If you are looking for the best fanless industrial PCs under $500, look no further. The embedded market for industrial use is vast and our post is not going to cover an exhaustive list for this niche. However, we are only going to list out the ones which are cost-effective, fanless and passively cooled.
Fanless mini form factor industrial PC is pretty handy for professional workplaces. They make zero noise and do not require any substantial space on the work desk. In fact, you can simply mount these mini machines behind your desktop screen. Despite being small in size, these are capable of doing everything an average computer can do. Other than workplaces and offices, these mini computers can be used for personal entertainment, as the multimedia device, set-top box and everything else you can imagine for an average computer. Today, we will be discussing some of the best of these little beasts, and list out their capabilities. So without any further delay, here we bring our list:
Best Fanless Industrial PCs
1. MitX PC D2500CCE:
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Based on how it performs, we can call it a big PC in a small enclosure. It is a great mini computer that can be used both as a gateway device or as a simple PC for basic functionalities like web browsing. The only additional cost you will have to bear will be for a good Solid state drive. It supports several types of operating systems, but for a desktops, it will do well with Windows 7 32 bit edition. Following table summarizes all technical details:
| Form Factor | Mini ITX motherboard |
| Processor | Intel Atom D2500 Dual Core processor
1.86 GHz clock frequency |
| Chipset | Intel NM10 Express |
| Cache Memory | 1 MB of L2 cache |
| RAM | Supports up to 4 GB of unbuffered DDR3 RAM at 1066 / 800 MHz |
| Expansion Slots | 2x SO DIMM 204 pin 1.8V slots
1x PCI slot 1x PCIe mini card slot |
| Storage | SATA 300 connectors:
2x 7 pin Serial ATA |
| Interfaces
[Internal /External] |
3x USB 2.0 ports
1x Parallel port/slot DVI-I port, VGA port PS/2 Keyboard and mouse port Audio Line-in and Line-out ports Microphone, Serial |
| Power Connection | 24 pin main power connector |
| Connectivity | Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
2x Intel 8574L Network Controllers |
| Audio / Video | Realtek ALC662 Audio Coded
High Definition 6-channel Audio Intel GMA 3600 Graphics Processor |
| Dimension | 9.17 x 8.17 x 2.52 inches |
| Other Features | Dual Serial COM ports, Silent-Fanless solution
Fanless enclosure with mounting bracket included Keyboard wake up, Suspend to RAM, wake on LAN, Mouse wake up, wake on USB port |
| Support / Service | 3 years of limited warranty from manufacturer |
2. Shuttle XPC Slim DS67U:
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It supports multiple operating systems including most of the current Windows and Linux versions. However, it isn’t officially compatible with Windows 8 but supports windows 8.1. It uses shuttle exclusive cooling module and eliminates the requirement of a fan. It provides great stability and noiseless operations. It comes with solid industry grade capacitors guaranteed with 24/7 stable operation. Following is a quick look at some important technical aspects:
| Form Factor | Barebone slim PC, ultra small form factor |
| Processor | Intel Celeron 3855U Dual-Core Processor
1.6 GHz base clock |
| Cache Memory | 2 MB of L3 cache |
| RAM | Supports up to 32 GB of DDR3L SDRAM unbuffered memory
Dual channel memory architecture |
| Expansion Slots | 2x SO DIMM 204 pin slots
Card reader, supporting SD, SDHC, SDXC memory cards |
| Storage | 1x Serial ATA 600 storage controller channel |
| Interfaces
[Internal /External] |
1x Standard display port
1x HDMI output port |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.0, Dual band IEEE 802.11 ac/b/g/n
2x Ethernet ports Intel i219LM and I211 Ethernet Controllers Realtek RTL8821AE Wireless NIC controller |
| Audio / Video | Intel HD Graphics
High definition audio with stereo output |
| Dimension | 7.9 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches |
| Weight | 3.15 lbs |
| Other Features | Ultra low voltage power efficiency
Wake on LAN PXE support, teaming support |
| Support / Service | 3 years of warranty from the manufacturer with free lifetime technical support
