N5 Pro: Powerful network storage with numerous ports, AMD CPU and upgrade options

Minisforum is already well known in the mini PC sector with a broad selection of models ranging from the UN100P all the way up to the AtomMan G7. But mini PCs are not the only thing that the company offers, as it has just announced a new network storage device, the N5 Pro. A cursory glance at the specs suggests that it is a very powerful model designed for all the requirements of modern storage.

First off, an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is installed. This versatile CPU is also installed in compact desktop systems and is intended for efficient multitasking and solid performance across a variety of applications, including light to moderate video gaming. Regarding RAM, the installation of up to 96GB of DDR5 SODIMM in two slots is possible. ECC is supported, which according to Minisforum "automatically detects and corrects memory errors, ensures data integrity, and enhances reliability for mission-critical storage."

As for storage: Five individual hot-swap SATA bays supporting up to 22TB each, an M.2 NVMe SSD up to 4TB, and two U.2 NVMe SSDs up to 15TB each are all supported. This amounts to a total storage of 144TB when fully stocked. Of course, this figure applies to internal storage only; external hard drives or hard disk enclosures can be connected via USB 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 or even OCuLink. 

A PCIe 4.0 connection with four lanes allows for the installation of network cards, among other things. Two 10GbE and 5GbE Ethernet ports are on board. USB ports range from (including those already mentioned) three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (external), one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (internal), one USB 2.0 and two USB 4 ports. Other ports include a 3.5mm combo audio jack, one HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 2.0.

Information on price or availability is still pending.