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I Visited the Minisforum HQ in Shenzhen, China – Here is Everything I Saw

Par : Rob Andrews
4 juin 2025 à 18:00

Visiting Minisforum’s China Office – What Did I See and Are Minisforum Legit?

As part of an extended trip to Shenzhen to explore the operations of Chinese hardware manufacturers, I had the opportunity to tour the headquarters and production facilities of Minisforum.

Known primarily for their compact desktop PCs, Minisforum has grown into a recognizable name in the mini PC sector, especially among users seeking unique form factors and high-spec internals.

My visit was independently arranged—not funded or sponsored by Minisforum—and I was given broad access to their facilities, with the only restriction being a small section of their R&D operation involving future product development. This level of transparency allowed for a thorough, hands-on look at their operations, from production lines to internal workflows.

The visit came about through direct outreach. After arriving in China, I contacted several companies I regularly report on and review. Minisforum was among the few who responded affirmatively, agreeing to host a tour with very little advance notice. On the morning of the visit, I was picked up by three Minisforum team members, including their livestream and media lead, who also served as my translator for the day.

The visit took place across several floors of their Shenzhen headquarters, located in a commercial building they moved into in 2021, having launched the brand in 2018. They estimated they had around 300 staff globally, and based on what I saw, 150 to 170 people were active onsite, spread across administration, production, and support.

The headquarters occupied a full floor of the building, and it was apparent that expansion had been part of their strategy when they relocated in 2021. Though some office spaces were unoccupied, most of the floors were operational, with logistics and packaging activities ongoing. I observed pallets and packaging materials prepared for distribution, and a fair amount of sitting stock awaiting shipping. The layout was structured but busy, and of all the factory and office environments I toured during my trip, this one was arguably the cleanest and most organized. That said, I fully acknowledge that all facilities likely prepared for my visit to some extent.

The core office space was divided into five main sections: regional (domestic) sales, international sales (including platforms like Amazon), marketing and communications, product development, and web/app support. One notable area was their in-house video production studio used for livestreams and YouTube content.

It was professionally equipped and a far cry from many DIY setups I’ve seen elsewhere. The R&D section, while smaller in headcount, was well-defined, with product managers assigned to own specific hardware designs. Their approach appeared to give individual developers significant autonomy, from concept to execution.

Minisforum’s production line blended automation with human-led processes. Compared to other factories I toured in Shenzhen, theirs leaned more heavily toward manual labor, with an approximate 70/30 split in favor of human involvement. Tasks such as component placement, assembly, and basic testing were handled by line workers, while machines were used for stress tests and basic automation.

Staff wore ESD-safe gear like anti-static wrist straps, and their stations showed signs of regular use, such as floor wear and desktop clutter. There was no visible use of airlock or dust-control chambers, unlike in some other facilities, which may reflect a different internal standard or assessment of risk.

Minisforum included several test-specific environments within their production pipeline, which were not present in other factories I visited.

These included an aging room, where products were stress-tested under load over extended periods; a mute room, used to measure noise output under different system conditions.

Aand a shock testing room, used to simulate shipping and logistical handling stress.

These rooms provided an additional layer of quality control and indicated a focus on post-assembly validation. It is unclear how many units are tested this way—it may be based on statistical sampling—but the presence of these facilities in-house suggests a desire to validate performance prior to distribution.

The R&D tour provided insight into how Minisforum develops their hardware. While I could not film certain prototype designs, I was shown internal presentations, CAD models, and development slides covering current and future projects. Minisforum stated that all design IP is developed in-house and not resold or licensed out.

This was consistent with what I saw: unique PCB layouts, chassis concepts, and airflow strategies not commonly replicated by other brands. According to staff, each product is led by a dedicated product manager responsible for feature planning, design iterations, and incorporating customer feedback from forums and surveys. While I will cover this in more depth in a dedicated piece, one highlight was a preview of their upcoming NAS product line. Minisforum’s modular approach includes optional upgrades like M.2 to NVMe expansion cards and vertical mounting kits designed for optimal cooling. The design team emphasized airflow challenges when scaling NVMe bays and showed plans for vertical chassis configurations to help with thermal dissipation. Their willingness to walk through product iterations, including some early failures, was appreciated. I was also shown how they collect and incorporate customer usage data into next-generation revisions—a refreshing level of engagement with the post-sales cycle.

