Industrial Computers: Reference Guide
| Also called | Industrial PC, IPC, embedded computer, box PC, rugged computer |
|---|---|
| Typical cooling | Fanless conduction through an aluminum chassis |
| Typical temperature range | −20 °C to 60 °C; up to −40 °C to 70 °C |
| Typical power input | Wide-range DC, e.g. 8–48 V |
| Operating systems | Windows IoT Enterprise, Linux |
| Manufacturers covered | Neousys, Cincoze, Arbor (more to follow) |
| Base price range | $481 to $2,636 (models in this reference) |
An industrial computer (industrial PC, or IPC) is a computer engineered to run continuously in harsh environments: extreme temperatures, vibration, dust, moisture, and unstable power. This reference explains how industrial PCs are built, how their specifications compare, and which models meet each requirement, using normalized data from the manufacturers' datasheets.
Industrial vs. commercial PCs
Industrial PCs differ from commercial desktop PCs in how they are cooled, powered, mounted and certified.
| Attribute | Commercial desktop PC | Industrial PC |
|---|---|---|
| Operating temperature | About 10 °C to 35 °C | Commonly −20 °C to 60 °C; up to −40 °C to 70 °C |
| Cooling | One or more fans | Usually fanless |
| Power input | AC mains via internal or external supply | Wide-range DC; optional AC adapter |
| Shock and vibration | Not specified for operation | Rated and tested, e.g. to IEC 60068 or MIL-STD-810 |
| Mounting | Desk or tower | Wall, DIN rail, VESA, vehicle frame, rack |
| I/O | USB, video, Ethernet | Adds serial (RS-232/422/485), digital I/O, CAN, PoE, multiple isolated Ethernet |
| Product life | Models change frequently | Same model available for several years |
| Certifications | Consumer safety and EMC | May add UL, EN 50155, E-Mark, marine and hazardous-location approvals |
Form factors
- Box PC (embedded computer) – a compact, sealed computer with no display, mounted near the equipment it controls. The most common industrial form factor.
- Panel PC – a computer integrated with a touchscreen, used as an operator interface (HMI) on machines and cabinets.
- Rugged tablet – a portable computer built to survive drops, water and temperature extremes.
- Rackmount industrial PC – a 19-inch rack server or workstation built with industrial components for control rooms and network cabinets.
- GPU and edge AI computer – a box PC with a discrete GPU or AI accelerator for machine vision and on-site inference.
Defining features
Fanless cooling
Most industrial PCs have no fan. The processor transfers heat into a finned aluminum enclosure, removing the most common moving-part failure and keeping dust out.
Wide operating temperature
Industrial PCs are rated to run without climate control. Of the 45 models in this reference, 17 are rated to −40 °C. Main article: Wide-temperature industrial PCs
Wide-range DC power and ignition control
A wide-range DC input lets one computer run on 12 V or 24 V power. In-vehicle models add ignition power control, which starts and shuts down the computer from the vehicle ignition signal.
Industrial I/O
Serial ports, isolated digital I/O, CAN bus, multiple Ethernet ports and Power over Ethernet connect the computer directly to sensors, cameras, PLCs and vehicle networks.
Modular expansion
Some manufacturers offer modular I/O systems, such as Neousys MezIO and Cincoze CMI, to add application-specific ports without a custom design.
Processor platforms
The processor platform sets performance, power draw and the upper temperature limit. The table summarizes the platforms in this reference.
| Platform | Typical use | Models | Base price range | Example models |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core Ultra 200S | Newest desktop-class platform; AI-capable edge workloads, machine vision | 11 | $1,324–$1,943 | DS-1500, DS-1501, DS-1502, Nuvo-11006E… |
| 12th/13th Gen Intel Core | High-performance hybrid-core systems; vision, multi-camera, control | 19 | $1,217–$2,636 | DS-1400, DS-1401, DS-1402, DV-1100… |
| Intel Core (12th/13th Gen mobile, U-series) | 15 W-class efficiency in compact fanless chassis | 5 | $773–$1,663 | DI-1200-i3, DI-1200-i5, DI-1200-i7, SB-244-11315U… |
| 10th Gen Intel Core | Mature, widely deployed platform for existing designs | 3 | $1,843–$1,938 | DS-1300, DS-1301, DS-1302 |
| Intel N-series (N97, i3-N305) | Low-power, low-cost gateways and HMI | 3 | $481–$722 | DA-1200-N97, SB-244-1N305, SB-244-1N97 |
| Intel Atom x6000E | Ultra-compact, low-power embedded control | 4 | $571–$833 | POC-40, POC-40-DIO, POC-400, POC-410 |
Reference index
Entries in this reference. Linked entries are published; the rest are planned.
