Update: I've updated this list with latest models as of 2017 at : I've updated this list with latest models as of 2017 at https://www.parkablogs.com/content/roundup-of-pen-display-monitors-graph...

This is a follow-up to the previous guide on non-display tablets.

This pen display tablet comparison will cover the pros and cons summary-style in one page. Hopefully this will let you know what's available in the market if you're looking to buy one.

A pen display tablet is actually a monitor where you can draw on using a stylus. It works pretty much like drawing on an iPad except you have to connect the monitor to your computer. Having to connect to your computer means you're using the OS and can run the software installed on them. Another added advantage is, if your computer supports it, you can use the tablet as the additional monitor for more desktop space.

Wacom's first pen display tablets were released in 2007 with the models 12WX and the 20WSX.

Since then, Wacom has released more models, expanded the Cintiq product line with the Cintiq Companion, and we're also seeing more competitors with their pen display tablets released in the recent years. There are many Cintiq alternatives to choose from nowadays.

The thrill of using a pen display tablet is of course to enjoy the process of drawing digitally that mimics the traditional way you draw on paper. You draw on the screen and the line appears on the screen as the pen tip moves.

Factors to consider

Here are some factors to look out for when choosing a pen display tablet.

The most important factor, to me, is the type of panel used for the display. It should be an IPS panel so that you get the maximum viewing angles and best colour reproduction. You'll be constantly tilting your monitor, and without an IPS panel it will mean that colours on the screen will shift depending on where your eye is. It's very irritating to use a non-IPS monitor. Imagine when your monitor is upright, the skin tone looks alright, but when monitor is tilted down even by a few degrees, the skin tone appears off.

Next factor is space to place your tablet. If there's no space on your table, then you should consider a monitor that supports a mount such as VESA. If you use keyboard shortcuts often, you'll have to factor in the space for keyboard as well.

Most of the pen display tablets mentioned below support 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. However only Wacom supports pen tilt sensitivity so if you need to use brushes that make use of tilt, you can only go with Wacom.

Take note of the display cables that come along as you'll need to connect them to your computer. Prepare to spend a bit more to buy display adapters if you don't have the right cables.

Driver support is always important. It seems that most tablets are supported on Windows and Mac OS, just that the number of features may differ for different OS.

Price is not a feature of tablets but it's worth taking about. You may be shocked by the prices of competing models against the Wacom Cintiqs as you read on further.

Brands to look out for

Wacom is still the respected brand when it comes to tablet technology, however, the pricing of their products can be quite high. Yiynova has generally good reviews and many praise the customer service of its distributor. I've a guest artist who reviewed the Ugee 2150 very favourably and that's also the general consensus.

Alright, let's look at the individual companies and their products.

WACOM

Wacom currently has 4 Cintiq models, namely the 13HD, 22HD (and 22HD Touch), 24HD (and 24HD Touch) and the Cintiq Companion 2 (and Cintiq Companion Hybrid.

Let's go through them one by one, and their pros and cons



Wacom Cintiq 13HD (See more pictures on Amazon)

Key specifications:

Size: 375 ｘ 248 ｘ 14mm

Weight: 1.2 kg

Panel: IPS

Contrast ratio: 700:1

Displayable Colors: 16.7 million

Brightness: 250 cd/m2

Response rate: 25ms

Color Gamut: 75% Adobe RGB

Pressure levels: 2048 levels

Tilt sensitivity: 40 - 60 degrees

Resolution: 5080lpi over 1920 by 1080 screen resolution

Shortcut keys: 4

Stand Adjust-ability: 3 and detachable

Comes with 9 replacement nibs

Graphics input: HDMI

Complete specs

The Cintiq 13HD is the smallest pen display tablet from Wacom. This is the upgrade from the 12WX and the main upgrades are the increase in resolution to 1920 by 1080 and the extra inch of screen space.

