Beelink ME Mini NAS Review

Last updated on 04 Jun 2025 📧 Subscribe
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1 Reviewing the Beelink ME Mini NAS – Flashy Brilliance
1.1 Beelink ME Mini NAS Review – Quick Conclusion
1.2 Beelink ME Mini NAS – Design and Storage
1.3 Beelink ME Mini NAS – Internal Hardware
1.4 Beelink ME Mini NAS – Ports and Connections
1.5 Beelink ME Mini NAS – Performance and Power/Heat/Noise Testing
1.6 Beelink ME Mini NAS Review – Verdict and Conclusion
2 Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Reviewing the Beelink ME Mini NAS – Flashy Brilliance

The Beelink ME Mini NAS is a compact, six-slot network-attached storage solution aimed squarely at home users seeking a quiet, efficient, and flexible storage platform without the cost or complexity of traditional full-size NAS systems. Measuring just 99mm in each dimension and built with a minimalist cube design, the unit is designed to blend into home environments such as living rooms, bedrooms, or home offices. At its core is the Intel Twin Lake N150 processor, a 4-core, 4-thread CPU with a 6W TDP and a burst clock of up to 3.6GHz, paired with 12GB of soldered LPDDR5 4800MHz memory. This combination targets scenarios such as home media streaming, light file serving, or soft routing, rather than heavy enterprise workloads.

The ME Mini supports six M.2 2280 SSD slots, delivering a maximum theoretical storage capacity of 24TB. This includes one Gen 3 x2 slot (designed for the OS) and five Gen 3 x1 slots for storage expansion.

These SSD slots are actively cooled via an integrated heatsink and top-mounted silent fan, with thermal pads pre-attached for single-sided SSDs. Network connectivity includes dual Intel i226-V 2.5GbE ports and Wi-Fi 6 via an M.2 AX101 module, offering options for wired link aggregation or wireless deployment. Designed to support operating systems such as Unraid, OpenMediaVault, and TrueNAS, the ME Mini provides sufficient hardware for media servers like Plex or Jellyfin, personal backup, or even entry-level virtualization tasks. With a built-in power supply and no reliance on bulky external adapters, the device prioritizes simplicity and space efficiency.

Beelink ME Mini NAS Review – Quick Conclusion

The Beelink ME Mini NAS stands out as a compact, energy-efficient, and well-balanced storage solution tailored for home users seeking quiet and capable performance without the complexity of larger NAS systems. With support for six M.2 NVMe SSDs—one at Gen 3 x2 and five at Gen 3 x1—it offers up to 24TB of storage in a 99mm cube form factor, complete with an internal power supply and silent fan-assisted cooling. Its Intel Twin Lake N150 CPU and 12GB of LPDDR5 memory provide enough processing headroom for tasks like 4K media streaming, personal backups, and soft routing, while dual 2.5GbE LAN ports and Wi-Fi 6 expand its deployment options. Though the fixed memory and limited PCIe bandwidth on most slots constrain scalability, the thermal efficiency, low power draw (as low as 6.9W idle), and reliable Crucial SSD options make it a compelling value proposition. It’s not aimed at high-performance or prosumer use, but for users building a quiet, tidy, and effective DIY NAS at home, the ME Mini delivers far more than its size suggests.

BUILD QUALITY - 9/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 8/10
PRICE - 9/10
VALUE - 10/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻Compact cube design (99x99x99mm) ideal for discreet home deployment
👍🏻Supports up to 6x M.2 NVMe SSDs with total capacity up to 24TB
👍🏻Integrated PSU eliminates bulky external power adapters
👍🏻Dual 2.5GbE LAN ports with link aggregation support
👍🏻Wi-Fi 6 and UnRAID7 Support means not limited to 2x2.5G
👍🏻Low power consumption (as low as 6.9W idle, ~30W peak with full load)
👍🏻Silent fan and effective internal thermal management via large heatsink
👍🏻Includes Crucial-branded SSDs in pre-configured options for reliability
CONS
👎🏻Five of the six SSD slots are limited to PCIe Gen 3 x1 bandwidth
👎🏻Memory is soldered and non-upgradable
👎🏻Not 10GbE Upgradable (maybe m.2 adapter - messy)
👎🏻Bottom panel retains heat due to lack of active ventilation



