SP4 M3 vs. SP4 i5 - My Own Battery Life Face Off

[DavidZ]

I have in my possession both the SP4 M3 and the SP4 i5 (4GB/128BG) for the next week. So I decided to run my own battery life comparison.

I consider the following results just a dry run. I plan to run these 2 PCs until they shut down sometime this weekend.

I went to endlessvideo.com and picked the same video to run on both PCs. When I came home from work today, I turned off the sound (to keep my sanity) and just let them run from a fully charged state.

1 hr 3 min -- i5 87% remaining -- M3 89% remaining
2 hr 5 min -- i5 73% remaining -- M3 76% remaining
3 hr 0 min -- i5 60% remaining -- M3 65% remaining

I think I may have handicapped the i5 a bit because I had 4 other Edge tabs open at the start. I closed those 4 extra tabs about 5 minutes after the start.

I'm no tech expert, so if anyone has any suggestions about how to make the comparison more fair, please let me know so I can do the best possible test this weekend.

 

[mva5580]

I don't think there's really anything else you need to do beyond what you're showing there; it's probably what should be expected. It's not like you're going to get an extra 2 or 3 hours out of it consistently, if ever.

The M3 is better, but not better enough to make it a be-all-end-all difference/decision maker.

If the extra $100 is REALLY that much of a factor to people, get the Core M. Otherwise, get the i5.

 

[raqball]

Disagree.....

There are plenty of other reason to get the core M besides the $100 difference..

No fan and better battery life. If you don't need an i5 then why 'waste' a $100???

 

[mva5580]

I'm not sure 2 reasons qualifies as "plenty," but whatever.

The battery life isn't that significantly better (as is shown above) and if not having a fan is that important to you then I'm not sure a device running full Windows in this form factor is a good allocation of money to begin with.

But again...whatever. Not my money so I don't really care.

 

[DavidZ]

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer here. It depends on your priorities and usage.

I originally set a benchmark of 5%. That is, if the battery life of the i5 is at least 95% of the M3, then I would go with the i5. The $100 doesn't matter as much to me as the loss of battery life.

 

[raqball]

s s

I'm not sure 2 reasons qualifies as "plenty," but whatever.

The battery life isn't that significantly better (as is shown above) and if not having a fan is that important to you then I'm not sure a device running full Windows in this form factor is a good allocation of money to begin with.

But again...whatever. Not my money so I don't really care.

Why is everyone on this board so friggin RUDE?

Sheesh relax a little and save the 'whatever' remarks for someone else please as I am NOT interested in childish games.. Thanks!

I could have listed more reasons but why bother? Everyone has different needs and wants. Your 'opinion' is not the end all for the entire world..

Thanks (I think...........) for worring about my spending and money usage but since I retired at 45 I think I am just fine managing this all on my own..

Have a nice day!

 

[raqball]

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer here. It depends on your priorities and usage.

I originally set a benchmark of 5%. That is, if the battery life of the i5 is at least 95% of the M3, then I would go with the i5. The $100 doesn't matter as much to me as the loss of battery life.

I think using them both as you would normally use them would be the best thing to do considering you are trying to decide battery based on your usage..

Battery is very much dependent how each person uses the device. I get 9 hours from my core M each and every time..

It might be best to set them up exactly the same, with the same apps and programs installed, and with the exact same settings. Then use them as you normally would during a typical day.. This really is the only way you will know how much the battery will vary based on your usage..

 

[GreyFox7]

So OP, any new results today? You don't' have anything else to do right

 

[DavidZ]

So OP, any new results today? You don't' have anything else to do right

Actually, I did perform an indirectly related test today with disturbing results.

I charged both the M3 and the i5 overnight to 100% and unplugged both before I left for work. When I unplugged them, I think they both went on and then went off by themselves. Or maybe one stayed on and I turned it off using the power button, I don't recall. When I came home and turned them on, the i5 was at 100% and the M3 was at 82%. Is this the battery drain issue? Is it hardware or software? Or did I turn the i5 off and put the M3 to sleep somehow?

 

[GreyFox7]

Actually, I did perform an indirectly related test today with disturbing results.

I charged both the M3 and the i5 overnight to 100% and unplugged both before I left for work. When I unplugged them, I think they both went on and then went off by themselves. Or maybe one stayed on and I turned it off using the power button, I don't recall. When I came home and turned them on, the i5 was at 100% and the M3 was at 82%. Is this the battery drain issue? Is it hardware or software? Or did I turn the i5 off and put the M3 to sleep somehow?

Yep

 

[DavidZ]

I just charged the M3 to 100%, turned it off using the power button, and turned it on again after about 40 minutes and it's at 95%.

Should I return it for a new one or what?

 

[leeshor]

Try it by doing it the normal way. Start - Power - Shutdown.