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
    2017-10-03T09:35:45+00:00

    I have the same problem with my surface pro 4. My screen flickers most of the time not all the time. I am disappointed with it.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-10-03T06:21:50+00:00

    Since my last post on this forum, the flickering and shaking issue of my SP4 has gotten worse. Now there are 2 lines appear on the screen, one near the top and one near the bottom of the screen panel. Shaking happens in between these 2 lines and the amplitude escalates until the entire screen can't be viewed. Any motion of the cursor, or screen refresh such as the clock second hand are completely ineffective. Also, when the shaking starts, my SP4 is not even running hot. The front and back of the SP4 remains cool, the CPU and memory loadings are both very low too. 

    I certainly hope MS is acknowledging and fixing the problem, but I am not holding out any hope for it. In fact, I doubt they would be doing anything to address the problem at all. After all, I believe MS is not truly interested in the hardware business. They created the Surface 2-in-1 hybrid platform simply to prove that the design works and there is consumer demand for it. This is their effort to revive the dwindling laptop market to ensure the long term survival of their software business. Once MS proves the demand and interest in Surface 2-in-1 hybrid platform, they just let other manufacturers like Dell, Acer, HP, Asus, Lenovo to produce similar device and let them battle with each other in the market share bloodbath. Regardless of who the winner and loser are, MS will always be laughing all the way to the bank. Evidence is there by looking at how minimal is the update for the new 2017 SP. The device is long overdue since the launch of SP4, and the update is only a no brainer replacement of the Intel processor from 6th gen to 7th gen. The battery life is claimed to be improved, but this is expected with the newer processor anyway, and testimony from customers suggested batter life improvement is only minimal. Also, the new 2017 SP is not even "future" proof with USB-C, instead it comes only with pathetically 1 USB port just like SP4. All these simply suggest to me that MS is not serious with their Surface 2-in-1 hardware business, but to experiment on millions of customers who unfortunately get stuck with the poor quality SP devices. In fact, I suspect they are looking to exit from the SP hardware business in a few years time.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-10-03T03:32:50+00:00

    Hope they can fix

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-10-03T01:05:36+00:00

    Thank you for your reply. It means a lot to me. Every time when I experience the inconvenience, the difference between knowing something is going on to fix it and having no idea and only getting frustrated is huge. I hope your replacement wouldn't have the same problem again. Good luck.

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