Microsoft's Surface Pro 2 is getting a minor spec bump after just a couple months on the market.
The high-end Windows hybrid is now shipping with an Intel Core i5-4300U processor, a small upgrade from the Core i5-4200U chip that originally came with the Surface Pro 2. The 4300U offers a clock speed of 1.9 GHz, or 2.5 GHz via Turbo Boost, compared to the 4200U's 1.6 GHz and 1.9 GHz via Turbo Boost.
WinBeta, which first found evidence of the upgrade on Microsoft's forums, also noticed a boost in "Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency" from 1 GHz to 1.1 GHz.
Microsoft confirmed the chip upgrade to WinBeta, but didn't get into details. "Microsoft routinely makes small changes to internal components over the lifetime of a product, based on numerous factors including supply chain partnerships, availability, and value for our customers," a company representative said. "With any change to hardware or software, we work to ensure that the product experience remains excellent."
The Verge reports that new Surface Pro 2 units are getting the spec bump, but the faster chips are also showing up in replacement units.
That should be of some consolation to users who've had major problems with the latest firmware update, which introduced battery consumption problems, boot issues and in some cases hardware failures. Microsoft pulled the update last month, but has yet to issue a fix.
