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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
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]

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

2,779 additional answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2018-02-21T22:37:00+00:00

    Thanks but note that its  a plaster over a sore that is still there till Microsoft delivers a proper fix. I love the machine but could do without the pain!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-21T22:39:08+00:00

    Thank you for posting.  I applied the seconds display fix. Now I'm waiting to see if I get the flicker again.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-22T15:50:03+00:00

    Thank you for posting.  I applied the seconds display fix. Now I'm waiting to see if I get the flicker again.

    Hi, MeilehBurns, did your problem solve?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2018-02-23T02:02:37+00:00

    I have a Surface Pro 4 i7 16GbRAM 512GbSSD.

    This should be able to handle anything I throw at it but now that I have started to do video processing using DirectorSuite I am having screen jitter problems.  I am not even working with 4K video (only1080p) but once I start the SP4 starts to heat up to a point where the back of the table is almost too hot to touch.  Well before this the screen starts to jitter making it unusable.

    Fortunately, I also use an external screen and this does not exhibit any jitter. See video link:  https://1drv.ms/v/s!AoKsIrVpbhj5jIxYZsJwoQvTuMshqw

    At first I though it may be problems with the Surface Dock since I had read about jitter problems caused by it. I updated the Dock firmware but nothing changed.  Then I disconnected the Dock and ran the external monitor directly off the display port on the SP4.  The result was the same - jitter on the SP4 screen but not on the external monitor.

    I am coming to the conclusion that the jitter on the SP4 may be a hardware issue as the tablet heats up so much when video processing.

    I note other comments that having another window open helps.  I often have Excel and Word active at the same time as the video processing. Not sure if this qualifies as having another window open.

    Where do I go next with a problem like this?

    I am considering looking for a better PC that can comfortably handle video processing.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments