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
    2017-11-07T18:12:40+00:00

    My Surface Pro 4 i7 16GB 512GB ssd, has suffered from the screen flickering and shaking since the Creators Update. But only after I used it under heavy load.

    But I noticed a small system freeze for 1 or 2 seconds just before the display started flickering and shaking.

    So I googled for a solution to the freeze problem and found this:

    Panel Self Refresh causes Screen Freezing on Surface Pro 4                 

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfpro4-surfdrivers/panel-self-refresh-causes-screen-freezing-on/3f85075e-efee-4ad0-a116-118429536768?auth=1

    I followed the presented solution, and put my SP4 under heavy load for the last few hours.

    EDIT:

    I celebrated too prematurely. When I switched off the seconds in the taskbar clock, the flickering returned! :-(

    I could reproduce it in the UEFI screen. Will upload the video soon....

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-11-07T06:46:03+00:00

    I use SpeedFan 4.52 seems to work quite well.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-07T01:52:41+00:00

    How did you get a reading of temperature? 

    Ambient temp is the surrounding air temperature.

    For processor temp, there's apps to read that.

    I have one called Core Temp. Today its reading minimum 34C and Max 52C Processor temp.

    Which version of core-temp are u using???

    1.10.2 although I believe there's an updated version.

    Not recommending the app one way or the other. I found it from a quick google search. Could be better ones out there.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-11-06T22:31:14+00:00

    How did you get a reading of temperature? 

    Ambient temp is the surrounding air temperature.

    For processor temp, there's apps to read that.

    I have one called Core Temp. Today its reading minimum 34C and Max 52C Processor temp.

    Which version of core-temp are u using???

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