The HP t628 Thin Client is a compact thin client built around an Intel Celeron J1900 processor (4 cores, 2.0 GHz base, 2.42 GHz burst), with a single DDR3L SODIMM slot supporting up to 8 GB and solid-state M.2 storage with an optional 2.5" SATA drive. For pfSense firewall deployments that need a quiet, fanless-style footprint, the closest Thinvent alternatives are the Thinvent Neo S Thin Client with the same Intel Celeron J1900 processor, and the Thinvent Treo Mini PC range, which offers Intel and AMD processors with considerably more memory and storage.
HP t628 Thin Client vs Thinvent Neo S and Treo Mini PC Range
| Feature | HP t628 Thin Client | Thinvent Neo S Thin Client | Thinvent Treo Mini PC (Intel Core i3-1215U) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Celeron J1900 | Intel Celeron J1900 | Intel Core i3-1215U |
| Cores/Threads | 4 cores | 4 cores | 6 cores |
| Max Frequency | 2.42 GHz (burst) | Up to 2.4 GHz | Up to 4.4 GHz |
| RAM | Up to 8 GB (single SODIMM) | 4 GB to 8 GB | 4 GB to 64 GB |
| Storage | M.2 solid-state, optional 2.5" SATA HDD | 32 GB to 256 GB SSD | 128 GB to 2 TB SSD |
| Form Factor | Thin client | Thin client | Mini PC |
| Wireless | Optional Wi-Fi | No WiFi | Dual Band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or No WiFi |
| Operating System | HP Smart Zero Core, HP ThinPro, Windows Embedded Standard 7E, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise | DOS | DOS |
Key differences
-
The Thinvent Treo Mini PC supports up to 64 GB of RAM, compared with a maximum of 8 GB on the HP t628, which is useful for larger firewall and logging workloads.
-
The Thinvent Treo Mini PC offers up to 2 TB of SSD storage, while the HP t628 relies on M.2 solid-state modules or an optional 2.5" SATA drive.
-
The Thinvent Treo Mini PC uses a 6-core Intel Core i3-1215U processor with a higher maximum frequency than the 4-core Celeron J1900 in the HP t628.
-
The Thinvent Neo S matches the HP t628's Intel Celeron J1900 processor and 4-core design, with 4 GB to 8 GB of RAM and 32 GB to 256 GB of SSD storage.
-
The HP t628 includes legacy ports such as four serial ports, a parallel port and PS/2 connectors, which may matter for some industrial equipment. The HP t628 also carries a limited three-year hardware warranty in most regions.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the HP t628 if you need a thin client with legacy serial and parallel connectivity and HP's management software ecosystem. Choose the Thinvent Neo S if you want a like-for-like Celeron J1900 platform for light pfSense duties. Choose a Thinvent Treo Mini PC if your firewall deployment needs more memory, storage and processing headroom.
