Test date: 2026-05-27
Reviewer: Wendell’s infrastructure team
Host OS: Proxmox VE 9.1.1 (pve-manager/9.1.1) on Debian 13 “Trixie”
Kernel: 6.17.2-1-pve
Hardware: Minisforum N5 MAX with AMD RYZEN AI MAX+ 395 w/ Radeon 8060S
1. Executive Summary
The Minisforum N5 MAX is a compact desktop-class NAS/home-server platform built around AMD’s Strix Halo APU. It combines a 16-core/32-thread Zen 5 CPU with a Radeon 8060S integrated GPU (40 CUs) sharing 64 GB of LPDDR5X memory, plus a hybrid storage architecture supporting 5x SATA HDDs and up to 5x NVMe drives. This review covers the system as configured for a homelab AI inference server with Proxmox VE.
Bottom line: The N5 MAX is an unusual but compelling NAS platform. The Strix Halo APU gives it GPU compute capabilities no other NAS on the market can touch, making it uniquely suited for hybrid storage + AI workloads. However, the unified memory architecture (60 GB shared between CPU and GPU) requires careful partitioning, and the Realtek NICs are a downgrade from the Intel x550 many NAS enthusiasts prefer.
Also, checkout the Proxmox setup guide to host VMs, including an AI-capable LXC that runs docker.
2. Hardware Specifications (Verified)
Platform
| Component | Specification | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Motherboard | Minisforum N5 MAX (proprietary) |  |
| APU | AMD RYZEN AI MAX+ 395 w/ Radeon 8060S | |
| CPU Cores/Threads | 16 cores / 32 threads | |
| CPU Boost Clock | Up to 5.19 GHz (single-core) | |
| CPU Base Clock | 625 MHz (2.0 GHz cpufreq floor) | |
| Memory | 64 GB LPDDR5X-8534 (soldered, unified CPU/GPU) | ~60.5 GB usable |
| GPU | Radeon 8060S, 40 Compute Units, PCI ID 1002:1586 | |
| GPU Architecture | gfx1151 (RDNA 3.5) | |
| NPU | AMD XDNA 2, PCI 91:00.1 | |
Storage (as tested)
| Device | Model | Capacity | Interface | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sda | Seagate Exos X16 ST14000NM001G | 14 TB | SATA 6 Gb/s | 7200 RPM HDD |
| sdb | Seagate Exos X16 ST14000NM001G | 14 TB | SATA 6 Gb/s | 7200 RPM HDD |
| sdc | Seagate Exos X16 ST14000NM001G | 14 TB | SATA 6 Gb/s | 7200 RPM HDD |
| sdd | Seagate Exos X16 ST14000NM001G | 14 TB | SATA 6 Gb/s | 7200 RPM HDD |
| sde | Seagate Exos X16 ST14000NM001G | 14 TB | SATA 6 Gb/s | 7200 RPM HDD |
| nvme1n1 | Toshiba KXG50PNV2T04 (XG5) | 2 TB | NVMe x4 | OS + LVM |
| nvme0n1 | AirDisk 128GB SSD | 128 GB | NVMe (MAXIO MAP1202) | Spare |
| nvme2n1 | Intel Optane P1600X | 118 GB | NVMe | ZFS member |
| nvme3n1 | Intel Optane P1600X | 118 GB | NVMe | ZFS member |
Total raw storage: ~70 TB HDD + ~2.3 TB NVMe
Network
| Interface | Controller | Speed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| nic0 (enp49s0) | Realtek RTL8127 (10ec:8127) | 1 GbE (link up) | Active (vmbr0 bridge) |
| nic1 (enp50s0) | Realtek RTL8127 (10ec:8127) | 1 GbE | Down (no cable) |
| vmbr0 | Bridge over nic0 | 10 Gb/s reported by ethtool | Active |
| Thunderbolt 5 | Intel JHL9580 Barlow Ridge | Up to 80 Gb/s | Present (not tested) |
Note on networking: The N5 MAX is advertised with dual 10GbE. The Realtek RTL8127 controllers are 2.5 GbE-capable chips. The vmbr0 bridge reports 10 Gb/s which may reflect the system’s PCIe link rate rather than the actual PHY speed. Further testing with iperf3 is recommended.
