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
    2018-04-25T21:17:26+00:00

    As you identified, this is a hardware issue, sending fake commands will not solve the problem, or even provide a temporary patch.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-04-25T20:24:51+00:00

    My Surface Pro 4 has also just started flickering. Is there somewhere I should register this with MS so they know yet another person is affected? I'd rather not start a useless Support Case from scratch, wasting time with "fixes" that won't work. I just want MS to get a sense of how common this is.

    As posted in the OP, using the touchpad or other actions stop the shaking temporarily. Even though this is a hardware issue, couldn't MS put out a patch that sends a fake touchpad signal to the bad chip? That could cure the symptoms, though not the real disease. For many though, that would be better than nothing.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-04-24T20:32:43+00:00

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-04-24T20:28:31+00:00

    Thanks Matthew Marlowe

    I agree re power throttling - I just tried unsuccessfully. By using an air spray I was also able to verify your assertion that it is a heat issue. Thanks for providing the most detailed  assessment of the issue .

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