The Mini ITX Celeron N5105 Industrial Motherboard combines Intel’s quad-core N5105 processor, 4x Intel i226-V 2.5Gbps LAN ports, 6x SATA3.0, and M.2 NVMe support in a 17x17cm form factor. Designed for NAS setups and industrial automation, it balances power efficiency (10W TDP), high-speed networking, and expandability, making it suitable for data routing, storage servers, and edge computing applications.
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Top 5 Mini PCs in 2025
| Rank | Model | Processor | RAM | Storage | Price | Action |
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| 1 | GEEKOM Mini IT12 (Best Performance) | Intel i5-12450H (8C/12T) | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD | $379.00 | Check Price |
| 2 | GMKtec N150 (1TB SSD) | Intel N150 (3.6GHz) | 16GB DDR4 | 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD | $191.99 | Check Price |
| 3 | KAMRUI GK3Plus (Budget Pick) | Intel N95 (3.4GHz) | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB M.2 SSD | $169.99 | Check Price |
| 4 | ACEMAGICIAN N150 (Cheapest 16GB) | Intel N150 (3.6GHz) | 16GB DDR4 | 256GB SSD | $139.99 | Check Price |
| 5 | GMKtec N150 (512GB SSD) | Intel N150 (3.6GHz) | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB PCIe SSD | $168.99 | Check Price |
What Networking Advantages Do the 4x Intel i226-V 2.5Gbps Ports Provide?
The quad Intel i226-V controllers support 2500/1000/100/10 Mbps speeds with IEEE 802.3az energy efficiency. This enables 10Gbps aggregate bandwidth via link aggregation (LACP), reducing bottlenecks for NAS-to-server communication. The 2.5GbE ports offer backward compatibility with existing Cat5e cabling while providing 2.5x faster throughput than standard 1GbE, crucial for high-resolution surveillance systems or multi-user Plex servers.
In industrial settings, these ports enable deterministic communication through Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) capabilities. When handling Modbus TCP or PROFINET protocols, the i226-V’s 2.5GbE interfaces reduce packet delay variation to under 5μs, critical for synchronized machinery control. The NICs also support SR-IOV virtualization, allowing dedicated bandwidth allocation for VM workloads. In stress tests with 40+ IP cameras streaming 4K H.265 footage, the motherboard maintained 97% network utilization without packet loss at 55°C ambient temperature.
How Does the Thermal Design Support 24/7 Industrial Operation?
The passive aluminum heatsink with copper heat pipes sustains 15W thermal dissipation. Industrial-grade capacitors (105°C rating) and conformal coating protect against humidity and dust. Testing shows continuous operation at 90% RAM/CPU load maintains component temperatures below 65°C in 50°C ambient environments, meeting MIL-STD-810G vibration standards.
Power Consumption of Mini Computers
The heatsink’s 3D fin array provides 650cm² surface area for natural convection cooling, while the 6mm copper vapor chambers transfer heat from the CPU to peripheral components. In enclosed industrial cabinets, users can mount a 40mm PWM fan (0.5W power draw) for active airflow. The thermal solution undergoes 2,000 thermal cycles (-40°C to 125°C) during qualification, with <3% thermal resistance degradation after 5 years of operation. For extreme environments, optional heatsink extensions add 120W/mK thermal pads for direct chassis conduction cooling.
Can This Motherboard Support Both NVMe and SATA Storage Simultaneously?
Yes, the motherboard features 1x M.2 2280 NVMe slot (PCIe 3.0 x1) with 32Gbps bandwidth and 6x SATA3.0 ports (6Gbps each). Users can configure tiered storage – NVMe for caching/hot data (up to 3,500MB/s read speeds) and HDDs for cold storage. The SATA ports support RAID 0/1/5/10 via optional PCIe expansion cards for data redundancy.
| Storage Type | Max Throughput | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| NVMe SSD | 3,500 MB/s | VM storage/DB caching |
| SATA HDD | 210 MB/s | Cold data archive |
| SATA SSD | 560 MB/s | Frequent access files |
What Power Efficiency Features Reduce Operational Costs?
Adaptive Voltage Scaling dynamically adjusts CPU power (4W-10W) based on load. The board consumes 8.7W idle and 14.3W under full load (32GB RAM, 6x HDDs). Compared to Xeon-based servers, this reduces 3-year energy costs by ~62% (assuming $0.15/kWh). The 12V DC input option enables solar/battery-powered deployments with 88% conversion efficiency.
“This motherboard bridges the gap between consumer NAS and industrial IoT. The i226-V’s 2.5GbE driver stability in Linux (5.15+ kernels) combined with N5105’s TSN support makes it perfect for smart factory timestamped data acquisition. We’ve deployed 300+ units in automotive assembly lines handling 12Gbps sensor data with <2ms latency."
— Industrial IoT Solutions Architect, TechNex Systems
FAQ
- Does this motherboard support ECC memory?
- No, the Intel N5105 doesn’t support ECC RAM. Use non-ECC DDR4-2933 SODIMMs (1.2V) up to 32GB capacity.
- Can I run Windows 11 on this industrial motherboard?
- Yes, Windows 11 IoT Enterprise runs natively using the UHD Graphics (16EU) for 4K display output. Driver support includes DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and OpenCL 3.0.
- What chassis recommendations exist for NAS builds?
- Use 8-bay cases like the Jonsbo N2 (Max 251mm depth) with 120mm PWM fans. Backplanes must support SATA port multipliers (e.g., 6Gbps SAS Expander cards) for full 6x HDD utilization.