USB
| Bus | Speed | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| USB 2.0 | 480 Mbps | AMD xHCI |
| USB 3.2 Gen2x2 | 20 Gbps | AMD xHCI |
| USB4 v2 (via TB5) | Up to 80 Gbps | Intel JHL9580 |
PCIe Topology
00:00.0 Host bridge: AMD Strix/Strix Halo Root Complex
00:01.1 PCIe USB4 Bridge
00:02.1-6 GPP Bridges (x4/x8/x16 slots)
00:08.1-3 Internal GPP Bridges
31:00.0 Realtek RTL8127 (nic0)
32:00.0 Realtek RTL8127 (nic1)
33:00.0 MAXIO MAP1202 NVMe (AirDisk 128GB)
34:00.0 Intel Optane P1600X (nvme2n1, 118GB)
35:00.0 Intel Optane P1600X (nvme3n1, 118GB)
36:00.0 Toshiba XG5 NVMe (nvme1n1, 2TB)
37:00.0 JMicron JMB58x AHCI (5x SATA)
38:00.0 Intel JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5
90:00.0 AMD Strix Halo Radeon 8060S
90:00.4 AMD USB 3.1 xHCI
92:00.0 AMD USB 3.1 xHCI
92:00.5 AMD USB4 Host Router
3. Software Stack
Host OS
| Component | Version |
|---|---|
| Proxmox VE | pve-manager/9.1.1 |
| Kernel | 6.17.2-1-pve |
| Base OS | Debian 13 “Trixie” |
| GPU Driver | amdgpu (kernel module) |
| ROCm Userspace | Not installed on host (containerized) |
| Container Runtime | Docker 29.5.1 (inside LXC) |
Virtualization
| Resource | Configuration |
|---|---|
| LXC Containers | 1 (CT 100: strix-ai) |
| VMs | 0 |
| Container OS | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
| Container RAM | 32 GB |
| Container CPU | 8 cores |
| GPU Passthrough | /dev/dri/* + /dev/kfd bind mounts |
AI Inference Stack
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary Inference | Lemonade Server (Package lemonade-server · GitHub) |
| Benchmark Engine | vLLM (rocm/vllm:latest) |
| Best Performing Model | Qwen3-30B-A3B-Q8_0 GGUF (MoE, 3B active) |
| Model Storage | NFS mount from Synology NAS (34 TB pool) |
4. GPU Compute Performance
Benchmark Results
All benchmarks run on Strix Halo Radeon 8060S (40 CUs, gfx1151) via ROCm stack.
vLLM Benchmarks (HuggingFace format models)
| Model | Dtype | Throughput | VRAM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Llama-3.2-1B | float32 | 15.45 tok/s | 0.18 GiB | Smoketest |
| Llama-3.2-3B | float32 | 6.10 tok/s | 13.6 GiB | Comfortable fit |
| Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct | float16 | 3.86 tok/s | 15.0 GiB | Needs fp16 to fit |
Lemonade Server Benchmarks (llama.cpp backend, GGUF models)
| Model | Quant | Prompt Processing | Generation | VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen3-30B-A3B | Q8_0 | ~175-208 tok/s | ~62 tok/s | ~31 GiB |
Key Findings
- MoE efficiency is dramatic: The Qwen3-30B-A3B (3B active params) achieves 62 tok/s vs 3.86 tok/s for a dense 8B model - a 16x throughput improvement.
- GPU memory is the hard constraint: At 30 GiB GPU-visible (default UMC partition), models over ~30 GiB won’t load. The Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-FP8 at 35 GiB requires UMC repartitioning.
- ROCm compatibility requires workarounds: The
HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION=11.0.0env var is needed to map gfx1151 to gfx1100 kernel code paths. - float32 is required for vLLM: bfloat16 causes GPU hangs on this kernel/driver combo.
5. Unified Memory Architecture (UMC Partitioning)
The Strix Halo’s defining feature is its unified memory: 60 GB of LPDDR5X shared between CPU and GPU. The default BIOS partition splits this roughly 50/50.
