Essentials of Fanless Industrial Mini PCs for Modern Edge Computing

Edge computing applications are at the forefront of a transformative shift in technology, requiring compact, efficient, and high-performance solutions to process data directly at its source. Operating in challenging and often space-constrained environments, our fanless industrial mini PCs demand solid-state designs that enhance durability, improve reliability, and minimize maintenance needs. For Edge AI, the inclusion of onboard GPUs and AI accelerators is crucial for managing real-time data processing and inference tasks. These accelerators ensure ultra-low latency while eliminating reliance on cloud-based computing, enabling faster, more secure, and autonomous decision-making at the edge.

“When people think of a fanless industrial mini PC, they often imagine a compact desktop system designed for reducing desk clutter and ensuring silent operation. However, the applications for these small form factor devices extend far beyond that. For example, we collaborate with environmental monitoring agencies deploying fanless mini PCs with wide temperature support in outdoor enclosures, ensuring reliable performance in extreme conditions. Also installed in outdoor enclosures, our compact industrial PCs with PoE capabilities are being used for automated barrier control systems. Hundreds of DIN rail-mounted mini PCs are discreetly housed in industrial control cabinets, where they optimize space and integrate seamlessly with existing systems or legacy enclosures. Across all use cases, the challenge remains the same: to maximise performance within the smallest possible footprint. Meeting this challenge is where our hardware engineers focus their expertise, continually innovating to deliver modern edge computing solutions.” Andrew Whitehouse, CEO at Things Embedded

So, what qualifies a fanless industrial mini computer, and how do these systems meet the demands of today’s industrial environments? What compromises are necessary to achieve such a small form factor without sacrificing performance or reliability? And how do design challenges like heat dissipation, power efficiency, and expandability factor into the equation? These are the types of questions we look to answer in this guide to help you choose your next industrial fanless mini PC.

How Powerful Can a Fanless Industrial Mini PC Be?

The overall size of an industrial PC has traditionally been dictated by the size of the motherboard or single-board computer that forms the core of the system. This foundational component sets the physical dimensions of the system chassis, as it houses the critical connections for the CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and other peripherals. As technology has advanced, so too has the ability to miniaturise these core elements, leading to a dramatic reduction in the overall footprint of industrial PCs. Innovations in integrated circuit design, such as soldering onboard components like memory and storage, have been pivotal in driving the advent of industrial mini PC.

The introduction of the Mini-ITX form factor in the early 2000s marked a significant turning point in the development of compact industrial PCs. Measuring just 170mm x 170mm, Mini-ITX motherboards offered an ideal balance of size, performance, and expandability, making them well-suited for space-constrained industrial environments. Building on this trend, Intel’s NUC line introduced an even smaller form factor, often referred to as the 4×4, measuring approximately 4 inches by 4 inches. These ultra-compact motherboards redefined the potential of industrial mini PCs, incorporating high-performance CPUs within a remarkably small footprint. With Intel discontinuing the manufacture of its NUC line, industrial PC manufacturers have stepped in to develop their own ultra small form factor PCs, customizing these compact systems to meet the specific demands of edge computing while offering flexibility in feature I/O.

For Edge AI, the development of integrated CPUs and GPUs, which combine advanced processing and graphical capabilities into a single system-on-chip (SoC), has revolutionised the design of fanless GPU computers. This innovation has removed the need for bulky discrete GPUs, or high-power MXM GPUs, which often require fans for cooling, enabling the creation of smaller, more efficient industrial GPU computers. NVIDIA Jetson system-on-modules exemplify this shift, integrating powerful SoCs specifically designed for AI inference and machine learning tasks at the edge. By integrating GPUs optimized for parallel processing and AI workloads, industrial NVIDIA Jetson PCs eliminate the reliance on traditional, larger hardware configurations, making them ideal for applications like robotics, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation.

Innovations in Fanless Design for Small Form Factor Computers

Removing fans has been a pivotal advancement in industrial PC design, enhancing reliability by preventing dust ingress and reducing maintenance requirements associated with moving parts. This approach also eliminates the need for a bulky fan, dedicated airflow space, and chassis vents required for active cooling.

A fanless industrial mini PC relies on a solid-state design combined with advanced thermal management techniques to maintain optimal operating temperatures. At the core of this design are heatsinks, which efficiently transfer heat away from internal components using thermal paste or pads to enhance conductivity. The heat generated by the CPU, or other heat-generating components, during operation is absorbed by the heatsink and then dispersed through the PC’s chassis, which doubles as a large, thermally conductive heatsink. Typically constructed from aluminium, the chassis is engineered with fins or ridges to maximise surface area, enabling effective heat dissipation through natural convection. This design ensures reliable cooling without the need for active airflow, making the fanless industrial mini computer durable and maintenance-free. Learn more on advanced passive cooling techniques for fanless computing.