MINISFORUM Unveils High-Performance N5 Pro NAS with AMD Ryzen AI
MINISFORUM, the folks behind snappy mini PCs, are entering the Network Attached Storage fray in a big way with their N5 Pro. This is not just another black box to house your hard drives – it is loaded with some serious cutting-edge hardware.
Serious Brains: AMD Ryzen AI Power Inside
What's got everyone doing a double take. The N5 Pro will be among the first NAS devices with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370 processor. That is a 12-core, 24-thread processor with dedicated AI processing (a 50 TOPS NPU) and robust integrated graphics. Pair that with support for up to a whopping 96GB of fast DDR5 ECC memory, and you've got the makings of a NAS that can do a whole lot more than just dish out files.
Store Everything (Seriously)
Storage is the NAS's name, and the N5 Pro won't leave you wanting. You get:
- Five bays waiting for your large 3.5-inch hard disks.
- Three M.2 slots for SSDs.
- Optionally, use adapters to exchange two M.2 slots for U.2 drives.
MINISFORUM estimates this beast can theoretically handle up to a total of 144TB of storage. That's a mountain of media, backups, and projects.
Software: Custom OS or Bring Your Own
Surprisingly, MINISFORUM isn't simply throwing hardware out there. They're developing their own Linux-based operating system, called MiniSCloud OS. It's advertised to include NAS-specific features like ZFS snapshots, compression, private media management, AI-powered photo albums, and Docker support.
Don't like their OS. No problem. They explicitly state the N5 Pro supports Windows, Unraid, TrueNAS, Proxmox, and other Linux/FreeBSD operating systems. Flexibility is always nice.
Smart Design and Full of Ports
Apart from the base specs, the N5 Pro has some thoughtful touches. There's a clever modular design that sees the motherboard tray slide out, making RAM or M.2 drive upgrades much easier. Active cooling through dedicated fans provides seamless operation.
Connectivity is also plentiful:
- 1 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet
- 1 x 5 Gigabit Ethernet
- 1 x OCuLink port (for external PCIe devices)
- 2 x USB4 (40 Gbps, with display output)
- 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (10 Gbps)
- 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1 x HDMI 2.1
- Audio jack and DC power input
Launch and Getting a Deal
Already teased at CES, MINISFORUM confirmed in a livestream recently that the N5 Pro is scheduled for a June launch. No pricing information as yet, but here's the good news: you can head to the MINISFORUM website now, check out the specs, and register to potentially receive a 30% discount at launch.
A New Challenger for Tech-Savvy Users
Although MINISFORUM is a newcomer to the NAS market, they have several years of history in the mini PC market and offer a 2-year warranty. For enthusiasts who enjoy bleeding-edge performance, the N5 Pro looks to be a highly compelling option, part of a wave of high-performance NAS products from innovative companies pushing against the traditional vendors.
