Technical reference
MINISFORUM N5 Air Barebone specifications
N5A-H25506US · AMD Ryzen 7 255 · 8-core · No memory installed (barebone) · 5 × SATA HDD + 3 × M.2 SSD · 64GB OS Storage
Complete specifications with requirements, upgrade limits and sources. For our buying judgment, reviews and prices, return to the buying guide.
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Identity
Compute and memory
Manufacturer specifications with configuration and evidence limits.
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 255 · 8-core[1] |
|---|---|
| Factory memory | No memory installed (barebone)[1] Factory memory is kept separate from maximum supported capacity and from seller-installed upgrades. |
| Physical CPU cores | 8[3] |
| Factory memory | 0 GB[2] |
| Host memory ECC | No[3] |
| Official memory upgrade path | Yes[3] |
| Official memory limit | 96 GB[3] |
| CPU threads and boost | 16 threads; up to 4.9GHz[1] |
| Integrated graphics | Radeon 780M[1] |
| Official CPU power range | 45–55W[1] Processor power range, not measured whole-system consumption. |
| Memory slots and speed | 2 × DDR5-5600 non-ECC SO-DIMM[1] |
Storage and expansion
Manufacturer specifications with configuration and evidence limits.
| Cataloged drive-bay count | 5[1] M.2 positions are listed separately and are not silently added to SATA bay count. |
|---|---|
| Supported drive layout | 5 × SATA HDD + 3 × M.2 SSD[1] |
| Replaceable storage drives | Yes — slide-out 3.5/2.5-inch trays; hot-swap not claimed[1] Official Air/Pro/Max pages and NASCompares/SMZDM photos show tool-less or slide-out bays. Hot-swap while powered is not established. |
| M.2 expansion | Yes[3] Evidence state: documented. 3 physical M.2 slots; 1 occupied by factory OS storage, 2 free |
| Official external drive enclosure expansion | Not an official enclosure SKU; USB4 / OCuLink / PCIe can attach external devices[1] Official pages document USB4 and OCuLink. That is not the same as a branded JBOD enclosure compatibility list. |
| Physical M.2 slots | 3[3] Evidence state: documented. 3 physical M.2 slots; 1 occupied by factory OS storage, 2 free |
| SATA without a mandatory model whitelist | Unknown — no mandatory whitelist published on opened pages[1] |
| M.2 without a mandatory model whitelist | Unknown — no mandatory whitelist published on opened pages[1] |
| PCIe expansion slot | Physical x16, electrically PCIe 4.0 x4[1] Card fit, power and driver compatibility require separate checking. |
| OCuLink | Yes — eGPU / external PCIe[1] |
| Factory OS SSD | 64 GB M.2 occupying one internal SSD position[5][1] Shopify variant titles Barebone+64GB OS Storage / 16GB DDR5+64GB OS Storage. |
| SATA positions and listed per-drive capacity | 5 × 3.5/2.5-inch SATA; up to 30TB each[1] Manufacturer capacity listing is not a promise that every drive model is compatible. |
| M.2 form factors and electrical lanes | A: 2230/2280/22110 Gen4 x1; B: 2280/22110 Gen4 x2; C: 2280/22110 Gen4 x1[1] Official table lists up to 8TB per M.2 drive. The OS SSD occupies A; slot limits are separate from Ethernet performance. |
Network
Manufacturer specifications with configuration and evidence limits.
| Installed Ethernet | 1 × 10GbE + 1 × 5GbE[1] Multiple ports do not guarantee one client the sum of their link rates. |
|---|---|
| Fastest installed single network port | 10 Gbps[3] |
| Official network upgrade path | Yes — PCIe x16 physical slot (wired x4) can take extra NICs; OCuLink also present[1][4] Official Air marketing: PCIe x16 for 10GbE NICs and SSD cache. Electrical width is x4 per NASCompares. |
| USB4 ports | 2 × USB4 with DisplayPort 2.0[1] USB4 link capability and direct-client transfer behavior depend on host and OS; no sustained file rate inferred. |
| HDMI output | HDMI 2.1 FRL; up to 8K 60Hz / 4K 144Hz[1] Display capability is not a NAS transcoding guarantee. |
| Ethernet controllers | 10GbE: RTL8127 or AQC113; 5GbE: RTL8126[1] Official table allows two 10GbE controller variants. Check the delivered hardware and OS driver support; a review of one controller does not establish the other. |
Software and data protection
Manufacturer specifications with configuration and evidence limits.
