Fanless Rugged PC

What is the main advantage of passive cooling design for industrial computers?

It eliminates fan movement, which prevents dust intrusion and therefore hardware failures.

What is a Fanless PC?

A Fanless PC is a computer that has no fan whatsoever, neither on the processor nor in the case. It is designed to meet various needs:

• Dust resistance
• Vibration and shock resistance
• Silent operation
• Low power consumption

The Chassis

The case of this type of computer is entirely designed without a fan — it is conceived as a giant heatsink. Indeed, the entire chassis is designed to dissipate heat. This is why it features a distinctive design with fin-like structures on top of the case and sometimes on the sides as well. In use, you can feel that the case is warm simply by placing your hand on top of the PC.

Depending on their dimensions, they can be placed on a desk, mounted in a cabinet on a DIN rail, integrated into a machine, etc.

The Components

We have selected long-lasting and compatible components for all Fanless PCs. Like a standard PC, they include a motherboard, a processor, RAM, storage solutions, etc. For extreme temperatures (-40 to 85°C), we have specific and adapted components.

The available connectivity is also very wide: USB ports, HDMI, VGA, DP, DVI, Ethernet LAN, serial port or CANBus, etc.

The Product Lines

Integral System offers a wide selection of computers from various brands (Advantech, Nexcom, Kingdy, Siemens, NexAIoT, ...).

Generally, each product can meet many needs. The Advantech UNO PC line for example is perfectly suited for IoT and automation needs, but can also run your business applications since all types of architectures and processors are available.

The Nexcom fanless PC line called NISE is also multi-purpose. These computers are classified by processor type, from the Atom dual core and quad core up to the Intel Core i7, including i3 and i5 versions and even Xeon.

For industries with the most demanding protection requirements, such as the food & beverage or pharmaceutical industries, the fully stainless steel and waterproof fanless PCs from Kingdy are perfectly suited. They are available with an Atom, Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, and come in a waterproof version (waterproof fanless PC) as well as a waterproof version with an extended operating temperature range.

The PCs from Advantech's ARK line are multi-purpose and are perfectly suited for space-constrained environments or mobile equipment (trains, cars, trucks, buses, ...).

Finally, the MIC line is equipped with the latest generation processors with strong graphics performance for all applications. They are larger than the previously mentioned models but remain compact and powerful fanless PCs. Our customers use them for applications in the fields of machine vision and process control.

The Advantages of a Fanless PC

A fanless computing system is, as its name suggests, without ventilation. This key characteristic brings many advantages in the day-to-day operation of this type of industrial PC, including durability, low power consumption, vibration resistance, and more.

Longevity

The advantage of a fanless system (without ventilation) lies in the fact that the chassis and PCs no longer include mechanical parts that wear out over time, such as fans. Furthermore, without the issue of ventilation, these computers do not get clogged with dust or external debris. This combination of characteristics provides fanless PCs with a much greater lifespan.

The fact of having no mechanical parts makes these PCs less sensitive to vibrations and therefore to various forms of wear.

Power Consumption & Performance

To ensure a fanless system, the processors used must dissipate a minimum of heat, even under full load. This is why manufacturers use low-power processors, available across many lines including ATOM, Celeron, and iCore.

These CPUs often have lower performance characteristics than a standard processor, but with significantly lower power consumption. For example, the Intel Core i3-6100U consumes 12.19W, while the i3-6800 version consumes 41.44W — 3.4 times more. On the other hand, the non-U version runs at 3.7GHz while the low-power version runs at only 2.3GHz.

Low power consumption has another benefit beyond reduced heat dissipation: lower electricity costs, which will always be significantly reduced.

Feel free to read our article on how to choose a Fanless PC based on its processor to learn more.

All Architectures

After many years of experience, and because the professional and industrial market demands it, fanless PC manufacturers regularly evolve and improve their products. This type of equipment is used across many industries and professions to run all kinds of applications. This is why all technical architectures are available.

You will therefore find x86 architectures compatible with 32 or 64 bits, as well as less common architectures such as RISC.

Scalable PCs

Many industries use this type of equipment. Fanless PCs are highly advantageous in many respects, including price. But they must also be scalable and adaptable to each need. Some of our customers add their own data acquisition cards, graphics cards, or proprietary cards for their specific business needs. Whether at the time of purchase or later, many of these platforms are upgradeable. The UNO and ARK lines, for example, can be expanded using iDoor extension modules, making it possible to add 4G, WiFi, memory expansions, CFAST modules, serial extensions, and more.

Edge Computing and Inference for Artificial Intelligence

Did you know? There are Fanless PC configurations dedicated to edge computing and even to running artificial intelligence models in the field! In the era of IoT and Industry 4.0, these two solutions bring data acquisition, analysis, and intelligence capabilities as close to the field as possible. With this architecture, costs related to hosted data processing are drastically reduced.

Indeed, these solutions — often based on a fanless computer architecture — bring connected intelligence directly to the factory floor, into your production lines or onto your machines. Moreover, thanks to inference, it is even possible to run trained AI models directly at the edge. This delivers increased responsiveness and therefore faster decision-making response times.

INTEGRAL SYSTEM Configurations

With decades of experience in the field of industrial PCs, Integral System offers ready-to-use configurations that meet the most common needs in the areas of Fanless PCs, rack PCs, and shoebox PCs.

Thanks to engineers who are experts in automation and industrial computing, Integral System gives you the ability to choose an industrial fanless PC that meets your expectations and requirements. Depending on your budget and use cases, you will need to choose the right computer. Whether in a standard form factor or a more compact one (mini fanless PC), it is always possible to find the computer that suits your usage and available space.

All Fanless configurations are available with or without an industrial display upon request! Feel free to explore them!

Custom Fanless Computer Assembly in France

Integral System has been offering custom PC configurations since 2003. Its technical teams and professional, high-quality assembly lines are at your disposal to guarantee a fanless PC that 100% meets your needs. Why choose custom assembly? With custom assembly, you ensure a solution dedicated to and designed for your project. Whether for one unit or hundreds, our teams support and advise you every step of the way.