Best windows laptop to work with new Cintiq Pro?
April 9, 2020 7:12 PM Subscribe
I'm back at home after working in-studio for several years and need to upgrade my gear. I've generally used MacBook Pros with my Cintiqs but the software my client needs me to use isn't supported on Catalina.
I'm looking for a graphics focused windows laptop with USB-C ports that can output 4K video. I think I've decided on a couple but I'm hoping someone here can look over the connectivity specs and make sure they'll work.
I'm getting hits that say the USB-c ports need to support “alternate mode”.
Most of the recommendations on Reddit are a couple years old and I'm also feeling a bit adrift in the choices. I need to order it in the next couple of days if I want to have it ready ahead of the new job, so I'm worried about picking the wrong one.
The hardware requirements or the software are pretty basic: (2.0 GHz Intel Core i3 processor or higher, NVIDIA® fully supporting OpenGL with 512 MB RAM, 8 GB system RAM) but going with more power should make for a much better user experience so I'm guessing a “gaming” laptop is what I'm looking for, a few of which are available from my local Best Buy. This Dell would be my preference (just because I've owned a desktop that held up well) but this ASUS looks pretty good.
The Cintiq Pro 16 comes with USB-c cables and an adapter to Mini DisplayPort, so a laptop with the right USB-c is preferable, otherwise I have to buy at USB-c to HDMI (regular or 2) and hope it's compatible.
Sorry to involve you good people in this. Fire away with questions about anything I may not be clear about.
I'm getting hits that say the USB-c ports need to support “alternate mode”.
Most of the recommendations on Reddit are a couple years old and I'm also feeling a bit adrift in the choices. I need to order it in the next couple of days if I want to have it ready ahead of the new job, so I'm worried about picking the wrong one.
The hardware requirements or the software are pretty basic: (2.0 GHz Intel Core i3 processor or higher, NVIDIA® fully supporting OpenGL with 512 MB RAM, 8 GB system RAM) but going with more power should make for a much better user experience so I'm guessing a “gaming” laptop is what I'm looking for, a few of which are available from my local Best Buy. This Dell would be my preference (just because I've owned a desktop that held up well) but this ASUS looks pretty good.
The Cintiq Pro 16 comes with USB-c cables and an adapter to Mini DisplayPort, so a laptop with the right USB-c is preferable, otherwise I have to buy at USB-c to HDMI (regular or 2) and hope it's compatible.
Sorry to involve you good people in this. Fire away with questions about anything I may not be clear about.
Response by poster: Thanks for bringing that up - I do care about refresh rates more than resolution. I'm doing storyboards in a vector based program, so 4K isn't actually something I need. I looked at the Razer site and Amazon but the price tags for the models with dedicated graphics were pretty hefty, even without shipping to a Canada.
It looks like the important word is Thunderbolt. I had thought it was some proprietary Apple term before checking out the Razers.
It seems the next size up from my Dell example has Thunderbolt (from an RTX 2060 card) which the Dell site confirms can do video out. It's available for pickup within driving distance, so I may go for that.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:10 PM on April 9, 2020
It looks like the important word is Thunderbolt. I had thought it was some proprietary Apple term before checking out the Razers.
It seems the next size up from my Dell example has Thunderbolt (from an RTX 2060 card) which the Dell site confirms can do video out. It's available for pickup within driving distance, so I may go for that.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:10 PM on April 9, 2020
Thunderbolt is an Intel technology, but Apple were the first to use it.
You don’t need Thunderbolt for this drawing tablet if I read the specs correctly. You need a USB-C output that does displayport alternate mode, or use the dongle thing that Wacom supplies to directly connect a displayport output to the tablet via its USB-C cable. As Alterscape says: check the details of the laptop specs to make sure it can do 4k@60Hz over the USB-C alternate display port output.
posted by pharm at 6:10 AM on April 10, 2020
You don’t need Thunderbolt for this drawing tablet if I read the specs correctly. You need a USB-C output that does displayport alternate mode, or use the dongle thing that Wacom supplies to directly connect a displayport output to the tablet via its USB-C cable. As Alterscape says: check the details of the laptop specs to make sure it can do 4k@60Hz over the USB-C alternate display port output.
posted by pharm at 6:10 AM on April 10, 2020
NB. Gaming laptops have screens optimised for fast refresh, not colour accuracy I believe. Does the colour accuracy of the laptop screen matter to you?
posted by pharm at 6:25 AM on April 10, 2020
posted by pharm at 6:25 AM on April 10, 2020
They’re connecting a Cintiq, which is a display with a pen digitizer integrated, that you draw on. So the main requirement is “drive the external display at the desired resolution and refresh rate.”
One thought: external Thunderbolt GPU (eGPU) enclosure with a midrange nVidia Card? Might be overly complex and not very portable, but I know the 2080s have a USB-C alternate mode port (it was intended for VR but it can also drive regular DP monitors through an adapter). So you could get a cheaper/more portable ultrabook that supports Thunderbolt eGPU, and then just leave the beefy GPU and the Cintiq on your desk. Only works if you don’t plan to travel to client sites with your Cintiq, though!
posted by Alterscape at 7:15 AM on April 10, 2020
One thought: external Thunderbolt GPU (eGPU) enclosure with a midrange nVidia Card? Might be overly complex and not very portable, but I know the 2080s have a USB-C alternate mode port (it was intended for VR but it can also drive regular DP monitors through an adapter). So you could get a cheaper/more portable ultrabook that supports Thunderbolt eGPU, and then just leave the beefy GPU and the Cintiq on your desk. Only works if you don’t plan to travel to client sites with your Cintiq, though!
posted by Alterscape at 7:15 AM on April 10, 2020
They’re connecting a Cintiq, which is a display with a pen digitizer integrated, that you draw on. So the main requirement is “drive the external display at the desired resolution and refresh rate.”
Yes, obviously! But if you’re doing artwork then having a full gamut, colour-corrected (or -able) display on the laptop itself may or may not be something you care about. Hence the question.
posted by pharm at 9:43 AM on April 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yes, obviously! But if you’re doing artwork then having a full gamut, colour-corrected (or -able) display on the laptop itself may or may not be something you care about. Hence the question.
posted by pharm at 9:43 AM on April 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: The 4K seemed like a hardware port parameter, so I included it (and one Youtuber had pen jitters at a lower resolution) but in practice I probably won’t be using it. The software is circa 2013, meaning it'll have really tiny interface controls at 4K on a 16” screen, so I'd probably be choosing HD resolution if I can get that to work. My shading is all greyscale, so no concerns about colour. I just want it to be responsive and lag-free.
Thanks for both your input so far. I have much clearer idea of what's going on than I did last night.
The Cintiq is on it's way, so once I have all the cables and adapters it comes with in hand, I'll see what the lag is like on my old MacBook Pro (Mini DisplayPort) before picking up the Dell with Thunderbolt.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:48 AM on April 10, 2020
Thanks for both your input so far. I have much clearer idea of what's going on than I did last night.
The Cintiq is on it's way, so once I have all the cables and adapters it comes with in hand, I'll see what the lag is like on my old MacBook Pro (Mini DisplayPort) before picking up the Dell with Thunderbolt.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:48 AM on April 10, 2020
Response by poster: To follow up: I purchased the Dell 17” laptop and found that the physical bulk and the fan noise were overwhelming my workspace. I returned it because the Cintiq and Express Remote drivers weren't loading reliably.
I wound up sticking with my 2014 MacBook Pro, since the supplied Wacom adapter had a Mini DisplayPort and the extra couple of cords weren't that big a hassle. It starts to chug when file sizes get big but I think it'll be ok.
Thanks again.
posted by bonobothegreat at 12:27 PM on May 18, 2020
I wound up sticking with my 2014 MacBook Pro, since the supplied Wacom adapter had a Mini DisplayPort and the extra couple of cords weren't that big a hassle. It starts to chug when file sizes get big but I think it'll be ok.
Thanks again.
posted by bonobothegreat at 12:27 PM on May 18, 2020
« Older Stay at home and get food delivered, or go out so... | beanplating fridge replacement in the time of... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
That said, I use my personal 2018 Stealth and 2018 work Blade with a Cintiq Pro (the circa 2017 1080p model) and have no problems. Haven’t been able to justify a 4K Cintiq though, since art is a hobby.
posted by Alterscape at 8:24 PM on April 9, 2020