CompuLab IPC3, Testing 10 Mini PCs / Small Form Factor Linux PCs

The CompuLab IPC3 with the Core i7 7500U had a idle temperature of 41°C, average load temperature of 61°C, and a peak of 76°C. The numbers are acceptable and no thermal throttling was reported to dmesg. It's not bad at all when considering this is a completely silent/fanless system. The IPC3 with its Kabylake hardware was noticeably cooler than both the IPC and IPC2. The average temperature under load for the IPC3 was similar to that of the Intel NUC5i3RYB Core i5 Broadwell NUC that does use a fan for cooling.

The idle power consumption of the system was 7 Watts with an average AC power draw under load of 23.8 Watts and a peak power draw of 39.5 Watts. This as well is better than both the IPC and IPC2 models thanks to the newer Intel tech.

Overall, the Compulab IPC3 is another successful upgrade to their IPC family. With the move to Kabylake-based processors, there is greater performance over previous generations and increased performance-per-Watt. The IPC3 with Core i7 Kabylake processor offers a lot of potential on a small power budget and is passively cooled and in a rugged metal enclosure. This is a great offering if you want a reliable SFF PC / HTPC / industrial PC for the long-term. Our older IPC and IPC2 models continue running strong ever after what by now has surely tallied up hundreds of hours if not thousands of hours of stress testing / benchmarking.

The CompuLab IPC3 with the quad Gigabit Ethernet ports on top of the two Gigabit Ethernet ports at the rear make for interesting potential for using this as a Linux/BSD network/firewall/router box. With the storage connectivity as well, it could serve as quite a nice little network storage box.

CompuLab products are available from Amazon in the US and other markets though the IPC3 isn't currently listed. Other Internet retailers -- including direct from CompuLab -- are mentioned on their Fit-PC.com website. Pricing on the IPC3 i7 barebones configuration begins at $829 USD or $693 for the i5 Kabylake version. The rugged, industrial grade design does command a higher price than other consumer-oriented devices, but if you need a solid device, that's where CompuLab leads.