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
    2017-11-26T01:15:24+00:00

    I have similar observations to you with my SP4 i5 .

    In the cooler months there was no problem. As the weather warmed up the problem would occur around midday as the ambient temp rose.

    The CPU itself isn't working that hard, or running that hot according to an app I use.

    Therefore whatever controls the graphics is very susceptible to heat from the cpu and/or battery.

    I have a surface pro 3 as well, and the fan is very audible and runs often during normal use.

    On the surface pro 4, I've never heard  the fan.

    I'm now using my Surface Pro 3 again while the 4 is being exchanged under warranty, but going by this thread I guess the problem will remain with any replacement.

    As for my SP3, that's a warranty replacement too, different problem though....

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-11-25T22:33:47+00:00

    I have the same problem 2 weeks after the year warranty is over.

    Same opinion it is a heat realted issue. It run perfect at the beginning of the day and then starts to flicker 3 to 4 hours after usage.

    Surface Pro 4, core i7, 16 gb, 1 tb... out of use after one year and two weeks!!! Really disgusted! I did reset the sp4 and reinstalled everything base windows 10 and then did a stress test as soon as the temperature goes up the flickering starts!

    Since you are so newly out of warranty, I would still contact support.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-25T20:06:40+00:00

    The jitter started in early 2017 on my Surface Pro 4 (which was already out of warranty by that point).  There was an update in the spring, and the jitter stopped for a while, but after the most recent update it's BACK and WORSE than before.  Touching the screen with fingertip or pen doesn't "fix" the problem anymore either (not that it ever really did). Once the jitter starts, it won't stop.  It makes my Surface unusable...oh and the jitter is now also preceded by blur.  So about 85% of the time now, I can't use my Surface.

    Is Microsoft ANY closer to solving this problem? Or is the only solution to trash the whole machine? (Which I might as well, since it's basically unusable.)

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-11-25T17:03:49+00:00

    I have the same problem 2 weeks after the year warranty is over.

    Same opinion it is a heat realted issue. It run perfect at the beginning of the day and then starts to flicker 3 to 4 hours after usage.

    Surface Pro 4, core i7, 16 gb, 1 tb... out of use after one year and two weeks!!! Really disgusted! I did reset the sp4 and reinstalled everything base windows 10 and then did a stress test as soon as the temperature goes up the flickering starts!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments