It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a new fanless motherboard, but with the ASRock N250M/D5, we now have an option for building a maintenance-free PC with a wide range of features.
This ASRock motherboard offers a wide range of ports; it stands out for its m-ATX form factor with standard PSU connectors and a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot capable of supporting a fairly powerful GPU. This hardware features a fully passive cooling system, designed for continuous use that requires no monitoring, thanks to the thermal efficiency of the Intel N250 processor, which is not widely available.
Inside this mini PC, you can also install a DDR5 SODIMM RAM module of up to 16 GB, an M.2 2280 NVMe storage drive, two SATA connectors, eight USB-A ports, and triple video output.
ASRock N250M/D5, key specifications
This new ASRock N250M/D5 passive motherboard features the Intel N250, manufactured on a 10nm process. It is an integrated processor with four cores and four threads, capable of reaching up to 3.8 GHz. For graphics, it features an integrated Intel UHD Graphics GPU with 32 EUs, compatible with video codecs such as AV1 up to 4K@60fps. Thanks to its low power consumption, this CPU has a TDP of just 15W.
For RAM, it features a single 4800 MHz DDR5 SO-DIMM slot supporting up to 16 GB. For storage, it includes a connector for an M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen3 x2 SSD and two SATA 3 connectors for more affordable drives.
Other specifications
The ASRock N250M/D5’s connectivity and expansion options include an M.2 Key E slot designed for adding Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless network cards. On the rear panel, the triple video output stands out (consisting of HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and the classic D-Sub), accompanied by a Gigabit LAN network card, a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port supporting up to 10 Gbps, and eight USB-A 2.0 ports.
An ideal motherboard for building a server that runs 24/7, 365 days a year, without maintenance. It can be easily installed in any micro-ATX case with a standard power supply.
Price and availability
