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
    2017-07-27T20:27:44+00:00

    I noticed the problem of the flickering about two weeks ago. My I7/16Gb SP4 is now a year old, and still have a years warranty left. In general, I'm very satisfied with my SP4 and also with Microsoft Support (so far).

    After I noticed it 2 weeks ago, I did a clean install via a BMR 1607 image, and then updated with all the latest updates and firmware patches (07/2017). I used to be on the insider fast ring and since the latest update I noticed that the cursor was not aligned properly (known issue in Edge and the Notification area) in the latest pre-release. Initially I thought that that pre-release caused the flicker issue. That is why I re-installed the SP4 with the 1607 BMR image and disabled the insider program (to prevent an update to a pre-release. Now I'm running Version 1703, OS Build 15063.483.

    The problem is still there, right after I start my SP4, so it's not heated up yet, when I type it's ok, when I play video (so the screen updates constantly) it is fine as well. But if I open for example Edge on a static page, it starts right away (until a screen "update").

    I will contact MS Support tomorrow to see how we can resolve this, but I'm convinced it is a hardware issue. I have read a lot about this issue (unfortunately I'm not alone in this one). BTW here is a link that exactly shows my issue : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLKOzuwAVck

    I hope MS comes with a suitable solution

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-07-27T22:34:54+00:00

    I'm experiencing the same problem. Just gonna describe my experience with it again for what it's worth (nothing new).

    Started about 3 months ago with only the occasional flicker which got worse but I could still stop it with screen activity. So the seconds display in the task bar worked perfectly for some time.

    About 2 weeks ago it would also start to flicker while the screen is active. However it's never there in the beginning when I turn on the device but only occurs after some hours of usage until it's continuous. There is also a small area at the top that is not affected by the flickering.

    Has there been any official statement regarding this? If not I'm really disappointed since this seems to be a problem that has now been apparent for quite some time since the introduction of the product. I'm reliant on my Surface (notes, lecture slides,...) and can't afford to wait for a replacement right now which is not the flickers or Microsoft's fault but it would help if I knew Microsoft is actually doing something regarding this problem s.t. I can keep/replace it in the future. I've actually been really content with it. But if the service continues like this I'll have to reconsider buying other Microsoft hardware again.

    This describes perfectly what is happening with my surface pro 4 as well.

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  3. 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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  4. 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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