The Impact mini PC based on Kontron motherboard runs on a Core i9 CPU with no fans whatsoever
While mini PCs with no fans aren't uncommon, they are typically limited in both CPU options and processing horsepower. The Zotac ZBox CI660 Nano, for example, is one the more powerful passively cooled mini PCs as it runs on a Core i7-8550U CPU commonly found on most Ultrabooks of 2018. The industrial Impact IMP-3654-B1-R takes this one step further by including a passively-cooled Coffee Lake octa-core Core i9 CPU to be one of the fastest silent PCs available for purchase.
As one would expect, the mini PC utilizes a huge copper heat sink in lieu of the usual fan. In fact, the heat sink takes up nearly the entire 7.5” x 6.0” x 3.0” volume of the chassis. Owners will get dual DDR4-2666 slots, HDMI, full-size DisplayPort, and other features from the D3654-B mini-STX motherboard within.
The big catch, however, is that the Impact mini PC houses an uncommon 35 W Core i9-9900T instead of the full-fledged 95 W i9-9900 or unlocked i9-9900K. Thus, the i9-9900T is expected to be closer in performance to the mobile 45 W i9-9880H if not slightly slower. Additionally, we have a hunch that Turbo Boost sustainability will be limited over long periods of stress much like what we discovered on the aforementioned Zotac ZBox CI660 Nano.
In spite of its disadvantages, the Impact IMP-3654-B1-R should satisfy users looking for the highest CPU performance possible from an absolutely silent form factor. Configurations will lesser Core i5 and Core i7 options are available as well.