Surface Pro 4, Screen Flickering, Shaking

Anonymous
2017-01-19T07:47:47+00:00

Hi All,

Update: Flickergate is now having a forum to bring all affected users at a single platform to plan for resolvement of issue. Please join at

 https://forum.flickergate.com

UPDATE: Check FlickerGate.com for videos of the problem and to submit your own. 

I purchased SP4 device a few months ago and it was working fine for a month. Then I noticed that when the CPU is at its max, the screen flickers a bit. Investigating further revealed that it flickers even if it is setting idle. It does not flicker if at least one of the following thing is done:

  1. A video being played in browser 
  2. If I keep the touch screen busy by either taping it or keeping a finger on it
  3. If I use the touchpad
  4. If keyboard is used for typing

This resulted in making the device completely unusable while reading articles or ebooks. I am a developer, most of the time I have to read the code and to do that, I have to constantly keep a finger on the touch pad or the screen. I contacted surface support in October and November and was told that the developers are working on the patch. Looking at the updates the developers are pushing since then, I don't think anyone is even aware of the problem there. 

My previous support ticket numbers are:

 ***deleted personally identifiable information***

***deleted personally identifiable information***

Just wondering if anyone else had the same problem (and the fix) and if not, what's the procedure for the refund? I will rather go for a mac then sacrificing $2000+ for a dancing screen.  

Kind Regards,

Abbas

***Personal information deleted by the moderator. Please see the Microsoft Community Frequently Asked Questions for more information on how you can protect your privacy.***

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen

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Anonymous
2018-05-11T17:59:00+00:00

Hey Everyone,

Creating the best products and experiences for our customers is our top priority.

We have heard your feedback and after careful examination, have determined that a small percentage of Surface Pro 4 devices are exhibiting a screen flicker that cannot be addressed with a firmware or driver update.

To support customers affected by this issue, we will replace eligible Surface Pro 4 devices for up to three years from the date of purchase, free of charge. If you believe your device is experiencing this issue, please visit our Surface Pro 4 screen flicker article for more details.

Bryan [MSFT]

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-07-28T14:17:14+00:00

    I made a page for everyone who has this issue to join.

    https://www.facebook.com/Boycott-Microsoft-Surface-Pro-1636937949680962/

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-07-28T13:49:20+00:00

    Exactly! It should last more than one year. Microsoft is crazy! 

    Please share my blog about the thoughts of the surface pro.

    https://medium.com/@joel\_53988/do-you-rely-on-a-laptop-for-a-living-if-so-stay-away-from-the-microsoft-surface-pro-b47203826360

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-07-28T13:45:58+00:00

    I had the same issue as well as many others. Microsoft isn't even replying me! I'm so angry it's just out of warranty. There could be a call back with this device.  They asked $29 for a call which to me is insane. If anything they should be apologising to everyone and replacing their unit. 

    See my blog post.

    https://medium.com/@joel\_53988/do-you-rely-on-a-laptop-for-a-living-if-so-stay-away-from-the-microsoft-surface-pro-b47203826360

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-07-28T09:28:38+00:00

    Good question, I'm wondering about that aswell. I think I'm just going to use the replacement the same way as I don't really have an alternative. I need it for work and studying and don't have anything else to watch or read stuff on. I didn't buy a "premium" product for the occasional simple task.

    I wouldn't try to stress it because we don't know the nature of this problem. It seems heat related. Let's just say it is then you still don't know which part reaches a critical temperature. CPU temperature doesn't seem to be a problem, at least for me. I can't force the flickering to occur by running CPU intensive stuff and the CPU temperature is also normal as soon as it occurs. I think others in here have made the same observation. Reducing the screen brightness helps sometimes. I also think that the occurence of the flicker might depend if it's running on battery or if it's plugged in - but that's only a feeling. No idea about GPU usage/temperature. So stressing the device seems a bit risky to me especially if you only have a window of 90 days (I checked it, you are right).

    Anyway, I wish you good luck with the new device.

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