Beelink ME Mini

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Starry Hope Rating
3.0
Beelink ME Mini lifestyle

The Beelink ME Mini is a storage box first. The 99mm cube packs six M.2 NVMe slots into a body smaller than most routers, holds up to 24TB of solid-state storage, and draws 7-9 watts at idle. An Intel N150 processor and dual 2.5 Gigabit ethernet ports aim it at home users who want a quiet, efficient NAS without the complexity and noise of a hard drive-based build. Pre-configured bundles ship with Crucial SSDs, and the integrated power supply removes the external brick.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Six M.2 NVMe slots with up to 24TB total capacityFive of six slots limited to PCIe 3.0 x1 bandwidth
99mm cube that weighs 730 gramsSoldered RAM cannot be upgraded beyond 16GB
Dual 2.5 Gigabit ethernet with link aggregationIntel N150 throttled to 15W, limiting compute tasks
Power efficiency at 6.9W idleNetwork bandwidth bottlenecks storage speed
Measured noise of 31-40 dBANo 10GbE upgrade path available
Integrated power supply eliminates external brickHigher cost when fully populating all SSD slots

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Beelink ME Mini Comparison Chart

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Beelink ME Mini

Price

List Price: $279

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List Price: $289

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List Price: $259

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List Price: $359

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List Price: $229

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VersionN150/12GB/64GBN150/12GB/2TBN150/16GB/64GBN150/16GB/1TBN95/12GB/1TB
Performance Rating2.82.83.13.12.8
Operating SystemWindows 11 ProWindows 11 ProWindows 11 ProWindows 11 ProWindows 11 Pro
ProcessorQuad-core 3.60 Ghz
Intel Processor N150
Quad-core 3.60 Ghz
Intel Processor N150
Quad-core 3.60 Ghz
Intel Processor N150
Quad-core 3.60 Ghz
Intel Processor N150
Quad-core 3.40 Ghz (max 3.40 Ghz)
Intel Processor N95
GPUIntegrated Intel UHD GraphicsIntegrated Intel UHD GraphicsIntegrated Intel UHD GraphicsIntegrated Intel UHD GraphicsIntegrated Intel UHD Graphics
RAM12 GB12 GB16 GB16 GB12 GB
Internal Storage64 GB2 TB64 GB1 TB1 TB
Dimensions
width x length x thickness
3.9 x 3.9 x 3.87 inches
(99.06 x 99.06 x 98.3 mm)
3.9 x 3.9 x 3.87 inches
(99.06 x 99.06 x 98.3 mm)
3.9 x 3.9 x 3.87 inches
(99.06 x 99.06 x 98.3 mm)
3.9 x 3.9 x 3.87 inches
(99.06 x 99.06 x 98.3 mm)
3.9 x 3.9 x 3.87 inches
(99.06 x 99.06 x 98.3 mm)
Weight1.61 lbs (0.73 kg)1.61 lbs (0.73 kg)1.61 lbs (0.73 kg)1.61 lbs (0.73 kg)1.61 lbs (0.73 kg)
WiFiWi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.2
Ethernet2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps
HDMI1 HDMI Port1 HDMI Port1 HDMI Port1 HDMI Port1 HDMI Port
DisplayPortNo DisplayPortNo DisplayPortNo DisplayPortNo DisplayPortNo DisplayPort
VGANo VGA PortsNo VGA PortsNo VGA PortsNo VGA PortsNo VGA Ports
USB Ports1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 1 USB-C1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 1 USB-C1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 1 USB-C1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 1 USB-C1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 1 USB-C
Thunderbolt PortsNoNoNoNoNo
OCuLinkNoNoNoNoNo
Internal SATA PortsNo SATA portsNo SATA portsNo SATA portsNo SATA portsNo SATA ports
Card ReaderNo Card ReaderNo Card ReaderNo Card ReaderNo Card ReaderNo Card Reader
Headphone Jack----------
FanlessNoNoNoNoNo
VESA MountNoNoNoNoNo
In the BoxMini PC, Power Cable, HDMI Cable, User Manual (pre-configured models include Crucial SSDs)Mini PC, Power Cable, HDMI Cable, User Manual (pre-configured models include Crucial SSDs)Mini PC, Power Cable, HDMI Cable, User Manual (pre-configured models include Crucial SSDs)Mini PC, Power Cable, HDMI Cable, User Manual (pre-configured models include Crucial SSDs)Mini PC, Power Cable, HDMI Cable, User Manual (pre-configured models include Crucial SSDs)
Expandability6x M.2 PCIe 3.0 slots for up to 24TB storage; RAM is soldered and not upgradeable6x M.2 PCIe 3.0 slots for up to 24TB storage; RAM is soldered and not upgradeable6x M.2 PCIe 3.0 slots for up to 24TB storage; RAM is soldered and not upgradeable6x M.2 PCIe 3.0 slots for up to 24TB storage; RAM is soldered and not upgradeable6x M.2 PCIe 3.0 slots for up to 24TB storage; RAM is soldered and not upgradeable

Related Mini PCs

Six M.2 bays in a 99mm cube

Device class chart showing NAS and home server use for file storage, private cloud, media server, and home lab

At 99 x 99 x 99mm and weighing 730 grams, it houses six full-length M.2 2280 drives. The “reverse-chimney” cooling design pulls fresh air through the top of the unit and pushes it downward across the stacked drive trays, maintaining temperatures below 50 degrees Celsius even under sustained load. The 45W power supply sits inside the chassis, built into the heatsink assembly, so nothing hangs off the cable.

The Intel N150 processor delivers enough power for NAS workloads like file serving, media streaming, and running lightweight containers, and Beelink caps it at 15W to prioritize thermals and longevity. Professional reviewers measured single-core Geekbench 6 scores around 1,150 and multi-core around 2,200, placing it below the more common N100 found in general-purpose mini PCs. That cap suits a box meant to run 24/7 serving files; video transcoding and virtual machines are outside its brief.

Dual Intel i226-V 2.5 Gigabit ethernet ports support link aggregation for improved throughput to high-speed clients, and WiFi 6 with Bluetooth 5.2 covers wireless when a cable run is impractical. A single HDMI 2.0 output handles display duties for initial setup or occasional direct access, though most owners will manage the box headlessly. The front panel hosts USB-C and USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports for peripherals, with an additional USB 2.0 port on the rear for keyboards or backup drives.

Reviewer Insights

Level1Techs’ Take

Level1Techs treated the ME Mini as a deliberately lopsided box that still works, pairing the four-core N150 with six M.2 bays, dual 2.5GbE Intel NICs, and an internal power supply that makes it easy to tuck into a media center without an external brick. The review liked the fully unlocked BIOS but did not gloss over the constraints a NAS builder hits: each M.2 slot gets only a single PCIe lane (capping individual SSD throughput), the Proxmox installer refused to land on the built-in 64GB eMMC until they dropped to a terminal for a manual workaround, and a Thunderbolt 4 handshake failed during testing even though the controller showed up in lspci. Their takeaway was that the spec sheet looks unbalanced on paper, yet the box holds up as a quiet, roughly 6W home server that can turbo to 15W when it needs to.

Written Review Highlights

Connectivity chart listing WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, dual 2.5 Gbps Ethernet, and USB-C 3.2 Gen 2

According to NAS Compares, the ME Mini earns an 8.8/10 rating, with perfect 10/10 scores for value and 9/10 for build quality. Their testing found the thermal design keeps drive temperatures well within safe operating ranges, with surface temperatures reaching 48-60 degrees Celsius under heavy load without affecting reliability.

Liliputing’s review confirmed that the Intel N150 operates with a 15W power limit on both PL1 and PL2, trading performance for thermal headroom. Their iperf3 testing measured actual network throughput at 294 MB/s per port, close to the theoretical 313 MB/s maximum of 2.5 Gigabit ethernet. The reviewer’s RAID50 configuration achieved 3,027.8 MB/s sequential reads internally, though network speeds remain the practical bottleneck for file transfers.

