Today we found an interesting fanless motherboard with Intel N100 or i3-N305 processors, an ideal solution for mounting a NAS.
This motherboard offers a copper cooling block to be used in passive mode, but we can also mount a 75×75 mm fan, depending on the use we give it. We find variants with Intel N100 and Intel Core i3-N305 processors of the 12th generation, very popular Alder Lake-N processors manufactured in 10 nm (Intel 7). Sufficient hardware to manage a NAS, it also allows to adequately move a desktop with Windows 11, as we have seen the similar Beelink Mini S12.
A hardware set that allows you to run media players smoothly video up to 4K@60fps HDR resolutions. By design we can mount them in any box we design or that is compatible with the 17×17 ITX format.
Specifications Passive motherboard Intel N100 or i3-N305
This board offers the 12th generation Intel Alder Lake-N processors, Intel N100 and N305, two low-power processors manufactured in 10 nm where the Intel Core i3-N305 Octa Core stands out. Sufficient hardware for desktop use, industrial work, digital signage and light gaming.
- Intel N100 is a Quad Core with four threads, speed up to 3.4 GHz. The GPU is an Intel Core UHD GPU with 24EU which reaches a speed of 750 MHz. Maximum power consumption is 6 W.
- Intel Core i3-N305 offers an Octa Core with eight threads, speed up to 3.8 GHz. The GPU is an Intel Core UHD GPU with 32EU clocked at 1.25 GHz. The maximum power consumption is 15 W.
For RAM we have a DDR5 slot up to 5600 MHz, expandable up to 16 GB. It also includes two M.2 NVMe 2280 PCIe 3 SSD slots and offers up to six SATA3 ports to connect a large number of units.
Other features include
For wireless connectivity we can mount a BT M.2 Wifi module, but we can also use the PCIe 1x slot to mount a card. As for connectors, we have a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) port, another USB-C 3.0, two USB 2.0, four 2.5G Ethernet ports. As video outputs we have an HDMI 2.1 and a DP 1.4b connector that allow 4K@60fps HDR video playback without problems.
For power supply we need a source that supports 24 Pin ATX 4 Pin connector, this format is also found in many passive formats.
Price and availability
- This Intel Alde Lake passive motherboard is available on Aliexpress from $172 in its N100 version.
- Get an extra discount with AliExpress New Year Coupons.
