Windows, Unraid, or TrueNAS? I Installed All 3 on the Minisforum N5 Pro

Video Description

In this video, I walk through the complete hardware and software setup of the Minisforum N5 Pro NAS. You’ll learn how to install drives (NVMe, U.2, HDD, SSD), explore thermal limitations (U.3 vs U.2 fitment), and configure three different operating systems – Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed), Unraid (USB boot), and TrueNAS SCALE (NVMe install). We configure SMB shares, RAID 5/10/mirror pools, tiered storage, and remote access for a proper 10GbE home server build. If you’re planning to use the N5 Pro for Plex, Docker, file sharing, or video editing – this guide has you covered. 🛒 Hardware & Tools Mentioned (Affiliate Links) UNRAID LICENCE https://nascompares.com/link.php?ref=https://youtu.be/LqGki1Y3xlA&u=https://unraid.net/pricing?via=pricedrop2025 • Minisforum N5 Pro NAS https://nascompares.com/link.php?ref=https://youtu.be/LqGki1Y3xlA&u=https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Minisforum+N5+Pro&linkCode=ll2&tag=dbite_yt-20 • Kingston NV2 NVMe SSD (2TB) https://nascompares.com/link.php?ref=https://youtu.be/LqGki1Y3xlA&u=https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Kingston+NV2+2TB&linkCode=ll2&tag=dbite_yt-20 • WD Red 8TB NAS HDD https://nascompares.com/link.php?ref=https://youtu.be/LqGki1Y3xlA&u=https://www.amazon.com/s?k=WD+Red+8TB&linkCode=ll2&tag=dbite_yt-20 • USB4 Cable (40Gbps) https://nascompares.com/link.php?ref=https://youtu.be/LqGki1Y3xlA&u=https://www.amazon.com/s?k=USB4+cable+40Gbps&linkCode=ll2&tag=dbite_yt-20 • Cat6A Ethernet Cable (10GbE) https://nascompares.com/link.php?ref=https://youtu.be/LqGki1Y3xlA&u=https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cat6a+ethernet+10gbe&linkCode=ll2&tag=dbite_yt-20 • USB Stick for Unraid/TrueNAS Boot https://nascompares.com/link.php?ref=https://youtu.be/LqGki1Y3xlA&u=https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sandisk+usb+flash+drive&linkCode=ll2&tag=dbite_yt-20 ⸻ ✅ 3. Chapter Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: Why I made this setup video 00:20 – Overview of ports and internal drive options 00:37 – NVMe & SSD install choices (incl. adapter explanation) 00:54 – OS options: Minisforum OS, Unraid, TrueNAS 01:10 – Unraid tiering and RAID support 01:28 – TrueNAS: full hardware control 01:48 – PCIe slot + NVMe/U.2 bottlenecks explained 02:24 – Accessing hidden NVMe & internal slots 02:54 – U.2 vs U.3 compatibility check 03:30 – Fan clearance limitations for U.3 SSDs 04:24 – 2.5” SSD/HDD tray setup 05:04 – Using all 5 bays: SSD + HDD combo explained 05:47 – Power brick rating and system power capacity 06:08 – Network setup for 10GbE (cables & switch) 06:45 – Booting into Windows 11 Pro 07:02 – Windows NAS setup and SMB sharing 09:25 – Creating storage pool (RAID 5 in Windows) 10:32 – Creating local user for share access 10:56 – Installing Unraid via USB 12:00 – BIOS changes for USB boot 12:20 – Accessing Unraid web GUI via IP or name 13:12 – Unraid drive pooling and formatting 13:51 – Creating BTRFS RAID 5 on NVMe 14:34 – Setting up SMB shares and mover (tiering) 15:32 – Mapping shares from Mac/Windows 15:54 – Limitations of Unraid (single drive speed) 16:14 – Installing TrueNAS SCALE (via USB flash) 17:14 – Boot priority, removing Windows NVMe 18:08 – TrueNAS network setup, hostname & IP 19:07 – Storage pool creation: RAIDZ and mirror 20:19 – Creating SMB shares and permissions 21:13 – Final boot into Minisforum OS – still early 21:50 – Summary: 3 OS setup walkthrough complete