For an operator station in the workshop: buy an all-in-one Panel PC, or a box PC with a separate industrial monitor?

Choose based on how you will maintain it and on the environment, not on purchase price. An all-in-one Panel PC is compact, needs one power cable, and reaches front-side IP65 easily when mounted in a cabinet door — good where space is tight or water splashes. The drawback: a failed screen or a failed computer both mean removing the whole unit, and upgrading means replacing the whole unit. A box PC plus a separate monitor costs a little more in cabling and brackets but can be replaced piece by piece: swap the screen, or swap the computer, and you can place the box PC in a cooler, less vibrating part of the cabinet. For stations that must run continuously and keep a spare monitor, this means less downtime. Two details often missed: cabinet depth (a Panel PC needs enough clearance behind the door) and cable length — beyond about 10 m, copper HDMI usually has to become fibre or an extender. Tell us the location and your maintenance cycle and we will suggest specific models from stock.