Choosing a PC for OPNsense
OPNsense runs on standard PC hardware. The main hardware factors are the CPU, RAM, mass storage, and the number and quality of network interfaces. Usage with hundreds of thousands of connections needs more memory. Current OPNsense documentation lists a 1 GHz dual-core CPU and 3 GB of RAM as the minimum for standard features that do not need disk writes. It lists 4 GB of RAM and a 40 GB SSD as a reasonable specification. The recommended configuration is a 1.5 GHz multi-core CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and a 120 GB SSD.
Key Specifications to Check
Match the CPU and RAM to the traffic load. Choose a 16 GB or 32 GB model for larger connection counts, and an SSD for mass storage. Check the number of network ports, because each interface carries traffic to a separate network segment. The minimum specification does not write to disk, which suits flash media with write cycle limits.
Hardware Comparison
| Model | Processor | Cores | Max Frequency | RAM | Storage | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thinvent Industrial PC IPC5 (i5-1240P) | Intel Core i5-1240P | 12 | 4.4 GHz | 16 GB | 512 GB SSD | No WiFi |
| Thinvent Industrial PC IPC5 (i7-1255U, Dual LAN) | Intel Core i7-1255U | 10 | 4.7 GHz | 16 GB | 512 GB SSD | Dual LAN, Dual Band WiFi |
| Thinvent Industrial PC IPC5 (i7-1255U, Dual LAN) | Intel Core i7-1255U | 10 | 4.7 GHz | 32 GB | 1 TB SSD | Dual LAN, No WiFi |
| Thinvent Industrial PC IPC5 (i5-1240P) | Intel Core i5-1240P | 12 | 4.4 GHz | 32 GB | 1 TB SSD | Dual Band WiFi |
| Thinvent Industrial PC IPC3 | Intel Core i3-1215U | 6 | 4.4 GHz | 8 GB | 256 GB SSD | No WiFi |
Thinvent Products for OPNsense
Thinvent has industrial PCs that suit OPNsense deployments. The Thinvent Industrial PC IPC5 models use Intel Core i5-1240P and Core i7-1255U processors. They provide 16 GB or 32 GB of DDR4 RAM and 512 GB or 1 TB SSD storage. The Thinvent Industrial PC IPC5 with Dual LAN has two network ports for separate network segments. The Thinvent Industrial PC IPC3 uses an Intel Core i3-1215U processor with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. The Thinvent range does not include an Intel N100 or N150 processor.