Customer Reviews

Amazon buyer reviews are mixed. Buyers who use it for light duty are happy with the value and how quiet it runs. Spkconx, a verified buyer, called it “a bargain and great value at the current price” and said setup was easy. Kevin, also verified, wrote “Really good value. Extremely quiet.” Isaiah, who replaced his Raspberry Pi setup with it, described it as “Super small and compact too.”

The low ratings come almost entirely from owners running it as a multi-drive NAS. Verified buyer Yam ran TrueNAS Scale with all six M.2 slots filled (6x2TB in RAIDZ2) and reported the “system kept degrading/dropping my drives”; tech support suggested freeing a slot for the OS, which was not an option, so the unit went back. A verified owner named johnny hit the same wall: “atleast once a day i would have a drive randomly disconnect and i would have to restart the device,” which he suspected was overheating and which left it “completely unusable” for his use. Separately, JOE K JOHNSON reported a hard failure, writing that the “Product died after 36 days” with no POST and a black screen, just after the return window closed. If you plan to load every M.2 bay, weigh those drive-stability reports carefully.

A quiet all-SSD NAS for a first home server

The ME Mini arrives as a finished storage platform, with Crucial drives already fitted in the pre-configured bundles and the power supply inside the case. The Intel N150 processor handles file serving, media streaming, and light virtualization; anyone with heavy transcoding or compute requirements should look at a stronger box such as the Beelink SER9.

Buy it if you want quiet 24/7 storage at single-digit idle watts and can accept soldered RAM and a 15W chip. The dual 2.5 Gigabit ethernet ports with link aggregation support provide headroom for multi-user environments, and the six M.2 slots leave a clear upgrade path as storage needs grow. Wildcat Lake shoppers can weigh buying an N150 box now or waiting for Intel 18A. At $259-$359 depending on configuration, that is fair for a machine this focused.

Starry Hope’s Mini PC Comparison Chart lines it up against other compact machines.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many drives can the Beelink ME Mini hold?

Six M.2 NVMe SSDs, in 2230, 2242, or 2280 form factors. With current 4TB M.2 drives that adds up to 24TB of storage in a body smaller than most routers.

Can the RAM in the ME Mini be upgraded?

No, the LPDDR5 RAM is soldered to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded. The device is available in 12GB and 16GB configurations, so choose the 16GB variant if you plan to run memory-intensive workloads like ZFS with deduplication. For a broader look at how soldered memory affects buying decisions across the mini PC market, see our guide on when soldered RAM is a dealbreaker.

What operating systems work with the ME Mini?

The ME Mini ships with Windows 11 Pro and supports popular NAS operating systems including TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault, UnRAID, and standard Linux distributions. The 64GB eMMC can hold the OS, leaving all six M.2 slots available for data storage.

How loud is the Beelink ME Mini during operation?

Professional reviewers measured 31-34 dBA at idle and up to 40 dBA under heavy load. With no spinning drives, the only noise source is the small fan, which is quiet enough for a living room.

What is the power consumption of the ME Mini?

Roughly 6.9-9 watts at idle with drives installed, peaking around 30 watts under heavy load. Running it 24/7 adds only a few dollars per month to an electricity bill.

Are the M.2 slots fast enough for NAS use?

One slot runs at PCIe 3.0 x2 (approximately 1,700 MB/s) while five operate at PCIe 3.0 x1 (approximately 900 MB/s each). While these speeds are slower than modern NVMe standards, they still far exceed the dual 2.5 Gigabit ethernet ports, which top out around 600 MB/s combined.

Does the ME Mini support Plex transcoding?

The Intel N150 includes Quick Sync hardware encoding, enabling hardware-accelerated transcoding for a limited number of streams. For direct play or remux content, the ME Mini handles Plex media serving without issue. Heavy simultaneous transcoding will challenge the 15W-limited processor.