Advantages and disadvantages of ARM motherboard and X86 motherboard

Advantages over X86 motherboards:
    (1) Power consumption: This is one of the biggest advantages of ARM motherboards. Generally, the power consumption of VIA's X86 motherboards is around 40W or above, while the power consumption of ARM motherboards is extremely low. For example, the power consumption of the micro-embedded industrial tablet computer (using ARM architecture) is only around 1W when the backlight is turned off.
    (2) Heat generation: ARM motherboards do not generate heat. The motherboard temperature is generally room temperature, so they can be turned on and work online for years without any problems. However, the CPU of the X86 motherboard must be equipped with a fan and cannot work for a long time, otherwise the temperature generated by the motherboard will reduce the overall performance and life of the motherboard. The working life of the fan will also affect the life of the motherboard.
    (3) Boot time: The boot speed of the ARM motherboard is very fast, generally only a few seconds, while the X86 needs to be turned on for a while before the Windows system can start.
    (4) Performance: At present, the performance of the ARM motherboard has become closer and closer to the X86 motherboard, and even exceeds it in some aspects. In terms of video multimedia, data communication and other aspects, it is basically similar to the X86.
    (5) Working time and environment: ARM motherboards are not restricted by time and can be turned on all the time without maintenance. Moreover, when the power is adjusted, as long as the power is on, it will automatically start up without the need for personnel to turn it on or off. However, X86 motherboards require maintenance and cannot work for a long time, otherwise the life of the motherboard will be greatly reduced.
Environment: ARM motherboards are generally industrial poles and are not affected by the environment. The lowest temperature can be around -20 degrees Celsius and the highest temperature can be around 70 degrees Celsius, while X86 generally cannot.
    (6) Data security: ARM motherboards are highly integrated. Data is generally stored in Flash in binary format. Internal data cannot be directly copied from the outside. Moreover, the biggest advantage is that the current ARM motherboard systems are WinCE systems or Linux systems, which will not be infected by viruses. Customers do not need to worry about data leakage caused by virus infection, especially in some places with high requirements for data security. ARM motherboards are very suitable while X86 is just the opposite. Since they all use common systems such as Windows XP and 2000, and use DOM disks or hard disks, data can easily be infected by viruses or stolen by people, so the security cannot be compared. 
    (7) Motherboard security: The memory and all chips of the ARM motherboard are mounted in a chip-type manner, so they will not loosen in the case of vibration in the surrounding environment, while X86 adopts a direct plug-in method, such as memory sticks and DOM disks, so once a long time, they will become loose and affect the operation of the system.
    (8) Flexibility: The ARM motherboard can be flexibly configured according to the needs of the user, such as logo, memory size, system driver reduction, peripheral chip reduction, system software loading, etc. Both software and hardware are very flexible, which will greatly reduce the customer's cost and the overall maintenance cost and performance of the system, while X86 cannot do this. The Micro-embedded WinCE industrial tablet computer can be fully configured according to the needs of the user.
    (9) Price: The current price of ARM motherboards is very low, and the ARM motherboard already includes memory and storage media, so there is no need to purchase accessories externally, so the overall system cost is much lower than that of X86. 
    Disadvantages of ARM motherboards for X86:
    1. The biggest disadvantage is that ARM motherboards currently use Windows CE system or Linux system. Therefore, for many customers, the original X86 platform must be adjusted to ARM. The software platform must be recompiled and adjusted, and the working mechanism of ARM embedded platform must be familiar with, which will increase the initial development workload. Micro-embedded industrial tablet computers use ARM motherboard + Windows CE system. Using VS2005VS2008 IDE programming, it is closer to Windows XP program development, including C++, C#, VB.Net development. Relevant sample programs are also provided to minimize the trouble caused by the conversion of XP platform to WinCE platform.
    2. Another point is that there are not many manufacturers of ARM motherboards in China, so the technical support and maintenance are not as strong as those of VIA and other manufacturers. However, as time goes by, the technical support of ARM motherboards will definitely catch up. Conclusion:
    Through the above comparison, we basically conclude that it is a trend to replace X86 motherboards with embedded ARM motherboards in many places. If customers consider cost pressure, performance pressure, power consumption, security and other aspects, it is recommended to use ARM motherboards. Although adjustments are needed in the early stages, this should not be a problem compared with your overall products.