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
    2018-02-23T02:40:48+00:00

    You are having the same problem that is affecting thousands of people.  If you are still early in the process, sometimes having something updating the screen (an animated cursor, or a displayed clock) will cause the screen to be stable.  But that trick will only work for a limited period (few weeks to months).

    The problem is almost certainly hardware, and seems quite related to heat.  Personally, I can always induce the shaking by displaying a streaming video.  I monitor the internal temps, and the GPU is getting up to only 40-50C but the shaking starts.

    Where to go next??  If you are still under warranty, you could ask for a replacement or screen replacement.  If out of warranty, you can pay for a screen replacement (I think $400); but there are many reports that the replacement screens will still show this behaviour after a few months.

    Lots of people are putting the Surface in the freezer for a while to get a bit more time before the shaking starts.

    Best of luck.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-23T02:55:05+00:00

    Hi... thanks

    I saw the reports about the screen updating solutions lasting only for a while. Until I used those patches I noticed that the jitter was getting worse over time. I easily check it by going into powerpoint presentation mode where the cursor automatically disappears after a while. The plan is to use them  until MS or Intel come up with a more permanent solution - hopefully before the jitters catch up with the seconds counter or animated cursor.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-23T03:11:00+00:00

    Thanks for your overview of the issue.  Very sad story.

    My SP4 was one of the first released on 2015 and had to be replaced under warranty very soon thereafter due to overheating and fan noise, so no more warranty.  I'm still wondering if this could be a problem caused by overheating because of poor fan control.

    I have only ever experienced the heating/jitter problem since I started video editing.

    You worry me when you say there may be an issue with PowerPoint.  I don't need failures in public presentations!

    I have an ageing HP Probook also so it might pay me to replace it something like the HP Omen gaming laptop which should handle graphics and video editing better.  Unfortunately, it seems that gaming PCs tend not to come with touchscreens.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-02-23T03:32:20+00:00

    For what it's worth, if you are doing a presentation while projecting to an external display, you should have no problem.  Many people confirm that external displays are not affected, only the actual Surface display.

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