The IPC-7120 is an Advantech desktop and wallmount chassis for ATX motherboards. It has a front I/O interface, four to seven expansion slots and a shockproof drive bay. It is a chassis, not a complete computer, so it needs a motherboard, processor, memory and storage. The closest complete alternative from Thinvent is the IPC5 Industrial PC family, which ships with an Intel processor, RAM, SSD and a choice of operating system, in a fanless aluminium housing.
IPC-7120 vs Thinvent IPC5 Industrial PC
| IPC-7120 (Advantech) | Thinvent IPC5, Intel Core i5 12th 1240P | Thinvent IPC5, Intel Core i5 14th 120U | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Not supplied (ATX motherboard required) | Intel Core i5 12th Gen 1240P, 12 cores | Intel Core i5 14th Gen 120U, 10 cores |
| Cores/Threads | Not applicable | 12 cores | 10 cores |
| RAM | Not supplied | Up to 64 GB | Up to 32 GB |
| Storage | Two 3.5" HDD bays and one 5.25" ODD bay | Up to 2 TB SSD | Up to 2 TB SSD |
| Form Factor | Desktop/wallmount ATX chassis | Industrial PC | Industrial PC |
| Operating System | Not supplied | Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 IoT Value, Ubuntu Linux, Thinux™ Embedded Linux, Without OS, DOS | Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 IoT Value, Ubuntu Linux, Thinux™ Embedded Linux, Without OS, DOS |
| Cooling | Not specified in the facts | Fanless passive cooling | Fanless passive cooling |
| Housing | Not confirmed | Aluminium, powder-coated base, anodised cover | Aluminium, powder-coated base, anodised cover |
| Wireless | Not applicable | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), dual band, or no Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), dual band, or no Wi-Fi |
| Mounting | Desktop or wall mount | VESA mount | VESA mount |
Key differences
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The Thinvent IPC5 is a complete industrial PC with processor, memory and SSD included. The IPC-7120 is a chassis that the buyer fills with a motherboard and components.
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The Thinvent IPC5 with Intel Core i5 12th Gen 1240P supports up to 64 GB RAM, and the Intel Core i5 14th Gen 120U model supports up to 32 GB RAM.
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The Thinvent IPC5 uses a fanless passive cooling design with no fan to clean or replace, while we could not confirm the IPC-7120's cooling method.
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The IPC-7120 has a 5.25" optical drive bay and two 3.5" HDD bays, which the Thinvent IPC5 does not have. The Thinvent IPC5 stores data on an M.2 SSD of up to 2 TB.
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The IPC-7120 supports four to seven half-size add-on cards. The Thinvent IPC5 does not offer add-on card slots.
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The Thinvent IPC5 has a choice of Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 IoT Value, Ubuntu Linux, Thinux™ Embedded Linux, or no operating system.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the IPC-7120 if you are building a custom system around an ATX motherboard and need several half-size expansion cards or drive bays. Choose the Thinvent IPC5 if you want a ready-to-deploy, fanless industrial PC with a processor, memory, SSD and operating system already fitted.
