The HP t520 is a compact flexible thin client built on an AMD G-Series system-on-chip, with up to 8 GB of DDR3L memory and 64 GB of solid-state flash storage. For firewall and appliance-style deployments, the closest Thinvent alternative is the Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client, which uses a quad-core ARM Cortex A53 processor with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage, plus Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
HP t520 vs Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client
| HP t520 | Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | AMD G-Series SoC | ARM Cortex A53 |
| Cores/Threads | Dual core | 4 cores |
| Max Frequency | 1.0 to 1.4 GHz | Up to 2.0 GHz |
| RAM | Up to 8 GB DDR3L | 2 GB |
| Storage | Up to 64 GB flash | 16 GB eMMC |
| Wireless | Not stated | Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 |
| Operating system | Not stated | Thinux Embedded Linux |
| Power TDP | 6 W | Not stated |
Key differences
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The Thinvent Micro 5R has four cores against the t520's dual core, giving more processing headroom for network and firewall tasks.
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The Thinvent Micro 5R includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5, which the t520 does not list in the provided details.
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The t520 offers more memory, with up to 8 GB against the Micro 5R's 2 GB, and more storage at up to 64 GB.
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The Micro 5R includes HDMI 2.0 and a speaker output, and ships with Thinux Embedded Linux.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the HP t520 if you need more RAM and storage for a general thin client workload. Choose the Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client if you want more cores, built-in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth, and an embedded Linux image for a compact pfSense-style deployment.
