Recently, I started studying for a new certification. While doing so, I quickly realized how tedious the “analog” ritual of preparing paper notebooks and pens can be. Typing mathematical formulas on a keyboard is especially inefficient, and I found myself craving a digital handwriting environment where I could just pick up a pen and start writing.
While there are already great tools for system design and architecture diagrams, my goal this time was specifically to make “taking study notes” more comfortable.
After some careful consideration, the device I chose wasn’t an iPad or an Android tablet—it was the Wacom One Pen Display 14 (DTC141W0).
In this post, I’ll share why I reached that conclusion, the slightly challenging journey of connecting a pen display to a custom desktop PC with a single USB-C cable, and my hands-on impressions so far.
What I Valued in a Device: Long-term Use
When you think of a handwriting environment, the first thing that comes to mind is a tablet device like the iPad, right? In fact, that was my first choice too.
The ability to carry it anywhere and write without cables is very attractive. However, as an engineer, I couldn’t stop worrying about “performance in a few years.”
Concerns about Tablet Longevity (OS, CPU, Battery)
Tablets are convenient, but after a few years, OS updates often stop, and even high-performance CPUs can start to feel sluggish with newer apps. On top of that, battery life inevitably degrades over time. I felt it was a bit wasteful that the “internals” of the device would reach their end of life while the beautiful display was still perfectly fine. High-end models are also quite expensive, and the thought that they might become obsolete in just a few years made me hesitate.
Leveraging the Power of My Main PC
I also wanted to channel the raw power of my high-performance desktop PC directly into my handwriting notes. An environment where I can use a large monitor and a full-featured browser while taking notes—that was my ideal.
The “Pen Display” Alternative
That’s how I arrived at the idea of using a “Pen Display” connected to a PC. A pen display offers benefits that independent tablets simply can’t match:
- Near-lifelong Reliability: Since a pen display is essentially a monitor with pen input, I can keep using it even if I upgrade my PC.
- Always at Peak Performance: By leveraging the PC’s side apps and browser, there’s no need to worry about lag or processing limits.
I chose the Wacom One 14, released in late 2023. The main factors were the reliability of the Wacom brand—trusted by professional artists—its affordable price point, and the perfect 14-inch size for note-taking.
As for the screen protector, I decided to apply one right from the start. I wanted to protect the expensive display from scratches for long-term use and also improve the writing feel.
Custom PC and ThunderboltEX 4: The One-Cable Challenge
Once the device was chosen, I faced a hurdle unique to custom PC users: my PC (Motherboard: ASUS TUF GAMING H670-PRO WIFI D4 / GPU: RTX 3050) didn’t have a USB Type-C port capable of video output.
While Wacom sells a 3-in-1 cable, I wanted a cleaner setup and future expandability. So, I decided to add an ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 expansion card to my PC, allowing me to connect the pen display with just a single USB-C cable.
A Bit of a Puzzle during Installation
Adding a Thunderbolt card to a custom PC was a bit of a hardware puzzle:
- Checking Physical Slots: Fortunately, the bottom-most PCIe slot was vacant. Since it was the very last expansion slot available, I managed to fit it in just in time.
- Motherboard Connections: You don’t just plug in the card; you also need to wire the
TB_HEADERand a USB 2.0 header. The markings on the motherboard were quite hard to see, but I managed to locate and connect them successfully. - Video Loopback: On the back of the PC, you need to connect a cable from the GPU’s DisplayPort to the expansion card’s
Mini DP IN. - BIOS Settings: Finally, I had to enable Thunderbolt in the BIOS settings.
With all that done, the OS booted up, the drivers installed, and the Thunderbolt controller was recognized without a hitch.
Hands-on Impressions: Studying Just Got More Fun
Thanks to the card, the pen display is connected to my PC with just the single USB-C cable that came with the Wacom. This cable is surprisingly long, reaching my desk comfortably even though the PC case is tucked away on the floor.
Since the setup acts as a “display extension,” I just drag my note-taking app window over to the Wacom screen. This is incredibly useful: I can keep e-books or reference materials open on my large main monitor while taking notes on the Wacom screen in front of me.
Previously, I had to draw diagrams in tools like draw.io and then embed them into Outline (my knowledge-sharing tool). This “1-hop or 2-hop” process was a bit of a flow-breaker. Now, I can write and draw directly while staying focused at my desk, with zero interruptions.
As a resident of the self-hosted community, I’m quite picky about wanting to sync and save my handwritten data directly to my own server. I’m still on the lookout for the “perfect note-taking app” that meets all these needs, but the hardware environment itself is now top-notch.
One Small Catcher
While the setup is great, there’s one minor issue I’m currently investigating. Occasionally, when I turn on the Wacom, I have to unplug and replug the USB-C cable once for the video signal to be recognized.
I suspect this is likely a bug related to the ASUS motherboard or Thunderbolt card’s control logic. If you’re thinking of setting up a similar environment, be prepared for these kinds of minor “compatibility quirks.”
Summary
The total cost for this setup was approximately 52,000 JPY:
- Wacom One 14 Unit: ~35,000 JPY
- ASUS ThunderboltEX 4: ~15,000 JPY
- Screen Protector: ~2,000 JPY
- Total: ~52,000 JPY
Although it took a bit of effort, I’ve successfully built a long-lasting digital handwriting environment that lets me leverage the full power of my desktop PC.
From now on, I’ll be using this Wacom display as my partner for my daily studies. My first task is to take my time finding the “note-taking app” that feels just right for me.
