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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
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]

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments

2,779 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Anonymous
    2018-05-02T02:57:33+00:00

    having the same issue with my surface pro 4 i7 8 RAM

    spent a lot of money on this and am regretting it. it was a replacement from my old one as it to was having a screen issue a phantom touch but none the less a screen defect. windows updates made my art programs not compatible with the surface pen, as well a s a few other issues i am having with windows 10 in general.

    have not been very happy about this.

    spent a lot of money on something i trusted and am just lead to complete disapointment.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2018-05-01T07:07:19+00:00

    The flickering on my SP4 only occurs after using it while charging, after a couple of hours approx. The screen firsts starts to show black horizontal lines at the top of the screen before going into full flicker mode. After disconnecting the charger, the screen returns to normal after a couple of minutes. I also have a cheap third-party travel charger that I got from Aliexpress.com, but I can't remember that the flickering starts while using that one. Probably it's less powerful and doesn't heat up the device as much as the original charger.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2018-05-01T01:35:43+00:00

    new issue for me today with my surface pro 4. no warranty. have been having screen flickering aas well however after tweaking was able to get it to stop unless using play on play later. a download program which is good but seems to heat the CPU.   I was wondering how to go about replacing the screen with a new one. lol today I noticed a role on the screen. the box lines or page lines had a wow in them. apparently, min has gotten so hot that it has come unstuck from the frame of the pc, its glued on. however, I also know it is a heating problem. acationallyi will hear the cooling fan turn on.  as in has not worked for 6 months. dint realize it had a fan until it started working. of corse that was short lived an now my screen is beginning to buckle.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2018-04-29T19:20:28+00:00

    There are black lines running through the bottom of my screen too. :( 

    I'm tempted to put my SP4 in the fridge in hope of getting rid of them.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments