Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 review
Four K at 120Hz with 99 percent Adobe RGB and ProPen 3, and a computer you still have to supply.
A 27-inch 4K 120Hz pen display with 10-bit colour, 99 percent Adobe RGB, ProPen 3 with 8,192 pressure levels and eight ExpressKeys.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Display | 27 inch, 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz, twice that of previous models |
| Colour | 10-bit, 99 percent Adobe RGB, 98 percent DCI-P3 |
| Pen | ProPen 3 with 8,192 pressure levels and 3 side switches |
| Pen customisation | Swappable grips, adjustable weight and centre of balance |
| Controls | 8 customisable ExpressKeys, on-screen menus, multi-touch and pen gestures |
| Mounting | 4 standard 1/4 inch mount points for phone, camera or the Wacom extension table |
| Bundled software | 3-month trials of Capture One, Clip Studio Paint EX, Toon Boom Harmony and Storyboard Pro, and MASV |
Specifications above come from Wacom's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- One hundred and twenty hertz is the meaningful upgrade. Pen latency is what makes a digital line feel unlike a real one, and doubling the refresh rate halves a large part of the perceived lag.
- Ninety nine percent Adobe RGB and 10-bit colour means the display is good enough to be your colour reference, which older pen displays were not.
- ProPen 3's adjustable weight and balance is a small thing that matters over a working day, in the way that a pen you like matters more than a pen with better specifications.
- Twenty seven inches is large enough to work at full canvas without constant zooming, which is the practical difference from a 16-inch pen display.
- Four standard mount points is a thoughtful detail for anyone working from reference on a phone or a camera.
Where it falls short
- It is not a computer. It connects to one, and it needs a machine capable of driving a 4K 120Hz display over the required connection. Check your ports and your GPU output before ordering.
- The stand is generally sold separately and it is not cheap. A pen display without a proper adjustable stand is far less useful, because angle is most of the ergonomics.
- Three and a half thousand dollars plus a stand plus a computer capable of driving it is a serious total, and a good iPad plus a pen covers a meaningful share of the same use cases for a fraction of it.
- Pen displays run warm under your hand. That is inherent to drawing on a screen and some artists find it uncomfortable over long sessions.
- The bundled software is trials rather than licences. Budget for the applications you actually use.
What owners report
Owner reports on the Cintiq Pro 27 are strong on the display and on pen feel, with the 120Hz panel repeatedly singled out as the thing that makes it feel different from older Cintiqs. The consistent criticisms are the price, the separately sold stand and the heat under the hand, all of which are inherent to the category.
Colour accuracy is a large part of what you are paying for, so treat it as a reference display and calibrate it. Our colour calibration basics and colour accuracy guide cover what the numbers mean and how to keep them.
Test the panel properly when it arrives. Our colour accuracy test and monitor testing guide cover dead pixels and uniformity, and at this price the return window is the only leverage you have.
Who it suits
- Professional illustrators, animators and retouchers who draw directly on screen.
- Anyone whose work requires both drawing input and a colour-accurate display, where a Cintiq replaces two purchases.
- Studios where the machine driving it already exists.
Who should skip it
- Hobbyists, for whom a tablet with a pen covers most of the same ground at a fraction of the cost.
- Anyone without a computer capable of driving 4K at 120Hz.
- Buyers who have not budgeted for the stand.
Alternatives worth considering
Delta E under 1, hardware calibration and 1600 nits peak on a 32-inch mini LED panel. If you need colour accuracy but not pen input, this is a better display for less money.
Check price on AmazonA pen display is a peripheral. If the machine driving it is the bottleneck, 64GB of unified memory and a 40-core GPU is what removes it, and the XDR panel is a decent reference on its own.
Check price on AmazonListed again to make the point plainly: the stand is generally a separate purchase, and a pen display at a fixed flat angle is far less comfortable than one you can position. Price it in before deciding.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
Is a Cintiq a computer?
No. It is a display with a pen digitiser built in, and it connects to a computer that does all the work. You need a machine with the right video output capable of driving a 4K display at 120Hz, plus the applications you intend to use. Check your ports before ordering.
Does it come with a stand?
The stand is generally a separate purchase and it is a significant one. A pen display used at a fixed flat angle is uncomfortable over a working day, so the stand is closer to essential than optional. Price it in when comparing against alternatives.
Cintiq or an iPad with a pen?
An iPad with a good stylus covers a large share of illustration work for a fraction of the price, is portable and is a complete computer on its own. A Cintiq gives you a much larger drawing surface, a colour-accurate reference display and direct connection to your desktop applications. Professional workflows generally favour the Cintiq; everything else favours the tablet.
Does 120Hz matter for drawing?
Yes, more than for most uses. Pen latency is what makes a digital line feel artificial, and refresh rate is one component of that. Doubling the refresh rate is the single most noticeable change from previous Cintiq generations according to owner reports.
Should I calibrate it?
Yes, if colour accuracy is part of why you bought it. A 99 percent Adobe RGB panel is only accurate if it is calibrated and kept calibrated, and panels drift over time. Our calibration basics guide covers the process and what a colorimeter actually does.
Keep reading
- Monitor colour calibration basics
- Colour accuracy guide
- How to test a monitor before buying
- Colour accuracy test
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- MacBook Pro M3 Max 16 inch review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.