show. If you watch my MSP review you'll see an actual graphics issue. I have a new video coming for power and how to get the most out of your machine. Keep a lookout.

[@mashley444]

Cladio Juliano I’ve been using Photoshop since it came out and I do have affinity but it’s not even close (in my opinion). Changing to a different software because of the graphics card is crazy. By the way I did say I loved my surface pro 2017, I just wish it had a faster graphics card.

[@CladioJulianoArt]

Ashley I agree you want to use what you like and when it comes to editing I prefer photoshop too- but I still think the bigger issue is not the graphics it’s software optimization. Why? Because I’ve tested the Z Canvas in depth a 47W quad core machine with Iris Pro and it wound up failing for PS. Tested the MSP a 28W chip and it failed, I tested the 15” mbp the end of last year which has real dedicated graphics and in more than one area I am seeing the i5 surface pull stuff off it wasn’t able to pull off and that was a 45W quad core. I use a lot of different things and I see modern day developers really understanding hardware. It’s evident on iPad Pro. I prefer photoshop over Affinity photo for image editing but it and other modern day softwares show us that software optimization is the key. If you don’t have the Graphics driver installed manually by disk you won’t get the proper performance and you won’t have access to the intel hub which controls the power of the Graphics. That’s why I asked if you have done that.