The HP t5550 Thin Client is a compact tower thin client built around a VIA Nano U3500 processor clocked at 1 GHz, shipped with Windows Embedded CE 6.0. For pfSense firewall deployments, Thinvent's Treo Mini PC line offers a substantially more capable alternative, with Intel Core i3 processors, up to 64 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of SSD storage, plus dual LAN options.
HP t5550 Thin Client vs Thinvent Treo Mini PC Range
| Feature | HP t5550 Thin Client | Thinvent Treo Mini PC, Intel Celeron N5095A | Thinvent Treo Mini PC, Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | VIA Nano U3500 | Intel Celeron N5095A | Intel Core i3-1215U |
| Cores/Threads | Not stated | 4 cores | 6 cores |
| Max Frequency | 1 GHz | Up to 2.9 GHz | Up to 4.4 GHz |
| RAM | Not stated | Up to 8 GB | Up to 64 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB to 256 GB NAND flash (M.2 module) | Up to 2 TB SSD | Up to 2 TB SSD |
| Networking | RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet | Not stated | Dual LAN available; Dual Band Wi-Fi available |
| Form Factor | Compact tower | Mini PC | Mini PC |
| Operating System | Windows Embedded CE 6.0 (preinstalled) | DOS | DOS |
Key differences
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Processing power: The Thinvent Treo Mini PC with Intel Core i3-1215U offers 6 cores running up to 4.4 GHz, compared with the HP t5550's 1 GHz VIA Nano U3500.
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Memory: Thinvent Treo Mini PCs support up to 64 GB of RAM, a much larger ceiling than the RAM options stated for the HP t5550.
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Storage: Thinvent Treo Mini PCs offer SSD storage up to 2 TB, against the 32 GB to 256 GB NAND flash range listed for the HP t5550.
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Networking: The Thinvent Treo Mini PC with Core i3-1215U is available with Dual LAN, and Dual Band Wi-Fi is an option on several configurations.
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Trade-off: The HP t5550 is a purpose-built thin client with a preinstalled Windows CE 6.0 environment and HP Easy Tools for simple deployment. Thinvent Treo Mini PCs ship with DOS, so the operating system is a choice the buyer makes for their pfSense setup.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the HP t5550 if you need a lightweight, Windows CE thin client for basic access tasks with HP's management tools. Choose a Thinvent Treo Mini PC if you are deploying pfSense or another firewall or network appliance that benefits from more processing power, more RAM, larger storage and dual LAN ports.
