I originally wrote about this here: https://bbs.bee-link.com/d/8266-me-mini-bios
but realized I likely should have created a new post as the core issue has to do with the ME Mini disconnecting NVMEs at random times.
Currently I am dealing with the same issue that many others are with regard to the ME Mini. That is, I bought an ME Mini this summer (12GB RAM, 2TB SSD version) and added 5x Crucial P310 4TB PCIe Gen4 2280 NVMe M.2 SSDs. I installed TrueNAS on the 2TB Crucial SSD included with the ME Mini (following the directions not to use the eMMC to host TrueNAS, as much as I would have liked to use all 6 SSD slots). So TrueNAS boots off the 2TB in slot 4 (again following Beelink’s recommendation), and then I setup a RAIDZ1 pool using the 5×4TB SSDs.
However, soon after doing so, I began having issues where I would get S.M.A.R.T. errors on some of the SSDs, and then messages about disconnecting. This would cause the ZFS pool to degrade and eventually fail. Thankfully I had not yet put this unit into production use.
So at one point while troubleshooting, I simply wiped out my setup and started over. I opened the unit, reseated all the cards, and started again. At first that seemed to have helped. But the truth is, while I re-installed TrueNAS again, I did NOT create a pool. That is, I simply let the unit run idle for awhile. All 5×4TB SSDs were installed, but I wasn’t stressing the system in any way.
And yet now again it is showing these issues. The most common thing I see is this error:
CRITICAL
Device: /dev/nvme0n1, failed to read NVMe SMART/Health Information.
Going online, I find references to various folks having problems with the Beelink ME Mini when fully populated with SSDs. It is an extensive list of folks having problems, but here are just a few references:
There is much discussion around whether the ME Mini simply cannot reliably run with all 6 NVME slots in use. The key thing appears to revolve around the power supply, or more specifically, the 3.3V line, being underpowered. And depending on the make/model of SSDs used, their power draw can cause issues. I thought I was safe using the same kind of Crucial SSDs as what came with the unit (though obviously 4TB vs. 2TB). But clearly not.
I have seen posts from folks talking about disabling the WiFi chip and/or the eMMC drive to lower the load on the 3.3V line. And others saying they have monitored the 3.3V line dipping when the power supply itself was operating just fine. It does seem that anyone wishing to use this unit fully populated is playing a bit of roulette here with their data, which is the opposite of what one wants in a NAS.
Now I do not know whether this is a hardware design flaw or something which can be resolved through a BIOS firmware update and/or adjustments to the BIOS settings. But the entire reason I am here is to find that out. I landed on the particular thread mentioned above as it involves someone asking for the latest recommended BIOS update for the ME Mini.
[Side note: This is not my first Beelink. I own and run a SER7 and an S12Pro, both of which I thoroughly enjoy using.]
I was REALLY looking forward to using this ME Mini as a low power alternative NAS in my home setup (vs. my current Synology which uses 3.5″ spinning disks). But until now, I have not been able to even get things going long enough to build a dataset and truly work on it. And just the issues I HAVE been having make me have trust issues with this unit. That disappoints me, as I really want to be able to trust and use this.
So any and all help you can provide around this would be appreciated. If this requires updating the BIOS, please advise. If it requires setting certain BIOS parameters, please also advise. (I have left as much as possible to defaults as I tend to assume that the default settings are what the manufacturer found to be most reliable.)
Just for reference, I rebooted my ME Mini, held down the [DEL] key, and brought up the BIOS. I currently have America Megatrends M1V303 with build date 04/01/2025 09:43:56, in case that helps.
Thank you in advance for any/all help. If you answer here, you can ignore that original posting.
—
UPDATE: @Beelink and @Beelink CS-George , not sure how this forum works, but am really hoping someone from Beelink can respond. I keep finding more information online about folks having issues with these, including indications that Beelink have updated the actual hardware, in some cases replacing defective units. Now I am beginning to get worried that maybe I have such a unit:
I just bought this ME Mini in July from Amazon.com. I can provide any information you need (e.g., Serial Number, billing info, etc.).
If it is a software fix like updating the BIOS, that’s fine.
If it requires doing something like disabling the eMMC to lower the draw on the 3.3V line, that’s fine.
If it requires replacing as indicated in that last link, that’s also fine.
My end goal remains the same. I would simply like to have this unit as my NAS where I use all 6 NVMe slots (1 for TrueNAS in slot 4, the other 5 for storage). And I would like to be able to trust it as I do my SER7 and S12Pro.
I just need to know what I need to do to make that happen.
