Mini PC maker MINISFORUM is expanding into the network-attached storage (NAS) market with the new MINISFORUM N5 Pro. This powerful NAS offers support for up to five hard drives and three PCIe NVMe SSDs, alongside high-performance features typically found in more expensive systems.
Key Features of the MINISFORUM N5 Pro
The N5 Pro is designed for users needing significant storage capacity and high performance:
- AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370 Strix Point processor.
- Up to 96GB of DDR5-5600 ECC RAM.
- 1 x 10 GbE LAN and 1 x 5 GbE LAN ports for fast network connectivity.
- Internal PCIe Gen 4x4 expansion through an internal PCIe x16 slot
- OCuLink port for external PCIe Gen 4x4 connections (up to 64 Gbps).
- 5 x 3.5" SATA 3.0 drive bays
- 1 x M.2 2280/22110 PCIe Gen 4x2 slot
- 1 x M.2 2280/22110 PCIe Gen 4x1 slot
- 1 x M.2 2230/2280 PCIe Gen 4x1 slot
- M.2 to U.2 adapter support for using U.2 drives
Connectivity and I/O
The N5 Pro comes with a variety of ports, ensuring compatibility with many peripherals:
- 2 x USB4 (40 Gbps with DisplayPort Alt Mode)
- 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (10 Gbps)
- 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A (480 Mbps)
- 1 x HDMI 2.0
- 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
- 1 x DC power input (19V/12.63A)
Designed for User Convenience
The N5 Pro has a semi-transparent front cover secured by magnets for easy access to the drive bays. The motherboard is also mounted on a removable module, simplifying upgrades to memory, storage, or PCIe accessories.
A New Player in the NAS Market
The MINISFORUM N5 Pro aims to challenge established brands by offering a powerful and versatile NAS option. Unlike many consumer NAS devices with pre-installed operating systems, the N5 Pro ships without one, allowing users to install their preferred OS like TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault, or Unraid.
Pricing and Availability
MINISFORUM has not yet released pricing or availability details, but the N5 Pro is being showcased at CES 2025. More information should be available soon.
Source: liliputing
