- Ryzen 7 255 is a descending and exclusive chip from China without the usual 16 tops ai NPU
- Minister N5 admits up to 96 GB of RAM DDR5 but lacks ECC memory support
- The N5 offers dual USB4 ports and 10 GBE networks for versatile connectivity
Minister has introduced the N5, a compact storage device attacked in network (NAS) now available worldwide.
Run together with the most powerful N5 Pro, this new model is driven by AMD Ryzen 7 255, a processor so dark that does not even appear on the AMD global website.
Instead, it is listed only on the Chinese AMD site such as the Ryzen 7 H 255, a chip with eight Zen 4 cores and a base watch of 3.8 GHz, which increases to 4.9 GHz.
Descending cycle chip with features of missing
In the Ryzen 200 and Hawk Point series, the processor has a default 45W TDP, configurable between 35W and 54W.
However, the Ryzen 7 255 raises some questions about positioning and performance.
Minister also uses this processor in the AI X1, but it seems to be a Ryzen 7 8745Hs Rebadged, essentially a variant of smaller cotton of the Ryzen 7 8745H, a chip offered exclusively in China.
It seems that the Ryzen 7 255 is lost in the NPU of 16 tops that most of the Ryzen 7 250 series use, which means that the chip is expected to be delayed in tasks centered on AI.
The CPU and the GPU are also slightly descending, which could lead to modest but notable performance reductions.
Despite these warnings, Minister N5 offers an attractive variety of features that can attract users looking for a hybrid between a NAS device and a mini PC.
Like its pro variant, the N5 admits up to 96 GB of DDR5 memory through dual SO-DIMM grooves.
However, it does not offer RAM ECC support, a key distinction for those that prioritize the integrity of the data.
The device can run multiple operating systems, including Linux, Miniscloud OS and Windows 11 Pro.
For connectivity, it includes two USB4, 5 GBPS and 10 GBPS ports of Ethernet ports, an Oculink interface and a PCIE X16 slot that runs at PCIE 4.0 x4 speeds.
These characteristics make it viable not only as a NAS device, but also as a potential mini work station, especially when combined with the best NAS units for storage expansion.
The price starts at $ 553 for a base configuration that includes 64 GB of storage but not RAM, although a version with 16 GB of RAM is available for additional $ 48.