The 13-inch screen is still small. Menus, tabs and palettes from the Adobe applications are going to be small. I've used my friend's 13-inch screen and it's safe to say that you'll certainly get used to the screen but that would involve a lot of eye squinting.

Here are the pros and cons compiled from hundreds of reviews:

+ Accurate tracking

+ Parallax effect is small and negligible

+ No lag

+ 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity

+ 40-60 degrees tilt sensitivity

+ Drawing surface has a slight texture that mimics traditional medium

+ 1920 by 1080 resolution is detailed enough for a 13-inch screen

+ IPS panel has good colour reproduction and maximum viewing angles

+ Slim lightweight stand

+ 4 shortcut customisable keys + 5 on the wheel

+ Pen does not use battery

+ Pen is smaller, comfortable

+ Suitable for left and right handed users

+ Ability to toggle with one button between using it as a pen display or a normal tablet

+ Does not become hot with long duration of usage

+ A neat 3-in-1 cable combines USB, HDMI and power

+ 2 years warranty

- 13-inch screen at 1920x1080 means fonts and controls are smaller to see

- Screen can be dim, relatively speaking

- Cable attachment feels filmsy and prone to losing connection if you move the tablet

- Cable is not long

- Tracking near the edge of the screen is dodgy

- More shortcut buttons would be better

- The new "Rocker Ring" is not as useful as the scroll wheel

- Supports only HDMI so you may need an additional adapter

- The monitor stand supports only 3 positions

- Drawing surface can scratch easily so a screen protector is recommended.

- The detachable (but not wireless) Cintiq is not sturdy when laid on the monitor stand

- Propping up a small screen for drawing is not as comfortable as a huge screen

There are two specific reviews worth looking at. One talks about the new controls and the other about left handed users.





Wacom Cintiq 22HD (See more pictures on Amazon)

Key specifications

Size: 650 x 400 x 55 mm

Weight: 8.5 kg with stand

Panel: IPS

Contrast ratio: 1000:1

Displayable Colors: 16.7 million

Brightness: 230 cd/m2

Response rate: 14ms

Color Gamut: 72% Adobe RGB

Pressure levels: 2048 levels

Tilt sensitivity: 40 - 60 degrees

Resolution: 5080lpi over 1920 by 1080 screen resolution

Shortcut keys: 18

Stand Adjust-ability: 3 and detachable

Comes with 9 replacement nibs

Graphics input: DVI-I

Complete specs

The next model from Wacom is the much larger 22HD.

I've personally tried the 22-inch screens for drawing before and it's a more comfortable size to draw on. Fonts, menus and palettes for the OS and applications are larger and easier to see without straining the eyes.

Here are the pros and cons:

+ Accurate tracking

+ Parallax effect is small and negligible

+ No lag

+ 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity

+ 40-60 degrees tilt sensitivity

+ Drawing surface has a slight texture that mimics traditional medium.

+ 1920 by 1080 resolution is just nice for a 22-inch screen

+ IPS panel has good colour reproduction and maximum viewing angle

+ Extra screen size can fit more palettes, menus without obscuring your artwork

+ One button press to toggle between using it as a pen display or a normal tablet

+ Sturdy stand for adjusting the monitor

+ Lots of customisable shortcut keys. 18 total

+ Buttons are easy to press

+ Pen does not use battery

+ Pen is smaller, comfortable

+ Usable for left-handers

+ Monitor can be fixed onto a Ergotron LX mount

+ Much cheaper than the 24HD which is 2-inch larger

+ 2 years warranty

- Stand has a huge base so you need space on your table

- The monitor has quite a sizable border around the screen

- Anti glare coating has some glassy sand effect, some call grainy

- Monitor heats up a bit after long usage

- Drawing surface can scratch easily so a screen protector is recommended.

- Tracking near the edge of the screen is dodgy

- Can be difficult to locate the shortcut keys (too many) because they are not LED lit

- Power button is on the back top centre, the place prone to handling when tilting your monitor



Wacom Cintiq 22HD Touch (See more pictures on Amazon)

The key specifications are almost similar to the Cintiq 22HD.