Check Amazon in Your Region for the Beelink ME Mini NAS ($329 4/6)

Check AliExpress for the Beelink ME Mini NAS ($344 4/6)

Check the Official Beelink Site for the ME Mini NAS ($209 4/6)

Beelink ME Mini NAS – Design and Storage

Visually, the Beelink ME Mini sets itself apart from other mini NAS systems with its symmetrical cube-shaped design, measuring 99x99x99mm. Available in three color variants—Pearl White, Midnight Grey, and Peacock Blue—the device adopts a subtle, neutral aesthetic intended to fit into typical home environments without drawing unnecessary attention. The enclosure features rubber feet for vertical stability and ventilation grilles located at both the top and bottom, supporting a passive vertical airflow design that assists with heat dissipation.

Despite its small footprint, the chassis houses an integrated power supply unit (PSU), which eliminates the need for bulky external power bricks and simplifies cable management—an uncommon but notable design feature in NAS devices of this size.

Storage capacity is a central feature of the ME Mini, with support for up to six M.2 SSDs in 2280 format, totaling a maximum of 24TB. These slots are all positioned internally in a dual-sided configuration—three on each internal face—and interface via PCIe Gen 3. Five of the slots operate at Gen 3 x1 bandwidth, while one (typically slot 4) operates at Gen 3 x2, recommended for installing the OS. The use of M.2 NVMe SSDs enables dense storage with minimal thermal output compared to 3.5” drives, which aligns with the ME Mini’s aim of delivering high-capacity, low-noise storage for homes. There is also a 64GB eMMC module included by default, recommended for lightweight OS installations or router-based platforms.

Internally, the layout is deliberately engineered to optimize thermal contact between the SSDs and the large aluminum heatsink at the center of the chassis. Each M.2 SSD slot is lined with a pre-applied thermal pad to ensure direct contact with the heatsink, enhancing passive cooling performance. This configuration is most effective with single-sided SSDs, though there is still clearance for some double-sided modules.

The passive heat management is further augmented by a silent fan located at the top, which provides active airflow without introducing noticeable noise—recorded at just 31–34 dBA during idle operation and up to 40 dBA under heavy load.

The ME Mini’s storage design is not intended for hot-swapping or tool-less drive changes, a reflection of its focus on home and small office environments where drives are installed once and left in place. While this may limit flexibility for enterprise workflows, it benefits reliability and aesthetics, especially considering the internal PSU, which would otherwise be challenged by fluctuating thermal loads from frequent disk changes.

The result is a closed, compact system that maximizes storage density while maintaining a fanless aesthetic from the exterior.

For users opting for pre-configured models, Beelink offers bundles that include Crucial P3 SSDs—either one 2TB unit or two 2TB units—depending on the chosen configuration. This co-branding with Crucial ensures a known level of SSD endurance and performance, contrasting favorably with many competing budget NAS options which often use generic or unverified storage media. The factory pairing also ensures that one of the SSDs is installed in the Gen 3 x2 slot, delivering better system responsiveness and transfer speeds for OS-hosted operations such as Plex metadata handling, RAID cache, or VM images.

Beelink ME Mini NAS – Internal Hardware

The internal hardware of the Beelink ME Mini centers around the Intel Twin Lake N150 processor, a 4-core, 4-thread chip based on Intel’s 10nm architecture. With a base TDP of 6W and burst frequency of up to 3.6GHz, it is positioned as a power-efficient solution for NAS tasks that include multimedia playback, basic file sharing, and light application hosting.

While it does not support hardware transcoding at the same level as higher-tier Intel core chips with Quick Sync, the N150 performs adequately for 4K playback in Plex and other media servers when transcoding is avoided. In real-world use, the CPU averaged 60–75% utilization during simultaneous dual 2.5GbE access and SSD activity, indicating a solid baseline for single-user or family scenarios.

Complementing the CPU is 12GB of LPDDR5 memory, soldered directly to the board and clocked at 4800MHz. While the memory is non-upgradable, the capacity is sufficient for running lightweight NAS OS environments, containers, or even some virtual machines.

Unlike most mini PCs that cap out at 8GB in similar thermal envelopes, Beelink’s decision to include 12GB offers a practical boost for users running multiple services, such as a media server alongside a VPN container or light file indexing applications. The absence of SO-DIMM slots means this cannot be expanded further, which may deter power users seeking a more scalable system, but the default capacity fits the ME Mini’s home-use intentions well.

