ARM vs. x86 in industrial automation: when to choose Rockchip
Why projects ship on Rockchip RK3568/RK3588: performance per watt, an NPU for edge AI, and Android or Linux — and when x86 with Windows is still right.
For two decades, "industrial PC" implied x86 and Windows. That default is gone. ARM platforms — in our range, Rockchip RK3566/RK3568/RK3588 — now power a growing share of panel PCs, kiosks, and edge devices. The question is no longer whether ARM is viable, but which architecture fits the specific project.
Where ARM wins
- Performance per watt — an RK3568 panel runs a full HMI at a fraction of x86 power, which means less heat, no fan, and smaller power budgets on the line.
- Cost at volume — integrated SoCs with onboard memory and eMMC reduce bill-of-materials for repeatable deployments like kiosks and operator terminals.
- NPU acceleration — RK3588-class parts include a neural processing unit for local vision inference (object detection, quality checks) without a discrete GPU.
- Android as an appliance OS — a locked-down Android image is a natural fit for single-app terminals and interactive kiosks.
Where x86 stays essential
- Windows software — SCADA clients, ERP/MES terminals, and vendor tooling that only ships for Windows.
- Peripheral and driver breadth — decades of industrial cards, dongles, and instruments assume x86.
- Virtualization — Proxmox, Hyper-V, and container-heavy stacks remain x86 territory in practice.
- Raw single-thread performance — heavy historians, vision processing, and multi-display walls favor Core-class CPUs.
A practical decision rule
| Your situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| Windows application, existing integrations | x86 (e.g., ITPC-C series, IBOX series) |
| Web-based or Android HMI, cost- and power-sensitive | ARM (e.g., ITPC-B CP2 series) |
| Edge vision with local inference | ARM with NPU, validated against the model |
| Virtualized or mixed workloads on one box | x86 with Core-class CPU |
In our panel range the split is explicit: the ITPC-C series carries Intel 12th-gen processors for Windows workloads, while the ITPC-B CP2 series carries Rockchip RK3566/RK3568/RK3588 with embedded memory and eMMC for Android/Linux duty. Same industrial construction, different compute philosophy.
Panel PCs & HMI
ITPC-B150-CP2
Photos and drawings sent with your quote
Panel PCs & HMI
ITPC-B150-CP2
Rockchip RK3566 / RK3568 / RK3588 with 1x or 2x Gigabit Ethernet (depends from configuration).
Panel PCs & HMI
ITPC-C156
Intel Core i3-1215U / i5-1235U / i7-1255U (12th Gen) with 2x Intel I210 Gigabit LAN, Wake on LAN/PXE.
Panel PCs & HMI
ITPC-C215
Intel Core i3-1215U / i5-1235U / i7-1255U (12th Gen) with 2x Intel I210 Gigabit LAN, Wake on LAN/PXE.
Describe the software stack and environment — we will confirm whether ARM or x86 fits, model by model.
Validate an architecture choice