Pros and cons (excluding those from the Cintiq 22HD non-Touch):

+ Convenient to have other hand reach for menus on other side of the screen

+ Touch can be disable with an easy button press

- Photoshop CS6 does not support touch gestures as of Nov 2014

- Windows 7 is not designed with touch gestures in mind

- Not all applications support multi-touch gestures

- Pen has to be in contact with screen for palm rejection to work. Accidental stray marks are common

- You can use the on-screen virtual keyboard but it's small and awkward for typing

- Official retail price is USD $500 more than the non-Touch version



Wacom Cintiq 27QHD (complete specs)

Cintiq 27QHD was introduced by Wacom in January 2015. This will replaced the Cintiq 24HD. Wacom has improved the product by quite a bit.

Here are the pros (cons will have to wait until the reviews come out):

+ 27-inch screen with high resolution of 2560 by 1440

+ Screen surface mimics texture of paper

+ Cheaper than the 24HD but the Ergo stand is not included (sold separately)

+ 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity with tilt sensitivity

+ IPS panel now covers 97% of Adobe RGB Gamut

+ Able to display up to 1.07 billions of colours

+ Wide viewing angle of 178-degrees

+ Five USB 3 ports are included

+ Wireless pen and 10 assorted replaceable nibs included

+ ExpressKeys are now on a remote control

Cintiq 27QHD is priced at USD $2299.99 and the Touch edition is $2799.99. The Ergo stand is sold separately for $399.

About the Cintiq Touch models

The main advantage of the Touch version of the Cintiq is the ability to use gestures, e.g. touch finger pinch to zoom, rotate, scroll, or configure three figures for other features. Your other hand can reach for menus while keeping your working hand can draw the next instant. The multi-touch gestures is like another set of shortcuts in addition to the numerous shortcut keys available.

However, touch implementation is decent enough but isn't right up there when compared to mobile devices like the iPad or other tablets. A video by stefBBQ on Youtube talks about it.

The major downside is also related to the touch gestures. To use the touch gestures, you need to use a system or application that supports them. Windows 7 wasn't designed with touch in mind. Mac OS is great since they have that built in for since the days of touch-pad Macbooks.

Photoshop CS6 and older versions do not support touch gestures. Photoshop CC currently has multi-touch support, sort of, but you can only enable via preferences under experimental features so that should give you an idea how well the implementation is going to be. Sketchbook Pro and Corel Painter both support touch gestures well.

For those using Photoshop CS6 and older, you'll have to upgrade to CC in other to enjoy touch functionality and must factor in the extra cost.

The Cintiqs are the premium tablets from Wacom. They are expensive. Price difference between the Touch and non-Touch Cintiq is around USD $500.

Is it worth is to pay the additional $500 just to work on some applications? And that's assuming you already have the applications that support touch gestures. Personally, I think not. I prefer saving the money and use shortcut keys to zoom and pan. So the non-Touch Cintiq to me is a better deal than the Touch version.

I hope competition will come up with a Touch version pen display tablet soon to give Wacom a run for its money.



Wacom Cintiq 24HD

The Cintiq 24HD is Wacom's largest pen display tablet currently. It is massive. The 22HD is 8.5kg including the stand. The 24HD is 28.6kg including the stand! Don't injure yourself lifting this onto your table. The base is also huge so you'll really need the space on your desk. There's no mounting this with some ergo mount.

The Cintiq 24HD was released in 2012.