The overall thermal design pairs the CPU and SSDs with a centrally-mounted metal heatsink that acts as both a structural element and a cooling component. The silent fan located above the heatsink assists with vertical airflow, helping to maintain internal component temperatures during prolonged operation. During extended thermal tests—such as 24-hour idle and active file transfer sessions—surface temperatures peaked between 48°C and 60°C, particularly at the base where the PSU and networking ports reside.

While the design keeps the main components within reasonable thermal ranges, there is a potential thermal buildup at the bottom under sustained load, suggesting an optional future design revision could include a base fan.

Component Specification
CPU Intel Twin Lake N150, 4C/4T, 3.6GHz burst, 6W TDP
Memory 12GB LPDDR5 (4800MHz, soldered, non-upgradable)
eMMC Storage 64GB onboard
M.2 Storage 6x M.2 2280 slots: 1x PCIe Gen 3 x2 (OS Recommended), 5x PCIe Gen 3 x1
Cooling Large internal heatsink + top-mounted silent fan
Thermals (avg) 46–51°C top panel / 54–60°C bottom panel (under continuous load)

Beelink ME Mini NAS – Ports and Connections

Despite its compact dimensions, the Beelink ME Mini includes a wide array of ports suited for both networking and peripheral connectivity. On the networking side, the unit features two 2.5GbE LAN ports (Intel i226-V), located at the rear, which support link aggregation or failover configurations. These enable transfer rates well above standard gigabit networking, although in practice, real-world throughput tends to be limited by SSD performance or PCIe lane constraints. During bandwidth testing, combined throughput between the LAN ports peaked around 580–600MB/s easily.

As much as many of us would want 10GbE – at this scale of CPU/Lanes, Price and just HEAT – I can understand why its absent here. That said, I do want to mention that the system includes onboard Wi-Fi 6 (via Intel AX101 module) and Bluetooth 5.2, expanding its use cases to wireless media streaming, mobile backups, and wireless NAS deployment without consuming physical LAN ports. More importantly though, UnRAID recently announced that in their latest update, you can now use wireless adapters (see below) – which, alongside UnRAID’s lightweight ‘on RAM’ deployment, makes it bloody IDEAL for using on the Beelink ME Mini

In terms of USB connectivity, the ME Mini provides a balanced selection across both older and high-speed standards. The rear I/O panel houses a USB 2.0 port (480 Mbps), while the front features one USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (10Gbps) and a USB Type-C port (also 10Gbps). This offers sufficient bandwidth for attaching external storage, keyboard/mouse input for system setup, or USB-based backup devices. While a higher count of USB 3.0+ ports might have benefitted users with multiple external drives, the available ports are positioned logically and suit the intended home-focused workflows.

Display output is provided via a single HDMI port located on the rear, which supports resolutions up to 4K at 60Hz. Although display output isn’t central to most NAS workflows, this port enables users to connect the system to a monitor or TV for initial OS installation, dashboard display, or media playback when used with platforms like LibreELEC or Kodi.

However, as noted during hands-on testing, functionality via HDMI may vary depending on the operating system installed—some headless NAS platforms may not fully support graphical output. Nevertheless, for users experimenting with hybrid HTPC/NAS setups or running Linux-based OS variants with a GUI, the HDMI port remains a useful inclusion.

Port Type Specification
LAN Ports 2 x 2.5GbE (Intel i226-V)
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6 (Intel AX101, M.2 module)
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.2
USB Ports 1 x USB 2.0 (rear), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (front), 1 x USB Type-C 10Gbps (front)
HDMI 1 x HDMI 2.0 (Max 4K @ 60Hz)
Power Supply Internal PSU with 100–240V AC input

Beelink ME Mini NAS – Performance and Power/Heat/Noise Testing

In testing, the Beelink ME Mini demonstrated respectable throughput for a system of its class, especially when factoring in its compact size, low power draw, and passively biased thermal design. Using Unraid and TrueNAS Core for performance benchmarking, sequential read and write speeds from the five PCIe Gen 3 x1 slots averaged around 740MB/s read and 544MB/s write under repeated 1GB test files. These numbers are typical for Gen 3 x1 lanes and reflect near-maximum lane saturation, suggesting minimal internal throttling under standard conditions. The Gen 3 x2 slot, intended for the operating system, provided higher performance—averaging 1.1GB/s read and approximately 960MB/s write when paired with the bundled Crucial P3 SSD.