Default Allocation
| Domain | Memory | Accessible By |
|---|---|---|
| CPU (system RAM) | ~30 GiB | CPU only |
| GPU (dedicated VRAM) | 2 GiB | GPU only |
| GPU (GTT/borrowed) | ~28 GiB | GPU only |
| Total GPU-visible | ~30 GiB | GPU only |
Configurable Allocation
The UMC partition can be adjusted via:
- BIOS settings - Look for “UMC Partition” or “Memory Partition” options
- Kernel parameters -
amdgpu.gttsize,ttm.pages_limit,amd_iommu=off
| Scenario | CPU | GPU | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default (50/50) | ~30 GiB | ~30 GiB | Balanced home server |
| AI Focused | ~8 GiB | ~52 GiB | Large LLMs (35B+) |
| AI + Frigate NVR | ~16 GiB | ~44 GiB | Hybrid workloads |
| Minimal GPU | ~48 GiB | ~12 GiB | CPU-heavy NAS |
6. Thermal and Power
Note: Full thermal and power testing requires sustained load testing. Preliminary observations:
- The N5 MAX uses active cooling (fan). At idle, the system is quiet.
- The Strix Halo APU has a configurable TDP. The N5 MAX implementation appears to allow sustained boost.
- The 5x Exos X16 HDDs are enterprise-grade 7200 RPM drives that generate significant heat and noise in operation, however thermals and noise were well-managed in-situ on this platform.
- The Intel Optane P1600X drives run cool (medium power, low heat).
7. Hardware Compatibility Notes
What Works
- Proxmox VE 9.1.1: Full compatibility. All devices detected.
- amdgpu kernel driver: Loads and initializes correctly. 40 CUs detected.
- ROCm/KFD:
/dev/kfdpresent, KFD topology shows 80 SIMDs, 40 CUs. - NVMe: All 4 NVMe slots detected (Toshiba XG5, MAXIO, 2x Intel Optane).
- SATA: JMicron JMB58x AHCI controller works. 5x Exos X16 detected.
- USB: All USB controllers functional. USB4 v2 via Thunderbolt 5 present.
- Thunderbolt 5: Intel JHL9580 Barlow Ridge detected. Only Basic eGPU testing performed.
What You Should Know
- Realtek NICs: The RTL8127 controllers work but are not Intel x550/x710 level of quality. Performance testing with iperf3 is recommended.
- VAAPI video decode: The
radeonsi_drv_video.sodriver exists butva_openDriver()fails. VCN firmware may need an update. - Compute partitioning sysfs: The
amdgpu.user_partt_modeparameter exists but the runtimecompute_partitionsysfs file is not exposed on this kernel. - LPDDR5X soldered: Memory is not upgradable. 64 GB is the only option.
8. Comparison to Alternatives
| Feature | Minisforum N5 MAX | Typical DIY NAS | Synology DS1823xs+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 16C/32T Zen 5 + GPU | Varies (e.g., Intel i5-13500) | Intel Xeon D-1622 |
| GPU | Radeon 8060S (40 CUs) | None or basic iGPU | None |
| RAM | 64 GB LPDDR5X (soldered) | Upgradable | 32 GB ECC |
| Max HDDs | 5x SATA + 5x NVMe | Varies | 8x SATA |
| Network | 2x 10GbE + TB5 | Varies | 2x 10GbE |
| AI Inference | Excellent (GPU) | Poor (CPU only) | None |
| Power | ~120W-200W (est.) | Varies | ~80W |
| Price | $$$$$ | $$$ | $$$$+ |
9. Recommendations
Ideal Use Cases
- AI inference server with NAS capabilities
- Homelab cluster node for GPU-accelerated workloads
- Hybrid storage + compute appliance
Less Ideal For
- Pure file server - overkill, better options at lower price
- High-density storage - only 5x 3.5" bays
- Production NAS - Realtek NICs and soldered RAM are concerns
Configuration Tips
- Repartition UMC for your workload (see Section 5)
- Use the 2 TB NVMe for OS + LVM, leave HDDs for bulk storage
- Consider ZFS on the 5x Exos drives with the Optanes as SLOG/cache
- Containerize GPU workloads - don’t install ROCm on the Proxmox host
- The Thunderbolt 5 port is ideal for direct-attach backup or high-speed peripheral connectivity
10. Raw Test Data
CPU Info
AMD RYZEN AI MAX+ 395 w/ Radeon 8060S
16 cores / 32 threads, 1 socket, 1 NUMA node
CPU max: 5187 MHz, CPU min: 625 MHz
# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo Root Complex (rev 02)
00:00.2 IOMMU: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo IOMMU (rev 02)
00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo Dummy Host Bridge
00:01.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo PCIe USB4 Bridge (rev 02)
00:02.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo Dummy Host Bridge
00:02.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo GPP Bridge
00:02.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo GPP Bridge
00:02.3 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo GPP Bridge (rev 02)
00:02.4 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo GPP Bridge (rev 02)