Form factors
- Box PCs (embedded computers) (planned)
- Panel PCs (planned)
- Rugged tablets (planned)
- Rackmount industrial PCs (planned)
- GPU and edge AI computers (planned)
Environmental ratings
- Wide-temperature industrial PCs
- Fanless industrial PCs (planned)
- Shock and vibration ratings (planned)
- IP ratings for industrial computers (planned)
Power
- Wide-range DC input (planned)
- Ignition power control (planned)
- Power over Ethernet (PoE) in industrial PCs (planned)
Certifications
- UL Listed industrial PCs (planned)
- EN 50155 (railway) (planned)
- E-Mark (vehicle) (planned)
- MIL-STD-810 (planned)
Platforms and I/O
- Intel Core Ultra 200S industrial PCs (planned)
- Modular I/O: MezIO and CMI (planned)
- Serial ports: RS-232, RS-422, RS-485 (planned)
- CAN bus (planned)
Glossary
- Box PC
- A self-contained industrial computer in a compact rectangular chassis without a built-in display. Also called an embedded PC.
- CAN bus
- Controller Area Network, a serial bus used in vehicles and machinery for communication between controllers.
- DIN rail
- A standardized 35 mm metal rail used to mount equipment inside control cabinets.
- E-Mark
- European type approval for electronic equipment installed in road vehicles, issued under UNECE Regulation 10.
- EN 50155
- European standard for electronic equipment used on rolling stock (railway vehicles).
- Ignition power control
- A feature that turns an in-vehicle PC on and off from the vehicle's ignition signal, with configurable delays to prevent battery drain and allow safe shutdown.
- MezIO
- Neousys's mezzanine I/O interface for adding application-specific I/O modules to a system.
- Operating temperature
- The ambient temperature range within which a computer is specified to run.
- PoE / PoE+
- Power over Ethernet. IEEE 802.3af supplies up to 15.4 W per port; 802.3at (PoE+) supplies up to 30 W per port at the source. Industrial PCs use it to power cameras and sensors.
- TDP
- Thermal design power, the sustained heat output a processor's cooling must handle, in watts.
- Wide-range DC input
- A power input that accepts a broad DC voltage span, such as 8 V to 48 V, so one computer can run on 12 V and 24 V vehicle or cabinet power.
Frequently asked questions
What is an industrial PC?
An industrial PC (IPC) is a computer built to run continuously in environments that would damage or shut down a commercial PC: extreme temperatures, vibration, dust, moisture, and unstable power. Most are compact fanless box PCs that run standard x86 operating systems such as Windows IoT and Linux.
What is the difference between an industrial PC and a regular PC?
Industrial PCs use components rated for wider temperature ranges and longer service life, accept wide-range DC power, mount to walls, DIN rails or vehicle frames, and offer industrial I/O such as serial ports, digital I/O, CAN bus and isolated Ethernet. Commercial PCs are designed for climate-controlled offices and change models every year or two.
How long is an industrial PC available for purchase?
Industrial PC models are typically sold for several years, often five or more, compared with roughly 12 to 18 months for many consumer models. Long availability lets equipment builders certify a system once and keep shipping the same hardware.
What is a fanless PC?
A fanless PC has no cooling fan. Heat is conducted from the processor into a finned metal chassis that works as a heatsink. Removing the fan eliminates a common failure point and keeps dust from being pulled into the computer.
What operating systems do industrial PCs run?
Most x86 industrial PCs run Windows 10 or 11 IoT Enterprise and Linux distributions such as Ubuntu. Edge AI systems based on NVIDIA Jetson run NVIDIA's Linux-based JetPack software.
How much does an industrial PC cost?
Base prices for the models covered in this reference range from $481 to $2,636 as of October 12, 2026. Final price depends on processor, memory, storage, operating system and expansion modules.
About this reference
This reference is maintained by Industrial PC, Inc. Specifications are taken from each manufacturer's published datasheet and normalized to a single format (metric units first, consistent naming) so models from different manufacturers can be compared directly. Prices are Industrial PC, Inc. base-configuration list prices and update automatically from our price list. Source datasheets are available in the datasheet library. Corrections can be sent through our contact page.
