Minisforum N5 and N5 Pro NAS – NEW UPDATE, NEW VERSION, NEW OS?

Last updated on 27 Mar 2025 📧 Subscribe
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1 Updates on the Minisforum N5 and N5 Pro NAS
1.1 Minisforum N5 Pro – Fully Featured and AI-Ready
1.2 Minisforum N5 – A More Affordable, Scaled-Down Option
1.3 MinisCloud OS – Minisforum’s In-House NAS Software
1.4 A Promising Disruption to the NAS Market
2 Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Updates on the Minisforum N5 and N5 Pro NAS

Minisforum is no stranger to shaking up established markets. Known primarily for its innovative and compact mini PCs, the brand has now turned its attention to network-attached storage (NAS) solutions. Earlier this year at CES 2025, Minisforum unveiled the N5 Pro NAS — a five-bay, AI-optimized device that instantly caught the attention of NAS enthusiasts. Now, after a visit to Minisforum’s headquarters and production facilities in Shenzhen, we have a deeper look into this bold new entry into the NAS market.

The N5 Pro is confirmed to be nearing launch, and joining it is a new, more affordable sibling: the Minisforum N5. These new devices aim to strike a compelling balance between powerful performance, modular flexibility, and enthusiast-grade features. Whether you’re building a high-performance TrueNAS server, exploring AI-assisted photo management, or just want to future-proof your home media solution, the N5 Series looks like it could be one of the most exciting NAS hardware releases of 2025. To top it off, Minisforum is also experimenting with their own NAS operating system, which could give users a turnkey alternative to the usual DIY route. Let’s break down what’s been confirmed, what’s new, and why it matters.

Minisforum N5 Pro – Fully Featured and AI-Ready

The N5 Pro NAS remains the flagship of Minisforum’s 2025 storage push, and nearly all the specs shown at CES have now been fully confirmed. It arrives equipped with AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370 CPU, a 12-core/24-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture, which includes an integrated AI engine.

The design emphasizes airflow and modularity, with a sliding motherboard tray, magnetic front bay cover, and an updated second-gen chassis with better heat dissipation. The system is designed for prosumers and power users, featuring ECC memory support (a rarity in this price segment) and up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM.

Storage-wise, it supports five hot-swappable SATA drives and three M.2 NVMe SSDs — more than enough for a complex ZFS setup or tiered storage architecture. Expansion capabilities are strong as well, with PCIe 4.0 x4, OCuLink for external GPUs or JBODs, and dual Ethernet (10GbE + 5GbE).

Minisforum is also considering offering a 64GB M.2 module preloaded with their custom OS, allowing users to keep all M.2 slots free for data.

The N5 Pro is designed as an open system: while it may ship with Minisforum’s OS on request, users can freely install TrueNAS, UnRAID, OpenMediaVault, or any OS of their choosing — with no impact on warranty.

Category Specification
CPU AMD Ryzen™ AI 9 HX PRO 370 (12C/24T, up to 5.2GHz, Zen 5, NPU AI Engine)
GPU AMD Radeon 890M (Integrated)
RAM Up to 128GB DDR5 ECC (2x SODIMM, 5600MHz)
SATA Storage 5 x 3.5″/2.5″ SATA (Hot-swappable, up to 22TB each)
M.2 Storage 1x 2230/2280 PCIe 4.0 x1, 1x 2280/22110 PCIe 4.0 x1, 1x 2280/22110 PCIe 4.0 x2
Expansion 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1 x OCuLink 4i (PCIe 4.0 x4)
Networking 1 x 10GbE RJ45, 1 x 5GbE RJ45
I/O Ports 2 x USB4 (40Gbps), HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Audio out
Power Supply 280W PSU
Optional Add-on 64GB OS Module (TBC)

Minisforum N5 – A More Affordable, Scaled-Down Option

The new Minisforum N5 is being developed as a cost-effective alternative to the N5 Pro. It retains the same chassis and internal layout but swaps out the high-end CPU and ECC memory support in favor of more accessible hardware.