Alright, here are the key specifications:

Size: 769 x 463 x 64 mm

Weight: 28.6 kg with stand

Panel: IPS

Contrast ratio: 550:1

Displayable Colors: 16.7 million

Brightness: 190 cd/m2

Response rate: 13ms

Color Gamut: 92% Adobe RGB

Pressure levels: 2048 levels

Tilt sensitivity: 40 - 60 degrees

Resolution: 5080lpi over 1920 by 1080 screen resolution

Shortcut keys: 10

Comes with 9 replacement nibs

Graphics input: VGA, DVI, DisplayPort

Complete specs

Pros and cons of the 24HD:

+ Very well built, sturdy

+ Accurate tracking

+ Parallax effect is small and negligible

+ No lag

+ 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity

+ 40-60 degrees tilt sensitivity

+ Drawing surface has a slight texture that mimics traditional medium.

+ 1920 by 1080 resolution is just nice for a 24-inch screen

+ Extra screen size can fit more palettes, menus without obscuring your artwork

+ IPS panel with good colour reproduction, maximum viewing angle

+ One button press to toggle between using it as a pen display or a normal tablet

+ Sturdy stand for adjusting the monitor

+ The stand can position the monitor forward over the edge of the table

+ Buttons are easy to press

+ Pen does not use battery

+ Pen is smaller, comfortable

+ Usable for left-handers

+ Includes full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements, Anime Studio Debut, Nik Software Color Efex Pro 4 Select Edition

+ 2 years warranty

- Screen quality in terms of brightness (190 cd/m2) not as good as standalone monitors

- Extremely bulky stand has a huge base so you need space on your table

- The monitor has quite a sizable border around the screen

- Anti glare coating has some glassy sand effect, some call grainy

- Monitor heats up a bit after long usage

- Drawing surface can scratch easily so a screen protector is recommended.

- Tracking near the edge of the screen is dodgy

- Can be difficult to locate the shortcut keys (too many) because they are not LED lit

- Power button is on the back top centre, the place prone to handling when tilting your monitor

Pros and cons of the 24HD Touch:

+ Improved gamut from 92% to 97% Adobe RGB

+ Improved brightness from 190 to 300 cd/m2

+ Touch can be disable with an easy button press

+ It's convenient to use your other to reach menus on the other side of the screen

- Photoshop CS6 does not support touch gestures as of Nov 2014

- Windows 7 is not designed with touch gestures in mind

- Pen has to be in contact with screen for palm rejection to work. Accidental stray marks are common

- Multi-gesture does not work with Adobe applications, e.g. Photoshop

- You can use the on-screen virtual keyboard but it's small and awkward for typing

- Official retail price is USD $500 more than the non-Touch version



Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid (See more pictures on Amazon)

The Cintiq Companion is a relatively new product that Wacom released towards the end of 2013.

And the Cintiq Companion 2 was released in early 2015. Check out the full review of that. The main added feature is the ability to tether to your computer to work just like the regular Cintiq models.

Note that there are two models for this product line. One's the Cintiq Companion and the other is the Cintiq Companion Hybrid. The table below shows the differences.

Product Cintiq Companion Cintiq Companion Hybrid Size and resolution 13.3-inch, 1920 by 1080 13.3-inch, 1920 by 1080 Weight 1.8kg 1.8kg OS Windows 8 Pro Android Memory and Storage 8GB RAM, 256/512GB 2GB RAM, 16/32GB Micro SD slot Yes Yes Processor Intel i-7-3517U, 2x 1.9Ghz Nvidia® Tegra® 4 Works as external monitor No Yes, via HDMI Video out mini DisplayPort micro HDMI Touch support Yes Yes Pressure sensitivity level 2048 2048 Tilt sensitivity 60 degrees 60 degrees Panel IPS IPS Brightness 210 cd/m2 210 cd/m2 Response rate 25ms 25ms Colours 16.7 million 16.7 million Battery life 5 hrs 7-12 hrs Official retail price USD $2099 USD $1099

The Cintiqs are pen display monitors that you have to plug in to computers.

The Cintiq Companions are pen display tablets that can be used wireless on their own.

Cintiq Companion (Non-hybrid) runs Windows 8 OS and the Cintiq Companion Hybrid runs Android OS.

