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Spent $120 on a drawing tablet that died after 3 months

Bought a cheaper tablet off Amazon to save some cash for my digital art hobby. Worked fine at first, then the pen started losing connection, then the screen got lines through it. Manufacturer offered a 15% discount on a new one. Had to go back to my old mouse and keyboard setup. Has anyone found a budget tablet that actually lasts?
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4 Comments
hugo_bennett
hugo_bennett25d agoMost Upvoted
jennyp19 saying "three months is right around when capacitors start failing"... I'm not so sure about that being the main reason. I've had cheap electronics die at all sorts of random times, not just three months in. It kind of sounds like confirmation bias to me, where people only notice the failures that fit that timeline. Plus, if a powered hub actually fixed it, that's more of a power draw issue than a planned capacitor failure thing. I think the real problem is just cheap components that go bad whenever they feel like it... sometimes they last a year, sometimes a week.
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jennyp19
jennyp192mo ago
The real issue might be the power delivery through the USB port. Those cheaper tablets often draw more power than a standard USB port can handle, especially if you're using a hub or an older computer. Three months is right around when capacitors start failing from underpowered conditions. A powered USB hub with its own AC adapter seems to solve the problem for a lot of people, even with budget tablets. That's what I did with my Huion and it's been going strong for two years.
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the_margaret
jenny nailed it with the power delivery thing. I had the same problem with a cheap tablet that died at month three, right on schedule. Switched to a powered hub with its own wall plug and the thing is still working a year later. Capacitors really do give out fast when they don't get enough juice. It's such a simple fix that nobody warns you about. Anyone else have the same luck with a powered hub?
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reesemiller
Wait, three months is exactly when the capacitors fail?
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