- Minisforum N5 Professional Ryzen AI 9 processor powers workloads far past a typical NAS
- ECC DDR5 reminiscence ensures system stability throughout prolonged, demanding operations
- 5 SATA bays and three NVMe slots assist large hybrid storage
The Minisforum N5 Professional enters the market as a network-attached storage (NAS) unit, however carries specs extra typical of compact workstation programs.
At its core is the Ryzen AI 9 HX Professional 370 processor with 12 cores, 24 threads, and an onboard NPU able to 50 TOPS.
Mixed with assist for as much as 96GB of ECC DDR5 reminiscence, the machine strikes nearer to workstation-class efficiency whereas being packaged in a compact type issue that recollects a mini PC.
Storage flexibility in a compact construct
The N5 Professional gives 5 SATA bays alongside three NVMe or U.2 slots, supporting as a lot as 144TB of combined storage.
In contrast to some units that depend on shared ports, every SATA connection is direct, which improves consistency throughout transfers.
Enlargement paths embrace a PCIe Gen 4 ×16 slot and OCuLink, enabling the addition of GPUs or exterior drive cages.
This mix is never discovered within the greatest NAS units, suggesting that Minisforum is concentrating on homelab customers or professionals.
Connectivity is equally bold, with twin Ethernet ports delivering 10GbE and 5GbE speeds.
Assessments confirmed these interfaces reaching sustained throughput near their rated capacities, making the system appropriate for demanding multi-user or virtualization environments.
Two USB4 ports and an HDMI 2.1 output add additional choices, enabling direct high-speed hyperlinks to desktops or moveable SSDs.
The system ships with MinisCloud OS, preloaded on a small SSD. The platform is ZFS-based and consists of snapshots, compression, RAID administration, Docker assist, and AI-driven photograph indexing.
That is useful, however its unfinished interface and lacking enterprise options restrict its attraction in contrast with mature options comparable to TrueNAS or Unraid.
The N5 Professional has been accessible since July, and it has seen a number of changes since its preliminary launch.
Minisforum initially supplied a 64GB storage possibility, however this has now been changed with 128GB drives because the baseline.
The barebone unit is presently listed at $1,019, down barely from $1,039, nonetheless, a preconfigured variant with 48GB of ECC DDR5 reminiscence is priced at $1,308, reflecting a minimal $3 discount.
The high-end 96GB variant has elevated in price, transferring from $1,583 to $1,597 with none said cause.
Through Minisforum