The cool thing about the Hybrid is that you can use it as a secondary display when plugged into another computer. With the Hybrid, you also have wireless capability and support for multi-touch gestures. It might be worth the extra dollars over the Cintiq 13HD for those features, especially for use as a mobile drawing device. Compared to the iPad, this has 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity so it's going to work much better than the iPad styluses with their huge tips.

Downside of the Hybrid is the Android ecosystem which has much more limited drawing applications (e.g. Sketchbook Pro for Android, Photoshop Touch) when compared to those available on Windows 8. Even though both support touch gestures, note that these only work depending on the application you're using. For example on Windows 8, Photoshop CS6 and older versions don't support touch.

The non-Hybrid Companion cost USD $1000 more than Hybrid model, and Hybrid cost $100 more than the Cintiq 13HD. It's also much more expensive than the 12-inch Microsoft Windows Surface Pro 3 with 8GB RAM and 256GB Storage which is selling for around $1300 currently, but the Surface Pro 3 has only 256 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Hybrid Android model has double the battery life compared the one running Windows 8.

There are definitely more cons for the non-Hybrid Companion, namely the lousy battery life as mentioned, under-powered dual core Intel processors for the price, Photoshop CS 6 and older can't utilise touch gestures.

Some users have commented about battery charging issue, but that is said to have been fixed for models manufactured after August but it cannot be confirmed.

The other issue is the lag on the Hybrid model. These two reviews below talk in detail about the lag:

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3JLQHSWQPDCY7?tag=artprdus-20

https://www.amazon.com/review/R4I52WJP6P6ZJ/?tag=artprdus-20

For some reason, Amazon only sells the Cintiq Companion Hybrid and not the non-Hybrid model.

Definitely check out more reviews if you are considering the Cintiq Companions.

BOSTO

Bosto is a company founded in 2005 and based in China. They have a limited range of tablets and they focus on pen display tablets.

Currently, the models worth looking at are their 22-inch ones, specifically, the 22U, 22HD+ and 22HDX.





This is the Bosto 22U Mini that can be recognised for its thin bezel and lack of shortcut keys. This is designed to be compact for those who prefer using keyboards.

Bosto 22U Mini's design look exactly similar to the Huion GT-220 pen display tablet that I've reviewed recently. Only the brand in front is different. This leads me to believe that Bosto is just the rebrand of Huion, or Huion of Bosto. Both models' pens require an AAA battery.

If it's the same at the Huion GT-220, then you should read my review at https://www.parkablogs.com/picture/review-huion-gt-220-pen-display-tablet



The picture above is of the Bosto 22HDX. The 22HDX has 20 shortcut buttons while the 22HD+ has none. That's about the only differences between the two models.

Specifications for the Bosto 22-inch models are generally favorable. They use 1920x1080HD resolution H-IPS LED panels, have 2048 levels of sensitivity. There's no pen tilt sensitivity though. Only the 22HD+ and 22HDX has battery-less pens.

Key specifications for the 22-inch Bostos:

Weight: 7-8kg

Panel: H-IPS LED

Contrast ratio: 1000:1

Displayable Colors: 16.7 million

Brightness: 230 cd/m2

Response rate: 14ms

Color Gamut: 72% Adobe RGB

Pressure levels: 2048 levels

Resolution: 5080lpi over 1920 by 1080 screen resolution

Comes with 4 replacement nibs

Graphics input: HDMI, VGA, DVI

Warranty: 1 year

Full specs

I've personally tried the Bosto Kingtee 22HDX and it's seriously good. The build quality is also quite good. When you consider that it's less than half the price of the Wacom Cintiq equivalent, that's USD $899 vs $1899 currently, it's almost an irresistible buy if you're in the market for a pen display tablet.

Huion

Huion is a company based in China. They make lots of tablets. Of the pen display tablets, two are worth considering, namely the Huion GT-190 and GT-220.



