This silent all-flash NAS with 10GbE and dual USB4 is cheaper if you buy it bare-bone and add your own SSDs

Minisforum has introduced a fanless network-attached storage (NAS) system called S5, which supports five NVMe SSDs and offers high-speed connectivity options. The system features Intel's Core 3 304 processor with five cores and boost speeds of up to 4.3 GHz. It combines 10GbE, 2.5GbE networking, and dual 40Gbps USB4 interfaces for seamless data sharing and device connectivity.

The S5 is designed to provide fast, silent operation, utilizing heat pipes and cooling fins instead of traditional fans, drawing about 15W of power under stress. Minisforum sells the bare-bones S5 for $599, which is discounted from $749. Buyers can further customize the system by adding their own SSDs, potentially saving a significant amount of money compared to preconfigured models.

For example, purchasing five Silicon Power UD90 drives for $2,549.85 brings the total system cost to $3,148.85, saving $610.15 when compared to Minisforum's preconfigured 20TB option priced at $3,759. Similarly, five WD Black SN850X drives cost $3,022.45, bringing the total to $3,621.45, resulting in a $137.55 saving. Crucial T500 drives, priced at $3,995, would bring the total to $4,594, costing $835 more than the preconfigured model but still cheaper than the original price.

Buyers can further reduce costs by taking advantage of retailer promotions, seasonal sales, manufacturer discounts, and bundle offers, as well as considering refurbished or open-box drives from reputable sellers.