Transfer speeds between SSDs installed in Gen 3 x1 and Gen 3 x2 slots were tested in both directions and maintained averages of around 590–600MB/s. These figures reflect the limitations of internal bandwidth allocation rather than SSD performance. Even so, for most home NAS scenarios such as 4K media playback, multi-user access to stored documents, or photo libraries, the bandwidth is more than sufficient. It’s worth noting that SSD cooling remained effective during prolonged access, with only modest thermal variation even under full-speed transfers across all six drives.

Thermal behavior during sustained load was closely monitored using a HIKMICRO thermal imaging camera. With all six SSDs installed and periodic access maintained over a 24-hour period, temperatures peaked at 48–51°C at the top panel and 58–60°C at the base, where most of the PSU and networking activity is concentrated. Running the same tests with the case removed saw temperatures settle slightly lower—around 49–51°C across the board—confirming the effectiveness of the internal heatsink and fan assembly. However, the bottom of the unit exhibited more thermal accumulation due to the lack of active ventilation underneath, pointing to an area for potential design refinement.

In terms of power consumption and noise, the ME Mini is especially frugal. With no SSDs installed, the device idled at 6.0–6.9W. When populated with six SSDs and left idle, it drew approximately 16.9W. During peak activity—dual LAN ports active, CPU load above 70%, and all drives in use—power draw peaked between 28W and 31W. These are competitive numbers even among ARM-based NAS devices, and particularly impressive for an x86-based solution with full M.2 NVMe storage.

Acoustic output was also controlled, with idle operation measured at 31–34 dBA and full load peaking at just under 40 dBA—quiet enough for placement in shared living spaces without distraction.

While performance is clearly limited by the Gen 3 x1 interface speeds on most slots, the device’s thermal and power efficiency arguably matter more for its intended audience. This NAS isn’t designed for high-throughput, multi-client virtualization tasks or heavy 10GbE video editing pipelines. Instead, it excels in delivering balanced, stable, and low-noise performance across general-purpose NAS workloads. For users building a Plex server, family backup archive, soft router, or even an experimental home lab appliance, the ME Mini offers just enough headroom to handle real-world demands without overwhelming complexity or cost.

Beelink ME Mini – Performance and Environmental Metrics (Over 3 Days)

Test Scenario Result/Reading
Read Speed (Gen 3 x1) ~740MB/s
Write Speed (Gen 3 x1) ~544MB/s
Read Speed (Gen 3 x2) ~1.1GB/s
Write Speed (Gen 3 x2) ~960MB/s
Inter-SSD Transfer ~590–600MB/s
Idle Power Draw (No SSDs) 6.0–6.9W
Idle Power Draw (6 SSDs) 16.9W
Peak Load Power (Full Access) 28–31W
Idle Noise Level 31–34 dBA
Load Noise Level 37–40 dBA
Avg. Top Panel Temp (Loaded) 48–51°C
Avg. Bottom Panel Temp (Loaded) 58–60°C

Beelink ME Mini NAS Review – Verdict and Conclusion

The Beelink ME Mini NAS delivers an uncommon blend of size, functionality, and efficiency in a market segment often dominated by larger, louder, and less integrated alternatives. It is not designed to compete with traditional enterprise-grade NAS devices or modular, scalable solutions for prosumers. Instead, its strengths lie in targeting the needs of home users who want a quiet, energy-efficient storage solution that is easy to deploy, aesthetically unobtrusive, and capable of handling daily tasks such as media streaming, file backup, or soft routing. The inclusion of six M.2 NVMe SSD slots—paired with a Gen 3 x2 system slot—offers a rare level of expansion in such a small enclosure. The integration of an internal PSU, silent fan-assisted cooling, and a surprisingly effective thermal design are thoughtful touches that differentiate it from the majority of DIY NAS mini PCs.

