The verdict

CPU
Beelink GTR9 has 1.9x the CPU throughput (54,968 vs 28,854 PassMark).
Idle power
Beelink GTR9 idles lower (16W vs 28W) - cheaper to run 24/7.
RAM ceiling
Beelink GTR9 takes more RAM (128GB vs 96GB).
Local AI
Minisforum N5 has a PCIe slot for a low-profile GPU - the other needs a DIY build for local LLMs.

Which wins for each job

Job Beelink GTR9 Minisforum N5
Plex / Jellyfin ~5 streams ~5 streams
Frigate NVR add a detector add a detector
Proxmox / VMs 54,968 PassMark win 28,854 PassMark
Firewall / router 2 NICs 2 NICs
Local AI / LLM no slot PCIe GPU slot win

Approximate - capacity estimates from curated specs, the same logic as the recommender. Verify against your exact setup. Prices move; check the retailer.

Full specs

Spec Beelink GTR9 Minisforum N5
Price (list) $1,985 $510
CPU AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 AMD Ryzen 7 255
Cores / threads 16 8
PassMark 54,968 28,854
iGPU Radeon 8060S (RDNA3.5) Radeon Graphics (RDNA2)
NICs 2 2
NIC model Dual 10GbE Marvell AQC113 10GbE plus Realtek 5GbE
RAM max (GB) 128 96
M.2 free 1 3
PCIe slot none x16
Idle (W) 16 28
TDP (W) 140 65