The Radxa ROCK 3C is an ARM single-board computer built around the Rockchip RK3566 processor, with four Cortex-A55 cores, on-board WiFi and one Gigabit Ethernet port. The Thinvent Micro 6 Pro Mini PC and the Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client are the closest Thinvent ARM alternatives. The Micro 6 Pro uses the same Amlogic S905X3 chip as the Radxa ROCK 3C's closest Thinvent counterpart line, and has four Cortex-A55 cores, dual antenna WiFi and a fanless aluminium housing.
Radxa ROCK 3C vs Thinvent Micro 6 Pro and Micro 5R
| Radxa ROCK 3C | Thinvent Micro 6 Pro Mini PC | Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Rockchip RK3566 | Amlogic S905X3 (Cortex-A55) | Rockchip RK3528 (Cortex-A53) |
| Cores | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Max Frequency | Up to 1.6 GHz | 1.9 GHz | 2.0 GHz |
| RAM | 32-bit LPDDR4 (Not confirmed) | 4 GB | 2 GB |
| Storage | Not confirmed | 32 GB eMMC | 16 GB eMMC |
| Form Factor | Single-board computer, 85mm × 56mm | Mini PC | Thin Client |
| Operating System | Not confirmed | Thinux™ Embedded Linux | Thinux™ Embedded Linux |
| Wireless | On-board WiFi / BT | Dual antenna Wi-Fi, dual band | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), dual band, Bluetooth 5 |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet | 100 Mbps | 100 Mbps |
| Cooling | Not confirmed | Fanless passive cooling | Fanless passive cooling |
| Housing | Not confirmed | Aluminium, anodised | Aluminium, powder coated |
Key differences
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The Thinvent Micro 6 Pro has 4 GB of RAM, twice the 2 GB of the Micro 5R, and a faster maximum frequency of 1.9 GHz.
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The Thinvent Micro 6 Pro ships with a 4 GB RAM and 32 GB eMMC configuration, and includes a keyboard and mouse set.
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The Thinvent Micro 5R supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5, and both Thinvent models are fanless with aluminium housings.
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The Radxa ROCK 3C has a Gigabit Ethernet port, while both Thinvent models have a 100 Mbps Ethernet port.
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The Radxa ROCK 3C has a 40-pin expansion header, PCIe 2.0 and MIPI DSI/CSI connectors. We could not confirm equivalent expansion connectors for the Thinvent models from the details we hold.
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The Radxa ROCK 3C is a bare single-board computer, while the Thinvent models are complete mini PCs or thin clients with a housing and keyboard and mouse set.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Radxa ROCK 3C if you are building a custom board project and need its 40-pin expansion header and PCIe 2.0. Choose the Thinvent Micro 6 Pro Mini PC if you need a ready-to-use, fanless ARM mini PC with 4 GB of RAM and dual antenna WiFi. Choose the Thinvent Micro 5R Thin Client if you need Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 in a fanless thin client.
