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
    2017-12-11T15:04:04+00:00

    Well, since the latest driver updates, it didn't solve the issue, but I can definitely say that the Surface can handle higher temperatures before the flickering starts, and I've been able to get around 10 hours of straight use out of it before it flickers and jitters again.

    So if it is a hardware issue as everyone says, then it is interesting to a layman like me that the update made some obvious difference, even if it didn't fix it. It gives me hope...

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-11T10:25:33+00:00

    Bunch of new firmware updates today, through Windows update, let's see what get's solved and what (else) gets broken.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-11T02:52:54+00:00

    I got the same problem a few months ago and it is getting worse. I am going to contact the support team tomorrow even though mine is out of warranty at this time.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-12-11T02:04:50+00:00

    Mine is still under warranty, yesterday I got it replaced :)

    It's most probably hardware issue at this point, if yours is under warranty, don't wait, go and get it replaced!

    For others, well, let's be hopeful...

    Would that I could, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but I got mine some time after launch, so I’m way out of warranty. I refuse to pay $450 for shoddy engineering which will soon break down anyways; as it seems this is a design issue. 

    It’s not so bad that I can’t use it currently, but as soon as I can afford it, I’m buying a Mac.

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