VESA mount compatible with variety of operations |
3. ZOTAC ZBOX CI325 NANO UW2B:
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Like rest of the products on this list, this one also features passive cooling solution in order to deliver silent performance. It supports and is capable of handling triple display output. Moreover, native 4K output support is another good to have feature. It supports and ships with a VESA mount. The compact palm size design makes it highly portable. It is suitable and powerful enough for both industrial and personal level use. Following is a quick glance at its specifications of this little beast:
| Form Factor | Mini PC Form Factor |
| Processor | Intel Celeron N3160 Quad Core Processor
1.6 GHz base clock 2.24 GHz max turbo speed |
| Cache Memory | 2 MB of installed cache |
| RAM | 4 GB of DDR3L SDRAM at 1600 MHz
Supports up to 8 GB RAM |
| Expansion Slots | SO DIMM 240 pin slots, 1 Free / 2 total
Internal 2.5” bay, 1 free / 1 total |
| Storage | 32 GB of M.2 Solid state drive
Serial ATA 600 Storage interface controller |
| Interfaces
[Internal /External] |
3 in one card read supporting SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card
1x USB 2.0 port, 1x USB 3.0 port 1x Standard Display Port, 1x HDMI port, 1x VGA port 1x Microphone and serial port |
| Connectivity | 802.11ac Wi-Fi supports wireless LAN
Bluetooth 4.0 Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| Audio / Video | Intel HD Graphics |
| Dimension | 5.3 x 5 x 1.5 inches |
| Weight | 1.4 pounds |
| Other Features | Intel turbo boost technology
VESA mounting kit, wireless antenna Ultra small form factor Windows 10 Home 64-bit edition |
| Support / Service | Full one year of warranty from supplier |
4. Qotom Q190N Industrial Fanless Computer:
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This little computer can be used as a host, home or office computer, for library or restaurant management or any other place you can imagine where a basic yet powerful computer is required. You can simply use it anywhere without worrying about the environment since it is quite sturdy. Thank the VESA mount compatibility, it can be mounted right on the back of the monitor so your desk will look clean and neat. As far as you are using it for simple windows application use, the performance wouldn’t disappoint you. Have a look at the specs below:
| Form Factor | Mini multimedia PC |
| Processor | Intel Celeron J1900 Quad-core Processor
2 GHz base frequency 2.4 GHz turbo boost frequency |
| Chipset | Intel NM70 Chipset |
| Cache Memory | 2 MB of installed cache size |
| RAM | 8 GB of DDR3 RAM
No further update possible |
| Storage | 64 GB of MSATA Solid State Drive Storage |
| Interfaces
[Internal /External] |
1x HD video output
1x VGA output port 1x LAN port 3x USB 2.0 Plus 1x USB 3.0 port 1x Speaker port, 1x Microphone port 1x Serial port |
| Power Connection | DC 12V input port on back
12W, MAX 23W power consumption |
| Connectivity | 2x 300M Wi-Fi antennas |
| Audio / Video | Intel HD graphics
Realtek ALC 662 high definition audio coded |
| Dimension | 5.3 x 5 x 1.5 inches |
| Weight | 1.4 pounds |
| Other Features | Pre windows 7 un-activated
Windows and Linux Operating system support VESA mount included |
| Support / Service | 1 year of full warranty from the supplier |
5. Kingdel NC1037U Mini Computer:
It can be used for a variety of applications including a working shop, factory, café, bank, supermarket, reading room computer, call center, etc. The HDMI is a nice addition so that you can easily connect this computer to your HDTV and enjoy the entertainment on the bigger screen; let it be music, movies or games. It simply doesn’t make any noise since it has a fanless layout. Overall, with so many ports, the unit is great for any kind of scenarios. However, you should note that the pre-installed Windows 10 does need to be activated first. Have a quick look at some important aspects:
| Form Factor | Fanless industrial minicomputer |
| Processor | Intel Celeron 1037U Dual-Core processor
1.8 GHz base processing frequency |
| Cache Memory | 2 MB of installed cache memory |
| RAM | 8 GB of DDR3L RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB of mSATA solid state disk storage |
| Interfaces
[Internal /External] |
2x NICs, 2x RJ-45 ports
4x COM RS 232 serial ports 2x audio connectors 1x HDMI port 1x VGA port 4x USB 3.0 ports, 4x USB 2.0 ports |
| Power Connection | 1x 12V DC power input on back panel |
| Connectivity | Ethernet
Wi-Fi [ships with external Wi-Fi antennas] |
| Audio / Video | Onboard Intel HD Graphics with up to 1 GHz dynamic frequency |
| Dimension | 8.35 x 5.91 x 2 inches |
| Weight | 3 pounds |
| Other Features | Preinstalled Windows 10 Pro Edition
22 nm Lithography CPU Ships with mounting kit and Wi-Fi antennas Metal case with fanless design |
| Support / Service | Additional 3 year and 4-year protection plan available with purchase [additional costs] |
6. JETWAY HBJC311U93W-2930-B:
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Important things first, it does not ship with preinstalled RAM or any SSD/HDD for secondary storage. So, you will have to invest some extra bucks for getting quality RAM kit and SSD for secondary storage. Other than that, there is hardly anything major to worry about. Note that there are two HDMI ports, with which this little PC can handle two displays at 1920 x 1200 resolutions. Following is a quick summarization of all important specifications:
| Form Factor | Mini Computer form factor |
| Processor | Intel Celeron Baytrail N2930 quad-core CPU
1.83 GHz base processing frequency 2.16 GHz boosted frequency |
| RAM | Supports up to 8 GB of DDR3L memory at 1333 MHz |
| Expansion Slots | 1x 204 pin DDR3L 1333 SO DIMM single channel slot |
| Storage | 1x full size mSATA slot |
| Interfaces
[Internal /External] |
1x RS 232 / 422 / 485 serial COM port
1x USB 3.0, 3x USB 2.0 ports 2x HDMI ports 2x RJ-45 LAN ports 1x Audio line out with SPAM 2x SMA Connectors for Wi-Fi antenna |
| Power Connection | 36W 12V AC adapter for power connection |
| Connectivity | 802.11 b/g/n Dual-band Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.0 2x Intel 82583V Gigabit Ethernet Dual Intel Gigabit LAN |
| Audio / Video | 7th Gen Intel HD graphics
Realtek ALC887 Audio Coded with SPDIF output |
| Dimension | 4.6 x 4.3 x 1.9 inches |
| Weight | 2 pounds |
| Other Features | Supports dual display up to 1920 x 1200
Embedded Intel Baytrail NUC Barebone CPU Fanless layout, watchdog timer Ships with wall mount, VESA mount, and DIN rail mount clip + kit |
| Support / Service | 3 years and 4 years of additional protection purchasable with additional cost |
7. Qotom Q190G4 Industrial Fanless Computer:
It supports a variety of operating systems including Windows 7/8/10, Linux and pf-Sense, which makes it suitable for industrial use as well as for commercial, household, personal and office use. The fanless design assists it to deliver silent performance even at peak loads. It is equipped with four LAN ports that can be used for Wi-Fi router, pf-Sense, CentOS for low power consumption. We can imagine this being used as a firewall appliance, IoT gateways etc. It also runs pretty nicely with Sophos XG Firewall. Many people complained about it not having HDMI port. For me, VGA is doing the job pretty nicely. Following table summarizes all important aspects:
| Form Factor | Mini Multimedia PC / Mini Computer |
| Processor | Intel Celeron J1900 Quad-core processor
2 GHz base processing frequency 2.41 GHz boosted frequency |
| Cache Memory | 2 MB of installed cache memory |
| RAM | 8 GB of DDR3 RAM at 1333 / 1600 MHz
No further upgrade possible Single slot only |
| Storage | 128 GB of M-SATA Solid state drive storage
mSATA SSD/2.5 inch supports up to 256 GB of storage drive |
| Interfaces
[Internal /External] |
4x RJ 45 LAN port
4x USB ports 1x VGA output port |
| Power Connection | 1x DC 12 V power input connector
10 W power consumption |
| Connectivity | 4x Intel I211 AT Gigabit LAN controller |
| Audio / Video | Onboard Intel HD Graphics |
| Dimension | 5.3 x 5 x 1.5 inches |
| Weight | 1.8 pounds |
| Other Features | Optional Wi-Fi with USB signal wireless Wi-Fi card
LED indicators for power connection and HDD on front panel |
| Support / Service | Optional 3 years / 4 years protection available with purchase [additional costs applied] |
Conclusion:
We hope you like our article on the best fanless Industrial PC (s) available on the market. Questions and suggestions are welcome in the comment section below.
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