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: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2017-08-16T18:33:38+00:00

    I think I have actually found out where exactly the Surface overheats. It's on the very top left on the front where the audio jack is located (on the black border itself, not the screen). I put some flat metal in the freezer and as soon as I put it on this spot the flickering stops after about 10 seconds and comes back just as quick when I remove the cold metal. If I cool any other place the flickering won't stop.

    Can anyone try this as well?

    I just checked it out on ifixit, it doesn't appear the top left house anything except a fan on some models, and the headphone jack/volume control/speaker unit.  The heatsink runs across there though. 

    I think between your find, and those with the fans fixing the issue in some instances, it's safe to say this is somehow related to heat, but it still remains to be seen if this is a hardware defect or a firmware issue, since firmware issues could lead to overheating/overvolting in some cases .

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2017-08-16T17:56:47+00:00

    That could be a huge discovery. I will try to cool the area to see if that's true.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2017-08-16T14:54:23+00:00

    I think I have actually found out where exactly the Surface overheats. It's on the very top left on the front where the audio jack is located (on the black border itself, not the screen). I put some flat metal in the freezer and as soon as I put it on this spot the flickering stops after about 10 seconds and comes back just as quick when I remove the cold metal. If I cool any other place the flickering won't stop.

    Can anyone try this as well?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2017-08-16T14:45:49+00:00

    Unfortunately this is probably true. A class action lawsuit may be the only way they will listen.

    It seems there are two distinct issues and we are all experiencing one or both. They are

    1. Flickering and smearing at the bottom of the screen (possibly a faulty inverter); and/or
    2. Flickering and shaking of a large portion of, or the entire screen, manifesting when the system is hot (possibly a faulty GPU and/or improperly applied thermal paste, exacerbated by the heat pushing the chip to slightly disconnect from the motherboard)

    I am experiencing issue number 1. The seconds reg tweak seems to help at first for this issue, or a mouse mover, or anything that keeps the screen from going idle.

    Issue number 2 is improved for some with fans blowing at the front of the screen to keep it from getting too hot, or taking a break to let the system cool down.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments