The Advantech ARK-3500 is a fanless industrial box PC built on 3rd Gen Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. It has three independent displays (DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort) and supports up to 16 GB of DDR3 memory. The Thinvent IPC5 with Intel Core i7-1255U is the closest match: it is also a fanless Industrial PC, it drives its display outputs from a 12th Gen Intel processor, and it supports up to 64 GB of DDR4 memory.
Advantech ARK-3500 vs Thinvent IPC5 (Intel Core i7-1255U)
| Advantech ARK-3500 | Thinvent IPC5, Intel Core i7-1255U | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7 (3rd Gen, i7-3610QM) | Intel Core i7-1255U (12th Gen) |
| Cores/Threads | 4 cores | 10 cores, up to 4.7 GHz |
| RAM | Up to 16 GB DDR3/DDR3L | Up to 64 GB DDR4 (2 x 32 GB) |
| Storage | Not confirmed | 2 TB SSD (M.2 slot) |
| Form Factor | Industrial PC (fanless box) | Industrial PC (fanless box) |
| Operating System | Not confirmed | Microsoft Windows 11 Pro; also Windows 11 IoT Value, Ubuntu Linux, Thinux Embedded Linux, DOS or without OS |
| Displays | 3 independent (DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort) | 2 (HDMI, VGA) |
| Expansion | 2 expansion slots (PCI, PCIe x1 and x4), 2 miniPCIe slots | 2 Ethernet ports (1000 Mbps), 2 serial ports (RS232), RS485 option |
| Power | 9-34V wide-range DC input | 12V DC, 7A adapter, 100-275V AC input |
Key differences
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The Thinvent IPC5 supports up to 64 GB of RAM, four times the 16 GB maximum of the ARK-3500.
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The Thinvent IPC5 has 10 processor cores against the ARK-3500's 4, and a 12th Gen processor against 3rd Gen.
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The Thinvent IPC5 includes a 2 TB SSD in its standard configuration and lets you choose from several operating systems.
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The Thinvent IPC5 has 2 Ethernet ports, 2 RS232 serial ports and an RS485 option.
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The Advantech ARK-3500 drives three independent displays, while the Thinvent IPC5 drives two (HDMI and VGA).
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The Advantech ARK-3500 has two expansion slots for PCI and PCIe cards, which the Thinvent IPC5 does not have. The Thinvent IPC5 uses an M.2 slot for its SSD.
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The ARK-3500 has a 9-34V wide-range DC input, while the Thinvent IPC5 uses a fixed 12V DC adapter.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Advantech ARK-3500 if you need three independent displays or PCI and PCIe expansion cards. Choose the Thinvent IPC5 with Intel Core i7-1255U if you need more memory, more cores, a larger SSD, serial and Ethernet connectivity, or a choice of operating system.
