Minisforum has introduced the S5, a compact NAS designed around silent operation, low power consumption and unusually high solid state storage capacity.
The system uses passive cooling rather than a fan, allowing it to operate without fan noise. To make that possible, Minisforum selected Intel's Core 3 304 processor, a low power chip from the Wildcat Lake family.
The S5 can support up to five NVMe SSDs and a total storage capacity of 40 TB, making storage expansion one of its biggest strengths.
Five M.2 slots provide up to 40TB of storage
The S5 includes five M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs.
Each slot supports PCIe 4.0, although the drives are reportedly limited to a PCIe 4.0 x1 connection. That reduces the maximum bandwidth available to individual SSDs compared with the wider PCIe connections often used in desktop PCs.
For a NAS, however, raw SSD bandwidth is not always the main concern. Storage capacity, networking and sustained access can matter more depending on how the system is used.
Installing five 8 TB NVMe SSDs would give the S5 a total capacity of 40 TB.
| Specification | Minisforum S5 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core 3 304 |
| CPU cores | 5 |
| CPU configuration | 1 Performance core, 4 LP Efficiency cores |
| Processor power | 15W |
| Cooling | Fully passive |
| M.2 slots | 5 |
| Maximum storage | Up to 40 TB |
| SSD interface | PCIe 4.0 x1 per slot |
| Wired networking | 10 GbE and 2.5 GbE |
| USB4 | Two 40 Gbps ports |
| Wireless | WiFi 7 |
| Chassis size | 176.5 x 60 x 154 mm |
The limitation to a single PCIe lane per SSD means the S5 is not designed to extract maximum sequential speed from five premium NVMe drives at the same time.
Its configuration instead prioritizes compactness, capacity and low power operation.
Intel Core 3 304 keeps power use low
At the center of the NAS is Intel's Core 3 304.
The processor contains five CPU cores, consisting of one Cougar Cove Performance core and four Darkmont low power Efficiency cores.
It runs at a 15W power level, making it suitable for a system without active cooling.
The Core 3 304 is the entry level option in the Wildcat Lake family, so the S5 is unlikely to be aimed at demanding compute workloads.
For everyday NAS duties such as file storage, backups, media access and network sharing, the lower power processor may be more appropriate than a faster chip that requires fans and additional cooling.
Dual network ports include 10 GbE
Networking is another strong part of the design.
The S5 includes both 10 GbE and 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, giving you options for high speed wired networking.
The 10 GbE interface is especially useful if the NAS is used with multiple NVMe drives, since slower network connections could otherwise become a major bottleneck.
WiFi 7 is also included for wireless connectivity.
For peripherals and external storage, the system offers two USB4 ports capable of up to 40 Gbps, along with multiple USB Type A ports.
That gives the small NAS enough connectivity to work with external drives, docks and other high bandwidth accessories.
Fanless design keeps the system silent
The S5 is housed in a compact aluminum chassis measuring 176.5 x 60 x 154 mm.
Its passive cooling design removes the fan entirely, which means there is no fan noise during operation.
That could make the system useful in offices, bedrooms, studios or other environments where a conventional NAS fan may become noticeable.
The tradeoff is the use of a relatively modest processor and restricted PCIe bandwidth for the SSDs.
Minisforum has not yet announced pricing or a final release date for the S5. The company is currently allowing interested buyers to register for early information about availability.
For buyers who value silent operation and large all flash storage capacity more than maximum CPU performance, the S5 offers an unusual combination of five NVMe slots, 10 GbE networking and a completely fanless design.
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