Why Microsoft might go with an Intel chip in a new budget 10-inch Surface

While ARM might make more sense in a budget Surface designed for casual use, there's good reason why Microsoft may opt for Intel instead.

Earlier this week, a new report emerged online that claimed Microsoft is planning to ship a new budget 10-inch Surface device later this year. The last time Microsoft updated its "budget" line of Surface tablets was in 2014 with the Surface 3, which shipped with Windows 8.1 and was powered by an Intel ATOM processor. A lot has changed since then; ATOM is more or less no more, and Microsoft has started investing in bringing Windows 10 to ARM processors.

Microsoft's budget line of Surface tablets have never been power-houses, and that's because they're not supposed to be. The Surface RT, Surface 2 and Surface 3 were all aimed at doing light productivity work and normal consumer-related activities. If you needed a device for video editing or a more heavy workload, you'd spend a little more and get a Surface Pro. But the standard, non-pro line of Surface tablets was always great for low-powered chips.

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