That said, it is not without limitations. The memory is non-upgradable, thermal accumulation at the base suggests room for improvement, and bandwidth ceilings imposed by Gen 3 x1 lanes will constrain users who demand high parallel throughput. Still, for its price point—particularly when pre-order discounts are applied—the ME Mini offers significant value, especially when compared to ARM-based NAS solutions with similar or lower specifications. With bundled Crucial SSD options and support for a wide range of NAS operating systems, it positions itself as a ready-to-go platform for tech-savvy users wanting to avoid the assembly of a fully DIY system. Overall, while not a product for every use case, the Beelink ME Mini succeeds in its aim to be a compact, stylish, and capable home NAS.

Pros Cons
Compact cube design (99x99x99mm) ideal for discreet home deployment Memory is soldered and non-upgradable
Supports up to 6x M.2 NVMe SSDs with total capacity up to 24TB Five of the six SSD slots are limited to PCIe Gen 3 x1 bandwidth
Integrated PSU eliminates bulky external power adapters Bottom panel retains heat due to lack of active ventilation
Dual 2.5GbE LAN ports with link aggregation support —
Wi-Fi 6 wireless access and flexibility in UnRAID7 —
Low power consumption (as low as 6.9W idle, ~30W peak with full load) —
Silent fan and effective internal thermal management via large heatsink —
Includes Crucial-branded SSDs in pre-configured options for reliability —

Check Amazon in Your Region for the Beelink ME Mini NAS ($329 4/6)

Check AliExpress for the Beelink ME Mini NAS ($344 4/6)

Check the Official Beelink Site for the ME Mini NAS ($209 4/6)

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      Beelink ME Mini NAS Review
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      Product Name
      Beelink ME Mini NAS
      Price
      $ 204

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      147 thoughts on “Beelink ME Mini NAS Review”

      4. With the price of 4tb NVMEs dropping (remember when the 2tb Samsung PRO was 1200 US?), things like this are becoming viable. Maybe I missed it, but is that fan on top in push or pull? Guessing pull, venting out the top. I would have liked a good pix of the bottom. With the motherboard down there I am wondering if there is any intake down there or if it is just those slots near the bottom of the sides.
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      21. Can you do the review if it does work well for you too. Even if just a short update. Seems really intetesting, i dont consider myself a hardcore prosumer .
        Will look up the written review
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      22. While this is cool I wanna see a bad that uses a high pcie lane count cpu with a pcie switch to optimize things so all bays a have full lane connection abilities even if through a switch. If it is going to be recycled hardware from places like Ali express which I full support harvesting industrial mobile CPUs to make something like the one in this video but with 40 plus native pcie lanes with a pcie switch and bifurcation to achieve 4 lanes per slot. At least on a nano nas if bigger add a 2.5.
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      30. I ordered one about week ago and can’t wait to get my hands on it.. I’ll proxmox and trunenas scale as main container and try to play around building a proxmox cluster.
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      33. All mini PCs or NAS builds are crippled in a way. Want we need would be small form factor 64gb RAM 8 core, 6 * m2, 1 1* usb-c, 1*10gbit with the system be POE. around 7W on idle. That would be the dream NAS
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      40. Very reminiscent of Apple’s later Time Capsule Extreme (yes those also work as a NAS), where the disk sits inside a massive cooling block
        Or the 2013 MacBin Pro, with it’s giant triangular heat sink
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      41. Aweome, mine i arriving Wednesday! I was searching for some mini pc to play around with atleast 2 nvme slots and there was not much of the choice, especially in the 200$ price point, and then baaam, 6 nvme in mini pc for that price. Even without treating it as a NAS but as small media server/stream box/proxmox … damn, it’s well more worth than those raspberry boxes o.O
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      43. Great video, was waiting for your insightful thoughts on this new product. As mentioned in the comments Raid Owl also did a review of this and then proceeded to turn it into some kind of experimental mutant NAS! https://youtu.be/B0kuoaHUNpU?si=o-jPoWB1TSJJs-xF
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      44. YES! Been excited to see your video for this Beelink NAS since i saw it released – needed your confirmation before looking at investing in this as like you said, a local media server and lightweight data backup with a few docker containers for Recipe Management and other lightweight self-hosted services. Thank you!
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      49. This is an interesting device, but the market seems really small for it. It’s a NVME NAS with poor performance, so the worst of all worlds – low storage capacity and high price. The only upsides seem to be its form factor and sleek looks.
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      53. Changes I would make : 1) add a fan at the bottom to improve cooling; 2) drop one of the the gen3x1 NVMe drives and use the extra PCIe lane to provide 10GbE + 2.5GbE (probably ACQ113 + Intel I226-V) network ports ; 3) replace the soldered LPDDR5 by a SODIMM stick (more RAM, more flexibility); 4) either drop the eMMC or offer it as a replaceable module. In general, soldering RAM and (especially) eMMC may save some cost and power, but then this device might end up as e-waste prematurely if they fail.
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      56. Very interesting.

