Minisforum is preparing a serious upgrade for high-performance NAS users with the new N5 Max-P495, a powerful network-attached storage system built around AMD’s top-tier Gorgon Halo processor lineup. Designed for users who need massive storage, strong compute performance, and advanced AI capabilities in one compact system, the N5 Max-P495 looks set to become one of the company’s most capable NAS devices yet.
The new model arrives alongside another Minisforum system using the same premium AMD platform, the MS-S1 MAX-P495. However, the N5 Max-P495 is aimed at a different audience: creators, small studios, home lab enthusiasts, AI developers, and businesses that need fast local storage with workstation-class processing power.
At its core, the N5 Max-P495 is an upgraded version of the existing N5 Max. The previous model used AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395, a high-performance APU from the Strix Halo family. The new N5 Max-P495 steps up to the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495, which should deliver a moderate but meaningful performance boost, especially in memory-heavy and AI-focused tasks.
One of the biggest improvements is memory support. The Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 can support up to 196GB of RAM, a significant jump over the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, which topped out at 128GB. The newer chip also supports faster LPDDR5X-8533 memory, giving the system more bandwidth for demanding workloads.
That extra memory matters because the integrated graphics can use a huge portion of it as video memory. According to the available details, up to 160GB of the total memory can be allocated as VRAM for the integrated GPU. This makes the N5 Max-P495 especially interesting for AI workloads, local model testing, media processing, and other GPU-accelerated tasks that benefit from large memory pools.
The integrated GPU also receives an upgrade. The Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 features the Radeon 8065S iGPU, which is expected to be slightly faster than the graphics solution in the Ryzen AI Max+ 395. While this NAS is not being positioned as a gaming machine, the stronger iGPU could make a real difference for AI acceleration, video transcoding, content creation, and virtualization scenarios.
Minisforum has not yet released the complete specification sheet for the N5 Max-P495, but the company has confirmed support for up to 200TB of local storage. That places the system firmly in high-capacity NAS territory, making it suitable for large media libraries, backups, surveillance storage, team collaboration, and data-heavy professional workflows.
The current N5 Max already offers impressive expansion, with five hard drive bays and five M.2 SSD slots. Since the N5 Max-P495 appears to be based on the same general design, it may keep a similar storage layout. If that is the case, users can expect a flexible mix of high-capacity HDD storage and ultra-fast SSD caching or all-flash configurations.
Connectivity is also expected to remain strong. If Minisforum carries over the same port selection from the existing N5 Max, the N5 Max-P495 could include two USB4 v2 ports, one USB4 port, one internal USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, one USB 2.0 Type-A port, dual 10GbE networking, and HDMI 2.1 output.
The inclusion of dual 10GbE would make the system particularly attractive for users working with large files across a local network. Video editors, 3D artists, photographers, software developers, and office teams could all benefit from faster transfer speeds, especially when paired with SSD storage or a properly configured RAID setup.
As for pricing, the N5 Max-P495 is unlikely to be a budget-friendly NAS. The current N5 Max with 128GB of LPDDR5X memory is priced at around $3,699, while a 64GB version has been seen at a lower price point. Since the new N5 Max-P495 brings a stronger processor, support for more memory, and faster integrated graphics, it would not be surprising if it launches at an even higher price.
Minisforum has not announced an official release date yet, but the N5 Max-P495 is expected to arrive soon. For users looking for a powerful AMD NAS with massive storage potential, fast networking, high memory capacity, and built-in AI performance, this upcoming model could be one of the most interesting compact storage systems of the year.