This device is still in the evaluation phase, with Minisforum considering two CPU options: the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8645HS or Ryzen 5 7640HS. Both offer 6 cores and 12 threads, with clock speeds up to 5GHz, and may allow better PCIe lane distribution than the Pro model. Despite the lower-tier specs, the N5 is far from underpowered.

It still supports up to 128GB of DDR5 (non-ECC), the full five SATA bays, three M.2 NVMe slots, OCuLink, and even dual USB4 ports. Where it diverges is networking: the current prototypes drop 10GbE support and may ship with either dual 5GbE ports or a combination of 5GbE and 2.5GbE. For many home users, this is still more than adequate, especially if the N5 launches at a competitive price point.

Like the Pro version, the N5 may include the optional 64GB OS module and support for Minisforum’s in-house NAS OS. Alternatively, users can bring their own OS without voiding support. This flexibility means the N5 could become an attractive entry point for first-time NAS builders or budget-conscious prosumers.

Category Specification
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8645HS and/or Ryzen 5 7640HS (6C/12T, up to 5.0GHz)
GPU AMD Radeon 760M (Integrated)
RAM Up to 128GB DDR5 (2x SODIMM, 5600MHz, non-ECC)
SATA Storage 5 x 3.5″/2.5″ SATA (Hot-swappable, up to 22TB each)
M.2 Storage 1x 2230/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4, 1x 2280/22110 PCIe 4.0 x1, 1x 2280/22110 PCIe 4.0 x2
Expansion 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1 x OCuLink 4i (PCIe 4.0 x4)
Networking 2x 5GbE (UPDATE – Confirmed)
I/O Ports 2 x USB4 (40Gbps), HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Audio out
Power Supply 280W PSU
Optional Add-on 64GB OS Module (TBC)

MinisCloud OS – Minisforum’s In-House NAS Software

One of the most intriguing developments is Minisforum’s potential entry into the NAS software space. Internally referred to as MinisCloud OS, this new platform is based on the Siyouyun OS framework (a Debian-based system used by several emerging NAS brands). Still in early development, the OS aims to provide a balance of accessibility and advanced features for home and small business users. Minisforum is evaluating whether to offer the OS pre-installed on the 64GB module, as a downloadable image (possibly SN-locked), or as an optional add-on at checkout. Importantly, this software will be optional, and using TrueNAS, UnRAID, or any third-party OS will not affect warranty or support.

Key Features of MinisCloud OS (In Development):

  • ZFS storage support (snapshots, compression, deduplication)
  • Multi-user management with 2FA/MFA

  • AI-based photo recognition (faces, objects)
  • Docker container and App Center
  • Built-in file manager & download manager

  • Support for SMB, WebDAV, FTP, DLNA
  • Multimedia center for streaming content

A Promising Disruption to the NAS Market

Minisforum’s bold entry into the NAS arena is more than a rehash of mini PC hardware — it’s a fresh and flexible approach to modern storage needs. With the N5 Pro targeting power users and the N5 aiming for budget-friendly builders, both models offer advanced connectivity, modularity, and optional OS features rarely seen in compact NAS systems. If pricing lands right, the N5 Series could challenge established NAS vendors and appeal to the DIY home server crowd in a big way. We’ll continue tracking release dates, pricing, and software developments — stay tuned for our full hardware reviews and performance testing. For more, check out our upcoming Shenzhen factory tour and hands-on videos at NASCompares

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      65 thoughts on “Minisforum N5 and N5 Pro NAS – NEW UPDATE, NEW VERSION, NEW OS?”