Huion GT-220 (see more pictures on Amazon)

I've reviewed the 22-inch GT-220 before and was impressed by the price, still am. It's a nice pen display tablet but not quite there yet in terms of performance. You can read the full review at https://www.parkablogs.com/picture/review-huion-gt-220-pen-display-tablet

In short the GT-220 has pretty good specifications: 2048 levels of sensitivity, IPS screen with good colour reproduction, insanely attractive pricing. However, there's slight jitter in Photoshop. Not sure if future drivers will eliminate the problem. For digital painters, that's probably not going to be a big issue, but it's certainly something to take note of if you focus on line art.



Huion GT-185 HD

This is the smaller brother of the GT-220, and the updated model to the previous GT-190.

The GT-185 HD has been updated to 1920 by 1080, up from 1440 by 900 of the GT-190. That's 60% more desktop space for more palettes, windows, so you can work easily without obscuring your artwork with palettes.

The screen has also improved. It's now a IPS panel with better viewing angles than the old GT-190's TFT panel. Tilting the monitor slightly will not result in any colour change.

There are inputs for VGA, DVI, HDMI.

Both the GT models use a pen that has a built in battery. Battery life for that is rated to be 800 hours you can charge it with the USB cable provided. It's a wireless pen. If you don't like charging you can get a separate pen that takes one AAA battery.

The GT-220 is USD $799, GT-185HD is $599. The outgoing model GT-190 is $449, that's $150 cheaper for a lower screen resolution and TFT panel.

In my opinion, the improved screen resolution, size and IPS panel is worth the extra money, that's if you can afford to spend a bit more.

Ugee

Ugee is a company based in China that's founded in 1998.



Ugee 1200B

The Ugee 1200B is the direct competitor to the Wacom Cintiq Companion. You plug into the computer and can proceed on to draw on the screen. The screen size is 12-inch and it supports 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity.

It's only compatible with Windows. The resolution is 1024 by 768 only (that's 4:3 ratio). The screen is just normal LCD, not IPS. It's a very affordable pen display at this size. Compared to the Cintiq Companion 2, it's more than $1000 cheaper, but of course you get less features with the Ugee 1200B.



Ugee 19-inch Pen Display Tablet

Key specifications: 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, 800 contrast ratio, 1440 by 900 resolution

The interesting thing is this monitor comes with gloves and cleaning cloth. The gloves are so that you won't smudge the screen with finger or hand prints.

There aren't a lot of reviews on this but the one you should read is this:

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3Q42XXXPY1CQL?tag=artprdus-20



The big brother Ugee 2150 has 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, a 1920x1080 display resolution over a 21.5 inch IPS screen. It has a really responsive pen with no noticeable lag. Inputs supported are VGA, DVI-I, and HDMI port.

I've a guest artist who reviewed it very favourably at

https://www.parkablogs.com/picture/review-ugee-ug-2150-pen-display-monitor

Monoprice



Monoprice 19-Inch Pen Display Monitor (See more pictures on Amazon)

Update June 2015: Monoprice has stopped selling their tablets.

Monoprice is one of those companies that rebrand products and sell them under their own name. In this case, the 19-inch pen display monitor they have looks exactly like the Huion GT-190. You can even use the Huion drivers so what does that say? LOL.

The specifications are quite comparable to the Wacom Cintiqs: 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, 5080 lpi pen input resolution, 200 RPS report rate.

It uses TFT panel technology which are noted for limited viewing angle. What this means is the colours you see will depend on the tilt of the screen. If you're not doing colour-critical work, don't require 100% colour accuracy, then it's worth a consideration. Personally, I will rather spend a bit more to get a better quality (e.g. IPS) panel.

Graphics input is either VGA or DVI but only VGA cable is provided. Display resolution is 1440 by 900 is good enough for a 19-inch screen. The back is VESA mount supported.

Here's a good review that talks a bit on the actual drawing process

https://frenden.com/post/69444810884/review-monoprice-19-tablet-monitor-...

