Wacom Tablet Input Lag with HDMI Plugged In

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Wacom Tablet Input Lag with HDMI Plugged In

I have recently upgrade from a mid-2012 i7 MBP to a A1990 (2.4GHz i9 with 32GB of RAM) and experiencing input lag on my Wacom Pro tablet when a HDMI monitor is plugged in. Here is the setup:

USB-C port (top right) connected to a powered USB 3.0 hub via a USB-C to USB 3.0 full size cable. On the hub is the Wacom Pro Small and a 7200 RPM external drive. (This was the same setup with my previous setup except with a USB3.0 to 3.0 full size cable)

USB-C port (bottom right) connected to a break-out box with RJ45 and HDMI

With HDMI plugged in, for about every 5-8 seconds, the cursor will freeze on screen for about a second while moving the stylist. However, track pad on the MBP resume seamless movement. As soon as unplugged the HDMI, the lag went away.

I assume this is a USB controller bandwidth issue? Is there separate controller for left and right side USB-C port? or anyway to run RJ-45 and monitor out without sacrificing USB bandwidth (which I assume is no)

As an imaging professional, second monitor and stylist input as well as running external harddrive is critical for my work.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Jun 10, 2020 7:05 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 2, 2020 8:32 AM in response to dmitriypopov

Why do I have difficulty with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices when USB 3 devices are attached to my computer?

Some USB 3 devices can generate radio frequency interference that can cause Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices operating in the 2.4GHz band to have issues communicating with your computer. Here are some tips to avoid this issue:

• If your USB device has a cable long enough that you can move the device, place it away from your Mac—and make sure not to place it behind your Mac, or near the hinge of its display. The antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are located there, and USB 3 devices placed there might interfere with your wireless connections.

• If you're using adapters or dongles on a Mac computer with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, plug them into the front port on the left side of your Mac, or into the ports on the right side (if your computer has them). These ports are the farthest away from the antennas, making interference less likely.

• To avoid interference on the 2.4GHz band using Wi-Fi, try using the 5GHz band instead. You can change this on your wireless base station. Bluetooth always uses 2.4GHz, so this alternative isn't available for Bluetooth.

--from older Apple article on the subject, no longer available.

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Answer 2

dmitriypopov Author

Level 1

23 points

Jul 2, 2020 8:14 AM in response to MoonJ.

Thank you for your reply, MoonJ

After using this laptop further, and experimenting different monitor option (HDMI and VGA) the problem persist. The problem immediately resolve every time as I unplugged the second monitor.

I had performed a SMC reset as well as acquired Wacom latest driver update on June 29, nothing appear to resolve the issue. And now, I am having color space jump occasionally while I am in Lightroom Classic when my cursor hoover between different development sliders and viewing space on both the MBP screen as well as the second monitor (VGA). The issue can be resolve briefly when I relaunch LrC, but it comes back after a round trip edit via PhotoShop 2020. I have also verified that Night Shift color calibration is disable.

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Answer 3

MoonJ.

Community Specialist

Jun 12, 2020 4:09 PM in response to dmitriypopov

Hello dmitriypopov,

Thank you for reaching out in Apple Support Communities. I understand you're experiencing a slow response on a tablet, when an external display is connected to your Mac through an HDMI cable.

Using your favorite accessories with your Mac is important to complete your projects. I'll be happy to help.

If you haven't tried yet, I recommend to reset the system management controller (SMC) to see if you notice any improvements with the speed of your tablet. Performing this step can resolve certain issues related to the power and more. Here's additional information, along with the appropriate steps to take: How to reset the SMC of your Mac

In addition, I suggest to ensure that you have the latest macOS driver for Wacom: Wacom - Product Resources

Kind regards.

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Wacom Tablet Input Lag with HDMI Plugged In

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