Throughout the tour, there were signs of an internal culture focused on autonomy and personalization. Employee desks in the sales and marketing areas included personal decorations, small toys, and hobby-related items—a contrast to the uniform, sterile environments in some tech companies. Staff I interacted with expressed general satisfaction, though naturally, any factory visit is likely to showcase a best-case scenario. That said, the absence of NDAs or filming restrictions during the majority of the tour does suggest a level of confidence in how operations are run. Meetings were conducted openly, and even during informal interviews with staff, the tone remained consistent: proud but not overly rehearsed.

Minisforum presented a distinctly integrated model of hardware development. Based on what I observed, they appear to retain full ownership of their hardware IP, from motherboard schematics to chassis design. Their hardware does not seem to be rebranded or redistributed through external labels, which distinguishes them from companies that act more as OEM aggregators or rely on ODMs. While their mini PCs are priced slightly higher than some competitors, that premium may reflect the additional effort in R&D, custom design, and modular flexibility.

Furthermore, Minisforum seems to focus on a smaller product catalog with longer development cycles, suggesting a strategy that prioritizes refinement over market saturation. In contrast to other manufacturers that may sell their designs through multiple storefronts or aliases (such as Beelink or Geekom), Minisforum appears to retain control over both design and distribution, offering a more vertically integrated approach. While no factory visit can fully capture day-to-day operations, this visit offered a grounded, independent view into how one of the more visible Chinese mini PC brands functions behind the scenes.

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Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
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Minisforum N5 and N5 Pro NAS – NEW UPDATE, NEW VERSION, NEW OS?

Par : Rob Andrews
28 mars 2025 à 16:00

Updates on the Minisforum N5 and N5 Pro NAS

Minisforum is no stranger to shaking up established markets. Known primarily for its innovative and compact mini PCs, the brand has now turned its attention to network-attached storage (NAS) solutions. Earlier this year at CES 2025, Minisforum unveiled the N5 Pro NAS — a five-bay, AI-optimized device that instantly caught the attention of NAS enthusiasts. Now, after a visit to Minisforum’s headquarters and production facilities in Shenzhen, we have a deeper look into this bold new entry into the NAS market.

The N5 Pro is confirmed to be nearing launch, and joining it is a new, more affordable sibling: the Minisforum N5. These new devices aim to strike a compelling balance between powerful performance, modular flexibility, and enthusiast-grade features. Whether you’re building a high-performance TrueNAS server, exploring AI-assisted photo management, or just want to future-proof your home media solution, the N5 Series looks like it could be one of the most exciting NAS hardware releases of 2025. To top it off, Minisforum is also experimenting with their own NAS operating system, which could give users a turnkey alternative to the usual DIY route. Let’s break down what’s been confirmed, what’s new, and why it matters.

Minisforum N5 Pro – Fully Featured and AI-Ready

The N5 Pro NAS remains the flagship of Minisforum’s 2025 storage push, and nearly all the specs shown at CES have now been fully confirmed. It arrives equipped with AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370 CPU, a 12-core/24-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture, which includes an integrated AI engine.

The design emphasizes airflow and modularity, with a sliding motherboard tray, magnetic front bay cover, and an updated second-gen chassis with better heat dissipation. The system is designed for prosumers and power users, featuring ECC memory support (a rarity in this price segment) and up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM.

Storage-wise, it supports five hot-swappable SATA drives and three M.2 NVMe SSDs — more than enough for a complex ZFS setup or tiered storage architecture. Expansion capabilities are strong as well, with PCIe 4.0 x4, OCuLink for external GPUs or JBODs, and dual Ethernet (10GbE + 5GbE).

Minisforum is also considering offering a 64GB M.2 module preloaded with their custom OS, allowing users to keep all M.2 slots free for data.

The N5 Pro is designed as an open system: while it may ship with Minisforum’s OS on request, users can freely install TrueNAS, UnRAID, OpenMediaVault, or any OS of their choosing — with no impact on warranty.

Category Specification
CPU AMD Ryzen™ AI 9 HX PRO 370 (12C/24T, up to 5.2GHz, Zen 5, NPU AI Engine)
GPU AMD Radeon 890M (Integrated)
RAM Up to 128GB DDR5 ECC (2x SODIMM, 5600MHz)
SATA Storage 5 x 3.5″/2.5″ SATA (Hot-swappable, up to 22TB each)
M.2 Storage 1x 2230/2280 PCIe 4.0 x1, 1x 2280/22110 PCIe 4.0 x1, 1x 2280/22110 PCIe 4.0 x2
Expansion 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1 x OCuLink 4i (PCIe 4.0 x4)
Networking 1 x 10GbE RJ45, 1 x 5GbE RJ45
I/O Ports 2 x USB4 (40Gbps), HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Audio out
Power Supply 280W PSU
Optional Add-on 64GB OS Module (TBC)


Minisforum N5 – A More Affordable, Scaled-Down Option

The new Minisforum N5 is being developed as a cost-effective alternative to the N5 Pro. It retains the same chassis and internal layout but swaps out the high-end CPU and ECC memory support in favor of more accessible hardware.