        Two issues I have with it are the 12GB RAM that is not upgradable, and how it will perform with operations such as resilvering a RAID (that may require continuous read and writes for a couple of days).

        Also, external temperatures of around 50C may be uncomfortable to be holding in your hand for prolonged periods of time.

        Aside from those caveats, it does sound like a good price-performance ration for what it does.
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      57. I would replace the wifi card in this mini-NAS by an M,2 A+E-key to M-key adapter board, then add a 2230 NVMe boot drive for the NAS OS. Looks like there’s room for the adapter,r and 1 TB 2230 stick are plentiful now. I did this with an AOOSTAR R7 5825U dual-bay PC – it now has 3 NVMe drives and 2 spinning rust hard drives. Runs great.
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      58. It seems to me cooling could be so much better. It would be so simple to just have feet that are half an inch or so tall and then slap a 120mm fan on bottom and another on top. This is such an easy solution.
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      59. Well, we now know where the designers of the Mac Pro “Trashcan” went to work … LOL … but seriously, a brilliant piece of tech with such a minimalist aesthetic.
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      65. Looks very interesting. The fan “grill” on top looks very restrictive, a more open proper grill would help air flow and more open lower outlets would also help, I originally thought it extracted from the top which feels more normal, it explains the hot spots at the bottom though.
        The Mk2 with 10Gb and better air flow will be brilliant, would have been happy to have dropped the Wireless for a USB 4 port for external drive expansion (8 bay Sata drive expansion pack in same format?)
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      66. The only issue I see with this is it isn’t a Prosumer device …but has no OS ….what might be a great idea is if they did a deal with say Ugreen or TerraMaster and shipped it with a simple OS to suit consumer use …then it would be BeeLink killing the BeeStation ……..its so cheap it makes no sense not to get one to fiddle with.
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      71. Built the first one; your video is like the reminder to buy the second one. As far as performance as tested so far; haven’t bonded the two 2.5g ports as it won’t make a difference in MY NETWORK; but seeing 240 to 260 MB /sec depending upon the size of the files transferred. Your mileage may vary, a lot, depending upon the size of files being transferred; and this is on a 2.5 Gbe network. Not everyone has 10Gbe in their home network; many are using just wifi, Gbe, or 2.5 Gbe, so this is the sort of speeds to expect over 2.5 Gbe..
        Considering the price of 4 TB NVME drives, new owners should consider whether they want to either populate the NAS with 2 TB sticks, or pony up for 4 TB sticks, or go with a second unit using 2 TB NVME drives.
        The cheapest NVME drives I probably would not go with; so a pair of decent quality NVME drives will set one back about $450 today; so 6 would be pushing nearly $1400 to fully populate 6 slots. In truth, it’s far cheaper to buy spinning hard disks and get a ton of storage; but in the end, you do end up with spinning disks, which add their own noise to the environment, heat, and well, power draw.

        My second unit will be populated with, initially at least, 2TB sticks; so still a sizable storage device in a very compact, quiet package..
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      74. Now this makes my GMKTec G9 look bad… They should sell the non populated version in Europe (Amazon etc.) though. Otherwise the 200$ price point is unattainable.
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      75. 2:53 I don’t normally want to be that guy, but your preemptive correction makes me feel like I’m missing out on an opportunity here… lol thanks for the review!
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      77. Check out RaidOwl’s review. Apparently TWO of the nvme slots are x2. So he fitted both a 10GbE nic and a nvme to six sata adapter and put it all in a 3d-printed chassis… N150 with 4 nvme ssds, 6 sata ssds, 2x 2.5GbE and 10GbE… I SO need a couple of those????????
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      78. I’m looking for a portable/travel NAS. Seems a good fit, but still have nostalgia for the 2.5″ hard drive format over the too plasticky SATA SSD’s.

