The Raspberry Pi 500 Kit is a Raspberry Pi 5 computer built into a mechanical keyboard, with a quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A76 processor, 16 GB RAM and 256 GB NVMe storage on the 500+ model. The closest Thinvent alternatives are the Thinvent Treo Mini PC range, which uses x86 Intel and AMD processors and is sold as a standalone mini PC that you connect to your own keyboard and display.
Raspberry Pi 500 vs Thinvent Treo Mini PC
| Raspberry Pi 500+ | Thinvent Treo Mini PC, Intel Core i3-1215U | Thinvent Treo Mini PC, Intel Celeron N5095A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Arm Cortex-A76, 4 cores (2.4 GHz) | Intel Core i3-1215U | Intel Celeron N5095A |
| Cores/Threads | 4 cores | 6 cores | 4 cores |
| RAM | Up to 16 GB | Up to 64 GB | Up to 32 GB |
| Storage | Up to 256 GB NVMe | Up to 2 TB SSD | Up to 2 TB SSD |
| Form Factor | Keyboard with built-in computer | Mini PC | Mini PC |
| Operating System | Raspberry Pi OS | Windows 11 Pro (also Windows 11 IoT Value, Ubuntu Linux, Thinux Embedded Linux, Without OS, DOS) | Windows 11 Pro (also Windows 11 IoT, Ubuntu Linux, Thinux Embedded Linux, Without OS, DOS) |
| Displays | Up to 2 | HDMI 1, VGA 1 | HDMI 1, VGA 1 |
| Wireless | Not confirmed | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), dual band, or no Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), dual band, or no Wi-Fi |
| Ethernet | Not confirmed | 1000 Mbps | 1000 Mbps |
Key differences
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The Thinvent Treo supports up to 64 GB RAM and up to 2 TB SSD, well above the Raspberry Pi 500+ maximum of 16 GB RAM and 256 GB storage.
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The Thinvent Treo Mini PC with Intel Core i3-1215U has 6 cores, against 4 cores on the Raspberry Pi 500+.
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The Thinvent Treo runs Windows 11 Pro and has Ubuntu Linux and other operating systems, while the Raspberry Pi 500 runs Raspberry Pi OS.
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The Raspberry Pi 500 includes a built-in keyboard and a mouse, USB-C power supply and HDMI cable in the Desktop Kit. The Thinvent Treo is a standalone mini PC, so you supply your own keyboard, mouse and display.
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The Raspberry Pi 500 uses an ARM processor. The Thinvent Treo uses Intel and AMD x86 processors.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Raspberry Pi 500 Kit if you want an all-in-one keyboard computer running Raspberry Pi OS for learning, education and light desktop work. Choose the Thinvent Treo Mini PC if you need more RAM and storage, a higher core count, Windows 11 Pro or another x86 operating system, or a compact PC that connects to your own peripherals.