This device is still in the evaluation phase, with Minisforum considering two CPU options: the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8645HS or Ryzen 5 7640HS. Both offer 6 cores and 12 threads, with clock speeds up to 5GHz, and may allow better PCIe lane distribution than the Pro model. Despite the lower-tier specs, the N5 is far from underpowered.

It still supports up to 128GB of DDR5 (non-ECC), the full five SATA bays, three M.2 NVMe slots, OCuLink, and even dual USB4 ports. Where it diverges is networking: the current prototypes drop 10GbE support and may ship with either dual 5GbE ports or a combination of 5GbE and 2.5GbE. For many home users, this is still more than adequate, especially if the N5 launches at a competitive price point.

Like the Pro version, the N5 may include the optional 64GB OS module and support for Minisforum’s in-house NAS OS. Alternatively, users can bring their own OS without voiding support. This flexibility means the N5 could become an attractive entry point for first-time NAS builders or budget-conscious prosumers.

Category Specification
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8645HS and/or Ryzen 5 7640HS (6C/12T, up to 5.0GHz)
GPU AMD Radeon 760M (Integrated)
RAM Up to 128GB DDR5 (2x SODIMM, 5600MHz, non-ECC)
SATA Storage 5 x 3.5″/2.5″ SATA (Hot-swappable, up to 22TB each)
M.2 Storage 1x 2230/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4, 1x 2280/22110 PCIe 4.0 x1, 1x 2280/22110 PCIe 4.0 x2
Expansion 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1 x OCuLink 4i (PCIe 4.0 x4)
Networking 2x 5GbE (UPDATE – Confirmed)
I/O Ports 2 x USB4 (40Gbps), HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Audio out
Power Supply 280W PSU
Optional Add-on 64GB OS Module (TBC)


MinisCloud OS – Minisforum’s In-House NAS Software

One of the most intriguing developments is Minisforum’s potential entry into the NAS software space. Internally referred to as MinisCloud OS, this new platform is based on the Siyouyun OS framework (a Debian-based system used by several emerging NAS brands). Still in early development, the OS aims to provide a balance of accessibility and advanced features for home and small business users. Minisforum is evaluating whether to offer the OS pre-installed on the 64GB module, as a downloadable image (possibly SN-locked), or as an optional add-on at checkout. Importantly, this software will be optional, and using TrueNAS, UnRAID, or any third-party OS will not affect warranty or support.

Key Features of MinisCloud OS (In Development):

  • ZFS storage support (snapshots, compression, deduplication)
  • Multi-user management with 2FA/MFA

  • AI-based photo recognition (faces, objects)
  • Docker container and App Center
  • Built-in file manager & download manager

  • Support for SMB, WebDAV, FTP, DLNA
  • Multimedia center for streaming content

A Promising Disruption to the NAS Market

Minisforum’s bold entry into the NAS arena is more than a rehash of mini PC hardware — it’s a fresh and flexible approach to modern storage needs. With the N5 Pro targeting power users and the N5 aiming for budget-friendly builders, both models offer advanced connectivity, modularity, and optional OS features rarely seen in compact NAS systems. If pricing lands right, the N5 Series could challenge established NAS vendors and appeal to the DIY home server crowd in a big way. We’ll continue tracking release dates, pricing, and software developments — stay tuned for our full hardware reviews and performance testing. For more, check out our upcoming Shenzhen factory tour and hands-on videos at NASCompares

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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below

Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. [contact-form-7] TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions
If you like this service, please consider supporting us. We use affiliate links on the blog allowing NAScompares information and advice service to be free of charge to you.Anything you purchase on the day you click on our links will generate a small commission which isused to run the website. Here is a link for Amazon and B&H.You can also get me a ☕ Ko-fi or old school Paypal. Thanks!To find out more about how to support this advice service check HEREIf you need to fix or configure a NAS, check Fiver Have you thought about helping others with your knowledge? Find Instructions Here  
 
Or support us by using our affiliate links on Amazon UK and Amazon US
    
 
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

☕ WE LOVE COFFEE ☕

 
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