        Seagate 2Tb drives can be had for about £62 each, with NVMe drives at about £90-£100 on Amazon currently. Maybe could partially populate with NVMe drives and add a couple of the 2.5″ in an external case to satisfy my nostalgia ????

        Had an N150 based ZimaBlade 2 come out already, might have been another consideration.
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      81. It’s a shame that Truenas removed all the Wifi drivers from the kernel. In the 3-2-1 backup scheme it’s perfect for the third backup somewhere in the house.
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      82. Based on this review, which is super enthusiastic, I have placed an order for one of these. Up until now, I have been using a Synology two bay NAS, but wanted to expand a little, so now I need some advice as to which operating system I should use when it arrives. Ideas please?
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      83. Hey NASCompares, excellent video! Definitely an awesome little device that would make a great silent home NAS!

        I saw their product page listed support for up to 4TB drives, but I’m wondering if 8TB drives might work? I tried emailing Bee-Link support, but they aren’t of any help. I’m thinking of chucking in a couple 8TB drives in there for more capacity. Do you think you could possibly test that out if you have some drives available?

        Was also wondering if you think it might be possible to install a small 2230 nvme SSD in the WiFI card’s location using an adapter? Could use this drive as the OS drive since most of us probably wont be using WiFi on this device.

        Thanks!
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      84. It is a gorgeous design, but why would you put six expensive SSDs in such a bottlenecked box? If you need this kind of capacity, but are satisfied with such pedestrian performance, spinney disks will be much more cost effective. If they made something just like this, but with 10GB ethernet, Gen4 or Gen5 NVME, maybe a Thunderbolt 5 for the Mac mini crowd, a higher end (preferably AMD) processor, even if the price had to be a lot higher and the size a little bigger, they’d have a real winner!
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      87. I wish the RAM wasn’t soldered… 12GB is just too little for ZFS. The Intel spec sheet for N150 lists maximum RAM at 16 GB, but many people have confirmed it working at 64 GB.
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      89. Interesting nice little device! ????
        For the cooling it seems pretty simple to upgrade with (maybe a larger fan) a modified 3D printed case (PETG or ASA). In general I would assume instead if pushing the air from the top to the botton just flipping the fan might already work so the air is sucked in at the bottom.
        So a fan mod by someone who is able to sketch a model together and drop the files on the well known platforms is quite realistic.

        As example: I”ve just upgraded my AceMagic F3A with an alternative mounting at the top to be able to use a 80x80x11.8 mm low profile fan (the 12V fan runs with 5V which is provided by fan connector) instead of the default 40x40x10mm (5V) fan. There are a few minor optimisations I’m going to add in the next couple of weeks (I’m really busy with other stuff so it takes me a while). I’m also planning to include an 80x80x15mm fan mod version. The current design already works great but there are a few minor corrections I have to apply (I’m a little “Monk” …).
        The 3d model will be available for free later on …after the fine tuning (most likely Makerworld / Printables).
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      91. If only BeeLink would do a ME Mini Plus: 16GB RAM, one 10 GbE onboard, six x1’s, and 64GB or 128GB eMMC. They could still use the N150 or could upgrade it to an N3xx or something.
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      93. A bought a Beelink mini PC once and it quickly overheated. Now I wouldn’t touch Beelink with a bargepole. The mini NAS you are reviewing looks like it may also overheat. Time will tell. I will be looking out for overheating reviews. I hope I am wrong.
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      95. Am I the only one who sees the internal power supply as a bad thing? I wish it was PD powered so that almost any powerbank could be use with it for backup power.
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      96. Translated with Google Translate, due to my poor English…: I have a question: what type of SSD would you put in here? PCIE 3.0 or 4.0? Any specific recommendations, please? Thanks for sharing! Greetings from BCN, Spain! And I recently subscribed to this channel, which has been so interesting to me!
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      97. Forget 2 2.5GBE. 10G wired. I don’t buy any of these kinds of devices anymore that don’t have 10GBE. The rest of the specs look nice. 64 is a bit skimpy. Would have preferred 128. Nice there is no brick. Nice power consumption. Nice size.
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      99. What about swapping those SSDs for a single ASM1166 and modifying the case so you can attach 6x 3.5″ HDD with a separate external PSU? Then, instead 0f 6x 8 TB @ RAID 5 to give 40TB you get 6x 20TB giving a 100TB RAID 5 array for the same price.
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      107. so much better than that (was it) GMKTEK one that was a furnace… this one looks good, sounds “good” (noise wise) and performs good (even though people whine about pci-e names to the nvme’s while their network is limited to 250MB/s anyways)
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      112. as soon as i could get some i did, most excellent box for remote backup options. use proxmox, plex lxc and rsysnc, with 4tb nvmes with vpn to have remote off site backups at others homes. and they don’t even know they are there. almost no power and no fan noise!! I did change the fan config, to go wide open sooner (during backups) then fall back to silent!
        great REVIEW!!!
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      114. One thing to consider is changing to Linux that as per several tests is much more efficient and can give just that little bit of performance gain to transcode 8K to a manageable result with less buffering.
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      115. Dude, this is the exact setup I was thinking of building for my home. Could you help me with a couple of questions? First, if i go with the full 16tb storage setup, which SSD drive would you recommend? I plan on adding a lot of movies, home videos, and pictures over time. Secondly, I’ve seen a video from that Jeff Geerling guy. He seemed to have some overheating issues. I don’t plan on using this as a powerhouse, but just mainly as a windows-based media/plex server. Did you notice any hardware issues with overheating?
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      116. Very interesting stuff. I have a G9 sitting on my desk that I purchased as a replacement for my 15 year old NAS, nice to see it’s a fairly capable little machine!
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      118. So, I’m thinking of buying a device mainly to experiment with, but I also want it to serve as a productive solution for my small home network. I plan to install pfsense, proxmox, pihole, and generally play around with different setups. I’m looking for something compact and with low power consumption. I’m considering something from AliExpress with an N100 or N150 processor. Does anyone have experience with Topton? Is there a better alternative?

