The MSI tablet is a rugged tablet line from MSI, built on Intel Core and Intel Alder Lake-N processors for data collection, diagnostics and inspection work. We could not confirm the full specifications of every MSI tablet model, so the table below compares the MSI rugged tablet line with the closest Thinvent industrial PC. The Thinvent IPC3 uses an Intel Core i3-1215U processor, which is the same processor family used in the MSI NE21 range, and it runs Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 IoT Value, Ubuntu Linux or Thinux Embedded Linux.
MSI Rugged Tablets vs Thinvent IPC3 and IPC1
| MSI Rugged Tablet line (NE21, NB41) | Thinvent IPC3, Intel Core i3-1215U | Thinvent IPC1, Intel Celeron N5095A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core (13th Gen, NE21); Intel Alder Lake-N N100/N200 (NB41) | Intel Core i3-1215U, 6 cores, up to 4.4 GHz | Intel N5095A, 4 cores, up to 2.9 GHz |
| Cores/Threads | Not confirmed | 6 cores | 4 cores |
| RAM | Not confirmed | Up to 64 GB DDR4 | Up to 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | Not confirmed | Up to 2 TB SSD | Up to 2 TB SSD |
| Form Factor | Rugged tablet (8-inch on NB41) | Industrial PC, fanless | Industrial PC, fanless |
| Operating System | Not confirmed | Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 IoT Value, Ubuntu Linux, Thinux Embedded Linux, DOS, or without OS | Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 IoT, Ubuntu Linux, Thinux Embedded Linux, DOS, or without OS |
| Cooling | Sealed, fanless design (NB41); high-efficiency cooling system (NE21) | Fanless passive cooling | Fanless passive cooling |
| Operating temperature | Not confirmed | 0°C to 50°C | 0°C to 40°C |
| Wireless | Not confirmed | Optional Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), dual band | No WiFi |
| Display | Touchscreen tablet display | HDMI and VGA outputs | HDMI and VGA outputs |
Key differences
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The Thinvent IPC3 supports up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM. We could not confirm the RAM maximum of the MSI rugged tablets.
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The Thinvent IPC3 and IPC1 come with 2 TB SSD storage. We could not confirm the storage maximum of the MSI rugged tablets.
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The Thinvent IPC3 has 6 cores, while the Thinvent IPC1 has 4 cores. We could not confirm the core count of the MSI rugged tablets.
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The Thinvent IPC3 has an optional dual-band Wi-Fi 5 module. The Thinvent IPC1 has no WiFi. We could not confirm the wireless options of the MSI rugged tablets.
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The MSI rugged tablets are touchscreen devices with a built-in display. The Thinvent IPC3 and IPC1 are industrial PCs that connect to external displays through HDMI and VGA ports and have no built-in screen.
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Both Thinvent models are fanless and built with an aluminium housing for dusty and harsh industrial settings, and both offer a choice of operating systems.
Which one should you choose?
Choose an MSI rugged tablet if you need a handheld touchscreen device for mobile data collection, inspection or point-of-sale work. Choose a Thinvent industrial PC if you need a fanless computer for a fixed or vehicle-mounted station, with more RAM, larger storage and a choice of operating systems.