Monoprice has a 22-inch model that was released in early 2015.

Yiynova

Yiynova is a company based in Asia with branches in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. They are a provider of tablet PCs and display products.

The two main products to check out from them are the Yiynova MSP19U and MVP22U(V3), 19-inch and 22-inch pen display monitors. But let's start with the smallest first, the Yiynova MVP10UHD+IPS 10.1-inch.



Yiynova MVP10UHD+IPS 10.1-inch.

This is the smallest, and hence most affordable, pen display tablet from Yiynova. The screen size is just 10.1 inches and it supports 1280x800 resolution. The screen is an IPS panel so viewing angles are quite good. There are 2048 levels of sensitivity. Reviews on Amazon are mostly favourable.

If you happen to buy a Yiynova MVP10UHD+IPS, I want to invite you to write a review for me. It's a paid assignment. Contact me



Yiynova MSP19U

Key Specs: 1440x900 resolution, 300cd/m2 brightness, Contrast 1000:1, 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity (full specs)

This panel isn't IPS because the viewing angle is 85 degree horizontally and 80 degrees vertically. For artists who value colour accuracy, it's best to avoid non-IPS panels. Current price for this is USD $499.



Yiynova MVP22U(V3)

Key Specs: 1920x1080 resolution, 250cd/m2 brightness, contrast 1000:1, 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity (full specs)

The Yiynova MVP22U(V3) 22-inch monitor (full review) uses an IPS panel so the viewing angles and colour reproduction are better. Current price for this is USD $999, and that's two times that of their 19-inch model. It's even more expensive than the Bosto 22HDX which is selling at $899 and the Huion GT-220 at $799.

Both of these pen display tablet offers no pen tilt sensitivity.

Yiynova MVP22U is already in its 3rd generation and has been improving since the first model.

Here are the pros and cons of the MVP22U(V3):

+ IPS screen

+ 1920x1080 resolution is just nice for a 22-inch

+ Accurate tracking right to the screen's edge

+ 2048 levels of sensitivity

+ Comes with adapters for HDMI, VGA, MiniDisplay/Thunderbolt

+ 2 years warranty

+ Good customer service

+ Extra pen and nibs

- Very slight lag, mainly a non-issue

- No tilt sensitivity

- Pen requires one battery (but battery life is long)

- Shortcut keys at the top of the monitor is at an awkward position

Reviews for the MVP22U(V3) are generally favorable. The only point of concern is the slight lag that are reported by some users but it should mainly be a non-issue since those users are also the ones that still give 5-star ratings. One user commented on faint high-pitched noise coming from his set. One pro that many pointed out is the high level of customer service provided by distributor The Panda City.



Yiynova MVP22U+RH

The Yiynova MVP22U+RH is the new model in June 2015 that comes after the V3. Technically, they are pretty similar except the Yiynova MVP22U+RH has a new remote with shortcut buttons. You can stick the remote to the screen because of the suction cups behind. Price difference between the V3 and RH isn't that much because there really isn't that much of a specification or feature difference.

If you want to save some money, go for the 20-inch Yiynova MVP20U+RH which has similar specifications, e.g. 1920 by 1080 resolution.

XP-PEN 22HD



The XP-Pen 22HD is actually released in 2016. Built quality is very good. It uses an IPS panel with a resolution of 1080P. Drawing performance is good. Strokes are smooth and taper well. Pressure sensitivity works flawlessly. Drivers work well too which I think is one of the more important advantage. So overall, it's quite worth the money.

Conclusion

As mentioned much earlier in the article, the three brands I'll check out are Wacom, Ugee and Yiynova.

I can't recommend any specific model as to what's best because different people have different expectations.

One thing undeniable is the extremely attractive pricing from Wacom's competition.

Detailed reviews

To check out detailed reviews for specific models of pen displays that I've featured on the blog, visit

https://www.parkablogs.com/content/list-of-art-products-reviewed