- Minisforum SSD-only NAS systems generally deliver faster and quieter storage performance
- The S5 model includes five M.2 slots, while the S7 offers seven NVME slots
- MinisOpenClaw AI adds local semantic search capabilities
Minisforum has expanded its network-attached storage lineup with two SSD-only systems called the All-Flash S5 and All-Flash S7.
These units do not house traditional hard drives, making them faster and quieter than conventional NAS boxes.
The trade-off entails significantly higher costs for the purchase of solid-state storage for all available bays.
SSD-only NAS lineup
Entry-level buyers can consider the compact All-Flash S5 powered by an Intel Core Series 3 processor.
This model has five M.2 2280 slots, though each runs at PCIe 4.0 x1 speeds instead of faster x4 lanes.
The more expensive All-Flash S7 shares its design with the MS-03 mini PC introduced earlier in 2026, which supported up to seven NVMe SSDs and uses an Intel Panther Lake processor for better performance.
The All-Flash S5 includes a 10 GbE LAN port along with another 2.5 GbE LAN port for network flexibility.
This entry-level system also offers two USB4 ports operating at 40 Gbps for connecting high-speed external devices, along with two USB 3.2 Type-A ports and an HDMI 2.1 output.
The All-Flash S7 brings more advanced networking hardware to demanding users. It offers a 10 Gigabit SFP+ fiber port and a separate 10 Gigabit RJ45 LAN port.
This higher-tier model also comes with a 2.5 GbE Ethernet port and two 40 Gbps USB4 ports.
AI integration and software security issues
Minisforum intends for these systems to work with a MinisOpenClaw AI agent for features like semantic photo search, software that comes from a joint development effort between Minisforum and Intel to provide local and private AI assistance.
The agent is built into the company’s NAS series, which the manufacturer describes as being engineered for “uncompromising” edge AI computing.
OpenClaw contains known vulnerabilities that can be exploited to access sensitive data and has a history of being used to spread malware through GitHub repositories.
Microsoft has also recommended running OpenClaw on typical personal or enterprise systems.
Following the launch of the Minisforum N5 Max NAS, Minisforum recognized the potential risks posed by OpenClaw.
A member of the Minisforum PR team said: “Our primary goal in pre-installing OpenClaw was to offer users an instant, out-of-the-box local AI experience that keeps data out of the cloud.”
“However, we hear the concerns regarding third-party software pre-installation… Going forward, we are evaluating our pre-installation process to ensure our community always has a clear ‘opt-in’ or clean-install path for all third-party AI tools.”
Launched a few days ago, MinisOpenClaw likely addresses the lapses associated with the original OpenClaw.
At the time of writing, there is no information on the official pricing of either the S5 or S7 model.
However, potential buyers will likely face a difficult calculation when considering the total system cost, including storage drives.
Filling five or seven M.2 NVMe slots with high-capacity SSDs can easily double or triple the base hardware expense.
That said, typical home users will have to decide if the speed benefits justify the potential high cost of filling more SSD slots.
Via Liliputing
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds.