00:02.5 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo GPP Bridge
00:02.6 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo GPP Bridge (rev 02)
00:03.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo Dummy Host Bridge
00:03.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo GPP Bridge
00:03.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo GPP Bridge (rev 02)
00:08.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo Dummy Host Bridge
00:08.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo Internal GPP Bridge to Bus [C:A]
00:08.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo Internal GPP Bridge to Bus [C:A]
00:08.3 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo Internal GPP Bridge to Bus [C:A]
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller (rev 71)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge (rev 51)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo Data Fabric; Function 0
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo Data Fabric; Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo Data Fabric; Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo Data Fabric; Function 3
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo Data Fabric; Function 4
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo Data Fabric; Function 5
00:18.6 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo Data Fabric; Function 6
00:18.7 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo Data Fabric; Function 7
31:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device 8127 (rev 05)
32:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device 8127 (rev 05)
33:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: MAXIO Technology (Hangzhou) Ltd. NVMe SSD Controller MAP1202 (DRAM-less) (rev 01)
34:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Intel Corporation Optane NVME SSD P1600X Series
35:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Intel Corporation Optane NVME SSD P1600X Series
36:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Toshiba Corporation XG5 NVMe SSD Controller
37:00.0 SATA controller: JMicron Technology Corp. JMB58x AHCI SATA controller
38:00.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 80/120G Bridge [Barlow Ridge Host 80G 2023] (rev 84)
39:00.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 80/120G Bridge [Barlow Ridge Host 80G 2023] (rev 84)
39:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 80/120G Bridge [Barlow Ridge Host 80G 2023] (rev 84)
39:02.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 80/120G Bridge [Barlow Ridge Host 80G 2023] (rev 84)
39:03.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 80/120G Bridge [Barlow Ridge Host 80G 2023] (rev 84)
3a:00.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 80/120G NHI [Barlow Ridge Host 80G 2023] (rev 84)
65:00.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 80/120G USB Controller [Barlow Ridge Host 80G 2023]
90:00.0 Display controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Strix Halo [Radeon Graphics / Radeon 8050S Graphics / Radeon 8060S Graphics] (rev c1)
90:00.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Radeon High Definition Audio Controller [Rembrandt/Strix]
90:00.2 Encryption controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Krackan/Strix Halo CCP/ASP
90:00.4 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo USB 3.1 xHCI
90:00.6 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Family 17h/19h/1ah HD Audio Controller
90:00.7 Signal processing controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Sensor Fusion Hub
91:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Strix Halo PCIe Dummy Function
91:00.1 Signal processing controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix/Krackan/Strix Halo Neural Processing Unit (rev 11)
92:00.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo USB 3.1 xHCI
92:00.3 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo USB 3.1 xHCI
92:00.5 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Strix Halo USB4 Host Router
TODO
Memory Info
MemTotal: 63407216 kB (~60.5 GB)
LPDDR5X-8534, Micron Technology
2 channels (A and B) populated
TODO
Performance
The performance is here at the end of the how-to for the type of performance you can expect with various quants of Qwen3.6 (both 27b dense and 35b MoE):
or at least I think I heard endorsements for a lot of my plans in there…
In any case I’m reinvigorated to continue my home lab projects and keep the momentum going by building upon them–after a nap.