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| The N3A has four SATA drive bays and two M.2 SSD slots. Pictured: a promo picture showing the NAS placed beside a monitor. |
The company swapped the processor at the last minute, and you'll need to bring your own RAM, storage, and operating system.
Back in February 2026, Acemagic turned heads when it announced the N3A – a compact device that promised to pull double duty as both a capable mini PC and a full-fledged Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution. The original specs looked solid on paper, with an AMD Ryzen 7 3750H at the helm.
Fast forward to today, and the N3A is finally available. But eagle-eyed buyers will notice something different under the hood. Acemagic has quietly swapped the processor for an AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544.
So what does that mean for performance? The Ryzen Embedded R2544 is a 4-core, 8-thread chip built on the Zen+ Picasso architecture. In many ways, it's a near-identical configuration to the original Ryzen 7 3750H – but there are two key differences. The R2544 packs a Radeon Vega 8 GPU instead of Vega 10, though it compensates with a higher base clock. The chip can also draw up to 45W and, perhaps more importantly for a NAS device, supports ECC memory – a feature that data-hoarders and home server enthusiasts will genuinely appreciate.
Bare Bones in the Best Way
Here's where things get interesting. Acemagic is selling the N3A as a barebone system, meaning it ships without any RAM or storage. That might sound like a downside, but for experienced users, it's actually a feature. You can equip the N3A with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM running at 3,200MHz, giving you complete control over your build.
Storage is where this little box really shines. The N3A comes with two M.2 NVMe drive slots and four SATA bays, with total support topping out at a massive 136TB. That's enough for a serious Plex server, a full backup of your entire family's devices, or a small business's local cloud.
You can grab the barebone N3A directly from Acemagic's official website – check the latest availability and specs here – and use coupon code ACEN3A to bring the price down to $299.
Port Selection That Covers All the Bases
Acemagic didn't skimp on connectivity. The N3A offers a thoughtful mix of modern and legacy ports:
- 1x TF card slot
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
- 2x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1x 2.5G Ethernet
- 1x 1G Ethernet
- 1x DisplayPort 1.4
- 1x HDMI 2.0
- 1x 3.5mm audio
The dual Ethernet ports are a particularly nice touch for a NAS, allowing for link aggregation or dedicated VLAN setups.
Built for 24/7 Operation
On the design front, the N3A sports a full metal body with a magnetic front cover that feels surprisingly premium for a sub-$300 device. The SATA drive bays use an easy slide-out mechanism – no tools required, no awkward fiddling. Just pop, swap, and go.
Acemagic also highlights the dual-cooling setup, which is designed to keep things running optimally around the clock. If you've ever had a cheap NAS overheat and drop off your network at 2 AM, you'll understand why this matters.
The Fine Print
At $299 with the coupon code, the N3A is genuinely attractive for anyone looking to build a DIY NAS without breaking the bank. 136TB of storage support at this price point is practically unheard of.
But – and this is a significant but – the system doesn't ship with an operating system installed. That means no Windows, no pre-configured NAS OS, nothing. If you're new to the world of Network Attached Storage, this might not be the plug-and-play experience you're looking for. You'll need to source and install your own OS, whether that's TrueNAS, Unraid, OpenMediaVault, or a standard Linux distribution.
For comparison, beginners might want to look at something like the Ugreen DH2300, which is currently going for $175.99 on Amazon – though that's a pure NAS without the mini PC functionality.
See the Ugreen DH2300 on Amazon here if you're after a more beginner-friendly, ready-to-run solution.
Who Is the N3A For?
The Acemagic N3A isn't for everyone. It's for the tinkerer, the homelab enthusiast, the person who already has spare DDR4 lying around and doesn't flinch at the thought of flashing an OS to an NVMe drive. At $299, it's a fantastic foundation for a custom NAS build – just be honest with yourself about whether you want a project or a product.
If you're ready to roll up your sleeves, the N3A offers incredible value. If you just want to back up your photos and call it a day, you might want to look elsewhere.
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| Design and ports of the NAS |