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As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3.

Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 10:58 pm
by emurach
First let me say I love the IntensePC and line of them to the IPC3. It's metal case, no fan form factor, features, and low power. You have all that in the IPC3 with newest processor too.

But the only advantage is the newest CPU here. And, I find Windows 10 a disadvantage. That's forcing me to Linux- Ubuntu Mate

From my point of review the SSD card Storage is a let down. The form factor is one 2260. I and anyone should want to run 2280 nVMe using 1TB Samsung 960 Pro's. Two of them. One dual OS and the second for super high speed backups of the first. Plus, I still want the 2.5" SSD too. IPC3 doesn't give me that. The 2260 form factor tops at 512gb and isn't main stream.

UEFI level is super important too. I demand Tianocore UDK2017 or AMI Aptio V either must include UEFI level bluetooth support for the onboard Bluetooth chips. Dual bios. Community Linux upgradable so new feature can always be added.

It should support HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 2.1 too.

I didn't purchase IPC2 for these reasons and waited for IPC3. Now I'm not purchasing IPC3 for the same reasons and waiting for the IPC3v2 or IPC4.

One spec increase doesn't drive a purchase. It the whole packages offering. When I bought the IPC, I bought two at the same time and maxed them out with memory, drives, and wireless. Each is a 2K machine. To upgrade from that I need a true reason. A far better machine. Which has always been the case.

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 12:44 pm
by mbirger
Thanks for sharing your opinion about IPC3 features.
Please understand that many of the mentioned limitations dictated to us by CPU and Chipset vendor (Intel) which are the main platform components.
Kaby Lake processor doesn't fully support Windows 7 and lacking of main SATA drivers. Intel and Microsoft are pushing the market to toward Windows 10, thus blocking or limiting previous versions.
Same with HDMI2.0 - no Chipset support. It supports DP1.2 (there is no DP2.1).

Storage:
  • 2.5'' drive supported as previously
  • mSATA can be installed on FM-USB3 (default face module)
  • M.2 is limited to SATA only and to 60 mm length.
With all the above being said, IPC3 is still the most advanced fanless mini PC in Compulab portfolio and we're constantly working to improve our products.

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 10:05 am
by bjorn_latronix
The IPC2 platform has served my company extremely well as an affordable, rugged, 12VDC platform with standard Intel Components and Win10. When the IPC2 was new, it actually contained everything on my wish list. I have switched to the IPC3 mainly for the slightly lower price, the slightly higher CPU-score and the long-term availability. The switch was very smooth but the IPC3 missed some items on my wish list:
* M.2 2240/80 instead of 30/60
* M.2 nVMe instead of SATA speed
* Higher throughput RAM
* A USB-C port.
I probably ask for things that are not compatible with the 15W TDP. Sorry about that... But perhaps you could make an M.2 30 to 80 mm accessory so that we can use modern Samsung M.2 SSDs?

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 5:04 pm
by emurach
Intel can pair up all they want with Microsoft. But in the end it can only hurt them. I refuse to be push in to a serviced based OS. It a major mistake to let Microsoft push drivers and for OEM chipset maker not to release them for all the OS's. Nobody should accept that. If the product doesn't have universal support it should not be sold or bought. The regression of the PC industry on the whole is due to Intel's and Microsoft's bad judgement here. Linux has been gaining ground every year. And, all that Intel & Microsoft do is find new ways stall that while failing to properly refine there actual products. Take Windows 10. I like lots stuff in it. But no way over look it's failures and evils injects into my LAN. I can't see company's wanting that either. Win10 is every bit the flop as Win 8 and Win 8.1 were. So they auto pushed the OS. That's the only way they got the numbers up. Is not like the power users opting in and choosing to purchase it. And, it the power users that spend real money on a yearly basis. So the industry has slowed to a crawl. And, we find the funk were in. All the users creativity is clearly on Linux side. Microsoft must have noticed this. That they opened Visual Community. To create new windows programmers. But will that even work. Look at the beginnings. You had Qbasic at least. Now in the OS there nothing to write programs. And, Microsoft as not done much in that department all along.

Any product FIT-PC makes should fully support open source here. IT just smart in the long run. This will become apparent as companies opt out of a Windows 10 switch over.

Like said years back. It's quite dumb Microsoft hasn't built a Linux GUI desktop and sit on top Linux allowing Linux to run all Microsoft based apps. Now there is a product that could sell big time. I'd see companies buying into that like gang busters. An admin would tell you that Linux is far superior on the server side. That would unify the industry too. While reducing costs.

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 3:30 pm
by irads
bjorn_latronix wrote:IPC3 missed some items on my wish list:
* M.2 2240/80 instead of 30/60
* M.2 nVMe instead of SATA speed
* Higher throughput RAM
* A USB-C port.
I probably ask for things that are not compatible with the 15W TDP. Sorry about that... But perhaps you could make an M.2 30 to 80 mm accessory so that we can use modern Samsung M.2 SSDs?
Thanks for the feedback. A revision of IPC3 is WIP. Some of the items on the list are addressed...

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 6:17 pm
by beedix
Agreed on the M.2 2240/80 size. Would be nice if it were keyed for higher speeds along with nVMe.

I'm also a tad disappointed that every expansion interface is generally intended for SSD storage. Would be cool to use other types of mini PCIe devices beyond SSD....I doubt I'd ever need SSD's on 3 different interfaces.

Love the design otherwise. This has potential for a lot of uses at my company but the hurdle there is virtualization.

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 2:21 pm
by bjorn_latronix
Hi - I just noted that the current IPC3 spec supports M.2 2280 nvme/SATA and DDR4@2133. That is just brilliant!

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 2:44 pm
by bjorn_latronix
One small detail in the Nov 2017 - IPC3 Owners Manual:
"2x SO-DIMM 204-pin DDR4 SDRAM memory slots".
It should be 260-pin.

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 5:26 am
by emurach
I see IPC3 v2 now has nVMe in 2280. But is only 2 PCIe lanes vice the normal 4 PCIe Lanes. so clearly the typical 3500K transfer speeds for say a Samsung 960SSD would be cut in Half. Plus it only one mPCIe port vice two. So you only can have only one mPCIe nVMe SSD vice two. So still no super High Speed Backup system. Plus none my other concerns have been addressed. Still not enough. Like I said it the total package that decides if it worth it to Upgrade. So again I'll wait. Maybe the IPC4 will get it right.

Re: As a buyer and Owner of an IntensePC looking at the IPC3

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 9:03 am
by Prajwal Kale
I'm likewise slightly disillusioned that each extension interface is commonly expected for SSD stockpiling. Would be cool to utilize different sorts of smaller than expected PCIe gadgets past SSD....I uncertainty I'd ever need SSD's on 3 distinct interfaces.

Love the plan generally. This has potential for a great deal of employments at my organization however the obstacle there is virtualization.