        I guess I’ll need at least 2 ports – one for WAN and one for LAN. If I don’t go for a device with enough ports to cover my needs(6 or 8), I’ll probably need an extra switch (managed?).

        And the most important question: since my WiFi network will be going through the device running pfsense, will I definitely need a separate access point?
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      119. I’m not convinced by your transcoding tests, would like to see the results if the device you’re playing it on doesn’t support the original media’s codec. I don’t see how just reducing the size is going to add as much work to the server as if the end player didn’t support the codec altogether.
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      122. I got one, so far it’s okay for light tasks (internet browsing and watching movies)’ ; i thought it was going to be very slow with 4K but so far it did not disappoint me.
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      123. My plex journey started with the N105 last spring finding that it struggled to transcode more than 2 streams remotely then to the n305 it was slightly better but the cpu was almost always at 80% or more utilization when using plex while deluge and the arrs where running. In October I upgraded to a i5 1235U and am super happy with it and regret wasting so much time and money on the lower tiered options to begin with.
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      128. Just build a proper PLEX server with Nvidia GPU, network connect to my local storage server. I run it on Ubuntu over the hypervisor with passthrough. You can play anything, encode anything, transcode anything. I always transcode 4k source to 720p so I can watch it on the move, just like any streaming services. I even stream my PLEX server either through WireGuard or reverse proxy, to several family members and extended families without a hic. These mini pc just do not cut it. Want a good PLEX server, just get a Nvidia GPU with a paid (lifetime) PLEX acct.
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      129. It is so frustrating that they seldom list the actual hardware codec support. Having a GPU is just part of the multimedia story. Seems it has support for AV1, VP8, VP9, H.264, and H.265 but Ic ant seem to find any other detail e.g is that both encode and decode, what bit rate, HDR etc. Seems like it can natively decode AV1, but sadly, not encode.
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      131. Mine is still ‘awaiting shipment’. It makes sense to me to save the money for some SSDs rather than stick with HDDs. Plus if it doesn’t work reliably as a NAS then it will still be useful as a media streaming box.
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      133. I have a number of old blu-ray HD movies that use the VC-1 format, which traditionally has been hard to transcode since transcoding was single threaded. How does the N150 handle VC-1?

        Also , how does the N150 handle forced subtitles?
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      136. Hiding interesting content behind ‘members only’ is not going to work well for the popularity of this channel. Release all content and build membership first to half a million before putting any paywall. It’s a niche storage channel, not a major tech review channel.
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