| Factory operating system | MinisCloud OS; ZFS-based, advertised as Beta[1][10] Feature maturity depends on the installed release. Recent original reviews required a desktop/mobile app; an advertised web client should not be assumed available. |
|---|---|
| RAID support | ZFS pools; RAID0/1 and parity RAID advertised; RAIDZ options require sufficient disks[1][10] LinuxLinks screenshot: RAIDZ1 ≥3, RAIDZ2 ≥4, RAIDZ3 ≥6 disks. The five-bay chassis cannot form a six-disk RAIDZ3 using SATA bays alone; no hybrid-pool assumption is made. |
| Backup through the graphical interface | Yes — Backup app in MinisCloud clients[1][8][10][4] Official educ_content shows a Backup app that creates scheduled jobs from Windows/macOS/iOS/Android clients to MinisCloud. LinuxLinks found the tool basic: LAN backups from a computer or Samba share to the NAS, not a copy of files already on the NAS. |
| Backup to an independent target | Native NAS-to-external-target backup not established[10] Client-to-NAS backup does not protect the NAS against its own loss. LinuxLinks could not back up files already on the NAS through the Backup app. |
| Documented restore path | Partial — ZFS snapshot rollback advertised; file-level restore wizard not fully documented this round[1][8][10][4] Official snapshot copy promises instant rollback. LinuxLinks Backup page did not show a restore-to-endpoint procedure. |
| Scheduled backup | Yes — Backup jobs accept a schedule in official client docs[1][8][10][4] Official educ_content shows a Backup app that creates scheduled jobs from Windows/macOS/iOS/Android clients to MinisCloud. LinuxLinks found the tool basic: LAN backups from a computer or Samba share to the NAS, not a copy of files already on the NAS. |
| Restore from snapshots | Yes — official ZFS snapshot rollback (build-specific)[1][8][10][4] Official N5 pages and educ_content describe ZFS snapshots with point-in-time rollback. Exact retention policy, immutable lock, and remote replication were not established from the opened documents. |
| Version retention | Unknown — snapshot feature exists; retention policy not documented on opened pages[1][8][10][4] Official N5 pages and educ_content describe ZFS snapshots with point-in-time rollback. Exact retention policy, immutable lock, and remote replication were not established from the opened documents. |
| Immutable protection | Unknown — not established from opened MinisCloud documents[1][8] |
| Remote snapshot replication | Unknown — not established; client backup is not remote snapshot replication[1][8] |
| Native endpoint restore | Unknown — endpoint backup jobs exist; restore-to-PC procedure not fully documented[1][8][10][4] Official educ_content shows a Backup app that creates scheduled jobs from Windows/macOS/iOS/Android clients to MinisCloud. LinuxLinks found the tool basic: LAN backups from a computer or Samba share to the NAS, not a copy of files already on the NAS. |
| Official system update path | Yes — in-OS update prompt observed on N5 Pro MinisCloud[10][1] LinuxLinks was prompted to update MinisCloud during pool setup on an N5 Pro. Exact channel for Air/Max builds not separately documented. |
| System status interface | Client dashboard for CPU, memory, disks and temperatures[10] LinuxLinks’ monitoring description does not establish a browser-accessible administration interface. |
| System log interface | Unknown — monitoring exists; a dedicated log viewer was not documented this round[1] |
Warranty and support
Manufacturer specifications with configuration and evidence limits.
| Standard warranty | 2 years[3] |
|---|
Physical, power and acoustics
Manufacturer specifications with configuration and evidence limits.
| Dimensions | 199 × 202 × 252 mm[1] |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4 kg[1] Official chassis specification; installed drives and accessories change deployed weight. |
| Power supply and consumption | External 280W adapter, 19V / 14.73A[1] Supply rating is not idle or typical wall consumption; measured sample figures are discussed separately. |
| Acoustic conditions | No comparable exact-configuration official noise rating established[1][10] Related measurements use different memory, drives, operating systems and microphone conditions; see the evidence discussion. |
| Chassis | Plastic-led revision of the N5 chassis (lighter than original metal N5)[1][4][16] Official/Liliputing/NASCompares. Not a thermal certificate. |
Hardware details
Manufacturer specifications with configuration and evidence limits.
| Other USB ports | 3 × USB 3.2 Gen2 (one internal); 1 × USB 2.0[1] |
|---|
Exact product identity & open questions
- Product ID
- minisforum-n5-air-barebone[1]
- Exact MPN or manufacturer configuration ID
- N5A-H25506US[1]
- Model
- N5 Air Barebone[1]
- Factory compute and memory
- AMD Ryzen 7 255 · 8-core; No memory installed (barebone)[1]
- Storage layout
- 5 × SATA HDD + 3 × M.2 SSD[1]
- MinisCloud build/version: The exact delivered MinisCloud release is not pinned. Recent app-based administration and outgoing-backup limitations are recorded; confirm features in the intended release. RAIDZ disk-count prerequisites are established.
- Video: Identified videos y8WFoV4ZSTg, 74vOscHkQHs and qH7WaH9h0UU were attempted but their ASR and frames were not obtained. They are not used as measured evidence.
- Immutable / remote replication / log UI: Still not established from opened MinisCloud documents.
- Exact configuration measurements: Available tests use upgraded or unstated RAM; related results are retained separately. No direct performance measurements for this purchased configuration were verified.
