Microsoft releases May 2015 firmware upgrades for Surface Pro 3, Pro 2
After a brief hiatus, Microsoft has released new firmware upgrades for its Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 2 Windows 8.1 tablets. The May 2015 releases feature updated drivers and UEFI, which, as expected, are meant to refine the user experience.
There are no new firmware upgrades available for the original Surface Pro, however, nor for Surface RT, Surface 2 and Surface 3, the last of which Microsoft unveiled in late-March. Now, let us take a close look at what the latest Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 2 firmware updates bring to the table.
Kicking off with Surface Pro 3, the May 2015 firmware upgrade for Microsoft's beefiest Windows 8.1 tablet features updated HD Graphics and Display Audio drivers. The UEFI update is a consequence of the graphics driver update. The previous Surface Pro 3 firmware update arrived in April 2015.
The graphics driver (v10.18.14.4170) update promises improved performance and better Miracast support, while the updated audio driver (v6.16.00.3172) is said to improve the experience, and, just like the UEFI update (v3.11.850.0), ensure compatibility with the graphics driver update.
The Surface Pro 2 firmware update tackles the same areas, coming with the exact same improvements as Microsoft lists in the Surface Pro 3 firmware update changelog. The previous firmware update came in January 2015.
The HD Graphics driver is now at version 10.18.14.4170, the Display Audio driver version is bumped up to 6.16.00.3172, while the UEFI update brings its version to 2.5.250.0.
As expected, the latest firmware upgrades for Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 2 are available through Windows Update. Microsoft says that they are "delivered in stages", so do not worry if you do not see the latest firmware upgrade for your Surface Pro 3 and/or Surface Pro 2 right away.
Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox