HP Compaq t5000 vs Thinvent Thin Clients for pfSense

The HP Compaq t5000 is a thin client that connects over a network to a server running Windows Terminal Server or Citrix MetaFrame. Its RAM sits in a 200-pin DDR SODIMM socket, and it does not ship with memory fitted as standard. For buyers looking for a fanless thin client for pfSense firewall deployment, the closest Thinvent option is the Thinvent Neo S Thin Client, which pairs an Intel Celeron J1900 with 4 GB to 8 GB of RAM and 32 GB to 256 GB of SSD storage.

HP Compaq t5000 vs Thinvent Neo S Thin Client and Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client

Thinvent product links:

• Thinvent Neo S Thin Client

• Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client

Key differences

• Thinvent Neo S offers RAM of 4 GB to 8 GB and SSD storage of 32 GB to 256 GB, with the Intel Celeron J1900 processor's 4 cores up to 2.4 GHz.

• Thinvent Micro 5R uses a 4-core ARM Cortex A53 processor up to 2.0 GHz and adds Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth, which the HP Compaq t5000 page does not describe.

• The HP Compaq t5000 is designed around Windows Terminal Server and Citrix MetaFrame environments, whereas the Thinvent models run DOS or Thinux Embedded Linux.

• Thinvent models are offered with a choice of RAM and storage, so buyers can size the unit to their workload.

Which one should you choose?

For a pfSense firewall deployment, the Thinvent Neo S Thin Client offers the more generous memory and storage options of the two Thinvent models. The Thinvent Micro 5R suits buyers who need built-in wireless connectivity on a compact ARM platform. Buyers who need the Windows Terminal Server or Citrix MetaFrame environment the HP Compaq t5000 was built for should check that compatibility directly before choosing an alternative.

Buy the Thinvent alternative

• Thinvent Neo S Thin Client, Intel Celeron J1900

• Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client, ARM Cortex A53