- Remaining marketplace coverage: Amazon responses did not establish a current exact new offer. Related merchant kits are not copied onto this configuration. The old Best Buy Pro PDP no longer offers a new unit.
Sources
Research updated Sep 11, 2026. Individual source check dates are listed below. Measurements belong to the named reviewers; tested configurations and software versions may differ from the product you buy.
- [1] MINISFORUM N5 Air Barebone official product page ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Exact model page, hardware description, configuration selector and current feature sections
- [2] variant ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · product.variants[id=47341497647349] → title / sku / options; product.variants[id=47341497647349] Barebone option; separate 16GB option
- [3] minisforum-n5-air-barebone ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · minisforum-n5-air-barebone: normalized text lines 229–249; minisforum-n5-air-barebone: normalized text lines 245–247; minisforum-n5-air-barebone: normalized text lines 174–174; minisforum-n5-air-barebone: normalized text lines 18–18
- [4] NASCompares original test of N5 Air Barebone ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Wayback 20260626023859 of /review/minisforum-n5-air-nas-review/; live 403
- [5] MINISFORUM first-party variant data for N5A-H25506US ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · First-party variant endpoint; variant 47341497647349; AMD Ryzen™ 7 255 / Barebone+64GB OS Storage / US; SKU N5A-H25506US; available=true; price and selection data only
- [6] MINISFORUM exact selected product page for N5A-H25506US ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · product.variants[id=47341497647349] sku N5A-H25506US price 53500 available true
- [7] MINISFORUM historical exact new-product PDP ↗
Checked Sep 2, 2026 · minisforum-n5-air-barebone::minisforum; retained historical price, availability and seller record
- [8] MINISFORUM MinisCloud education / setup pages ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Meet MinisCloud; drive install; RAID/LZ4 pool wizard; Backup app Create New with schedule on Windows/macOS/iOS/Android
- [9] N5/N5 Pro AI NAS Quick-Start Guide ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Quick-start for MinisCloud OS, ZFS and Docker on N5/N5 Pro
- [10] LinuxLinks MinisCloud OS review (N5 Pro hands-on) ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · All 12 pages; page 1 RAID disk-count screenshot, page 6 backup, page 10 sleep behavior, page 11 SAN/iSCSI
- [11] LinuxLinks Minisforum N5 Pro hardware review ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · All four pages; upgraded32GB Ubuntu26.04; KDiskMark x1/x2 screenshots; power-management conditions
- [12] NASCompares Minisforum N5 Pro NAS Review (Wayback 2025-11-05) ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Testing, Noise and Heat table; 96GB ECC review unit; TrueNAS/Unraid alternative OS
- [13] ServeTheHome Minisforum N5 Pro Review ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · All four pages; 32GB unit, Proxmox9, Geekbench5.5.1 screenshot, power and noise
- [14] ServeTheHome Minisforum N5 Max Review with AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · All five pages; 64GB unit; 17 compute/inference images and prose power/noise
- [15] SMZDM / koolshare 铭凡 N5 Air 深度评测 ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · 32GB sample; fnOS tests after Intel X710-T2L installation; video decode, not transcode
- [16] Liliputing N5 Air launch note ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Launch/spec recap: plastic body vs original N5; not a timed NAS lab table
- [17] Newegg MINISFORUM N5 Air listing ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Selected product N5 Air-255|0+64; no memory; 64GB OS SSD; USD515; Add to cart; seller MINISFORUM Official. Selected option and No Memory specification match the barebone configuration; manufacturer region-suffix MPN is not printed.
- [18] Newegg MINISFORUM N5 Pro listing ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Opened listing; selected option N5 Pro-370|0+128; seller contact MINISFORUM Official; live USD/stock not confirmed in extract
- [19] Amazon MINISFORUM N5 Air barebone PDP ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Search/snippet listed No RAM / 64GB SSD MinisCloud; this-round fetch returned a short/blocked body
- [20] Amazon MINISFORUM N5 Pro-P370 0+128GB PDP ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Title 0+128GB; this-round fetch returned a short/blocked body
- [21] Best Buy Minisforum N5 Pro 16GB RAM listing ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Parent primary page check: model N5-PRO-P370-16, SKU12141240; no longer available in new condition. New seller listing is separate.
- [22] Best Buy Minisforum N5 MAX 64GB listing ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Search identifies 64GB LPDDR5x + 128GB OS; this-round open aborted
Research and review record
- Research: Grok 4.6 · Source research and data update
- Self-check: Grok 4.6 · Researcher self-check
- Independent review: GPT-6 (Codex) · Independent review of original prose, official core tables and recorded performance images; configuration and software-release boundaries retained. Explicitly unread videos/frames are not approved evidence.
- Editorial integration: GPT-6 (Codex) · Editorial integration and validation
Independent review completed for the scope recorded in the audit.
Source evidence and review history (JSON)