Microsoft is keen on keeping the Surface Pro 3 running in tip-top shape, and that includes rolling our frequent firmware updates to get the hardware to perform at its best.
Starting at 1 PM ET today, Surface Pro 3 users can now grab the October 28 System Firmware Update, the second for this month. The changelog is detailed and significant, addressing many aspects of performance including the graphics, Wi-Fi, and even Windows 10.
October 28 release
The following updates will be listed as "System Firmware Update – 10/28/2014" when you view your update history.
- Surface Pro UEFI update (v3.11.250.0) enhances the system stability, increases the reliability of the graphics display performance, and adds a status bar to the experience when applying future System Firmware Updates.
- Surface Pro Embedded Controller Firmware update (v38.7.50.0) increases the reliability of sleep state transitions with a Surface Pro 3 Docking Station connected.
- Surface Integration update (v2.0.1168.0) addresses setting the Hibernate value in Windows 10.
- Intel(R) 8 Series PCI Express Root Port #3 - 9C14 update (v2.0.1151.0) addresses cases when the Wi-Fi adapter is not available upon resuming the system from sleep.
- Wireless Network Controller and Bluetooth driver update (v15.68.3059.117) improves Wi-Fi throughput, especially after rebooting with Bluetooth devices that are paired, enhances power consumption situations and addresses instances of system instability.
The update appears to address the longstanding bug where the Surface resumes from standby but is unable to restart the Wi-Fi adapter. The Wi-Fi performance on the Surface Pro 3 has had a buggy ride, but due to the complexity Wi-Fi these days, such problems are, unfortunately, common across devices. Microsoft though has been aggressive in trying to tackle the bugs and hopefully this one takes care of it. (For what it is worth, we have not had any issues in months with ours)
The rest of the updates seem self-explanatory, including the much needed 'status bar' for future firmware updates, as opposed to a static screen you will have when applying this update. The Windows 10 fix for hibernate is also a nice nod to early adopters who are giving the Technical Preview a first ride on their Surface.
To grab the update, just head into Settings on your Surface, and then to Change PC Settings and head to Update and Recover to force a check for the new firmware. Microsoft mentions, however that not everyone will get the update right away due to a staged rollout (ours luckily did have an update waiting). The update should not take longer than 10-15 minutes, depending on hardware configuration.
Source: Microsoft