      1. Thank you so much for showing us this update. Im still keen to get the Pro but without their own software the processor will be under utilized. There are a ton AI-Chat program but no useful app that integrates into a filemanager or helps with productivity.
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      2. Looking good so far! I’d be interested to know power consumption at various levels of load. More importantly when not in use. My house runs off solar and batteries, so low standby consumption is a must for me. I ran a pair of old 24 port Cisco switches a few years back and was mortified to learn they were pulling nearly 100w each with almost no Poe load, swapping for smaller, more power efficient models was a game changer. I hope minisforum have kept this in mind while designing.
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      4. Honestly I would rather they had a simple os on bios eprom and driver loader , as that’s been a weakness of the unit when rebuilding due tothe non windows Id motherboard etc
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      6. Hey, could you take a quick look at this random NAS I found on this guy’s channel – Technically Unsure. He bought a cheap 4 ssd NAS called Mayiunda… it looks pretty good to me, but you are the expert here. Is it a gem in the mud or is it a dud?
        I hope you read this…
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      9. at 1:56 you displayed specs for the N5 pro NAS that puzzled me. the processor is named “Ryzen AI 9 HX pro 370” , as per GFX is stated Radeon 760m ??? That has to be a 890m, the CPUz screenshot specs it as well as 890m
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      10. This could be THE NAS of the market ticking all the boxes. Maybe HexOS based on TrueNAS could be a way to ship it and being friendly with the consumer market too? While also making it fully compatible with any other software?
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      12. I would be surprised if i am the only one wishing that companies that are disrupting the nas market like ugreen, minisforum would focus on compatibility with more established os’s rather than making smth just for them
        Id say copy lincstation and team up with unraid/hexos/truenas or even openmediavault
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      13. Love what I’m seeing with the NAS PRO, except for breaking NVME into x1 lanes, just give me the full x4 for a single NVME I don’t want bandwidth issues or data corruption that comes from x1,x1,x2 combinations. Synology has screwed themselves adoption will be fast and this with the extra cores will be perfect for small businesses or franchise that need AD, FS, and APPS.
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      15. Just so you are aware, Youtube is not giving me notifications for your channel, I have missed out on over 3 weeks worth of your videos even though I have been subbed for years and have ALL notifications switched on.
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      16. he sent you to china so he could find your replacement without being bitched at….LOL please let me know why we need a nas with so much power and memory? I have no clue about what is really needed
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      23. How’re they plan on offering real support. Because what they currently call support is abysmal. People can hate on Synology for a lot of reasons but their support is not one of them.
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      24. That AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 370 with 128GB RAM in a small NAS chassis is ???? a hot ticket for AI/RAG. I’d definitely want mine with some kind of eMMC for the OS. Having 5GbE and 10GbE ports sweetens things considerably.

        Just take my money.
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      30. The N5 Pro looks like exactly what I’ve been wanting for years to replace my HP Microserver Gen7. ECC RAM, 3x M.2 slots (2 for drives, 1 for a TPU for Frigate), 5x HDD bays (options for 6 or 8 would’ve been perfect but hey, we can’t have everything), 2x ethernet, and enough CPU cores for some VMs etc

        Now we just have to hope the price is vaguely sensible
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      31. Thank you for the video and the updates. Do you know with all of this connectivity if all of the drives and all of the connections, are there enough lanes available to them to be fully utilized and saturated? Or will all that connectivity provided bottleneck with certain configurations? Thank you for the notes!
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      33. An awesome station for video editing or for audio production – powerful enough as a workstation and you can keep all your working materials (all the orchestral sample libraries, for instance) on the same device.
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      34. what a shame it’s coming out so late. I woulda picked a MS NAS up instead of the QNAP I recently sunk money into. Maybe if I can fence this off I’ll try grabbing this if the price range is right
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      40. Hello, what everyone is naturally keen to know is what the price of these devices will be. Could you please pin this at the top with more detailed information? Many thanks.
        p.s.
        I’ve just bought the Ugreen 4800 Plus (brand new) for a very good price (505 euros). Now I’m wondering – should I even set this thing up? Can anyone help?
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      42. Id love to see them expand their NAS offerings in the future. 5 bays is a bit small for a data hoarder such as myself. I have about 50TB (and growing) of linux isos. So, if they could create, say, an 8-bay expansion that connects via the oculink port, I’d give them serious consideration.
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      45. Hi there! In the spec sheet you mention the Minisforum N5 Pro NAS will have the Ryzen AI9 HX Pro 370 with Radeon 760M Graphics.
        Can you please verify this? Looking at the CPU specs, it should be equipped with Radeon 890M Graphics
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      63. I’m looking forward to the Pro version (want 10Gb). I hope you were able to look at the Aoostar WTR Max while you were over there. That one sounds promising as well.
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