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
    2017-11-29T12:29:27+00:00

    Mark, excellent job with the Tweet!!!

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-11-29T12:23:14+00:00

    Ok, so the i5's have problems as well... 

    Let's keep seeking Microsoft's attention: https://twitter.com/mvandenbrink81/status/935785599042248704

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-29T11:37:57+00:00

    Mark, thank you for your post and analysis as we all try to sort this out since Microsoft does not appear to be doing anything in that regard.

    To answer your question, I am an i5 owner who has the exact same symptoms....jitter on lower half of the screen. 

    However, mine appears to be an exception and the exact opposite to all the others here in that my jitter only occurs when my SP4 is cold, not warm, ie it only occurs when I first start using the SP4 and then goes away within a few minutes as the SP4 appears to warm up. 

    I have never had it occur when heavily using SP4 so while there may be a thermal trigger/component to whatever is causing this, and while for most, it seems to be heat, for mine it appears to be cool that is the trigger, so any solution that involves running the fan more is unlikely to fix mine.   

    I have i5 version running latest updates including Creator's Update.  I don't think that I saw it before the Creator's Update but I can't tie it for sure to the update. 

    Like everyone else here, I can't believe that Microsoft isn't all over this.  They have invested millions to develop and market the Surface line....witness Surfaces on NFL sidelines, NFL commentator's desks, Good Morning America....and until now, had a relatively good reputation for build quality.  But they need to step up here and do the right thing or they have wasted their millions.

    I am on the market for another laptop, not because of this problem, but for other reasons.  I have done exhaustive research and while other laptops may have newer processors, more ports, etc., based on how I use my laptops, the biggest things for me are screen resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio which is probably the most overlooked feature out there but unless you are watching movies all the time, it is huge, so my choice is Surface Laptop (with free upgrade to Windows 10) but if Microsoft doesn't wake up and jump on this, they will lose another Customer who has invested in 5 of their Surfaces and that's a shame.  So much invested on their part, so much progress made in the market and against Apple, so much to lose, and so relatively little to fix this, or at least respond.

    Microsoft, anyone home?  Wake up!

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-11-29T11:02:19+00:00

    I have an I5 CPU device. Same problem.

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