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A maker who goes by EastMakes has designed a custom motherboard around the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5) and fitted it into an HP ProLiant MicroServer N40L. The board sits in the original motherboard position, so the case and power supply stay. It adds Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI and an M.2 NVMe slot. It is a one-off prototype, not a kit you can buy or build from published files. In the documented build the original four drive bays are not populated.
What was built
EastMakes started from the Raspberry Pi CM5 IO Board reference design and reshaped it to suit the N40L chassis. According to the project page, a conventional Mini-ITX swap would need case modifications, because the N40L’s mounting points and rear I/O opening are not standard. A custom board sized for the original location avoids that, and the original power supply and chassis were kept.
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The work covered schematics, component selection, mechanical measurement, connector placement, power design and high-speed PCB routing. A 3D-printed fit-check prototype was used to verify connector and screw-hole positions. The finished board has:
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- a stacked Ethernet and USB connector
- USB 3.0
- an M.2 slot for NVMe storage
Tom’s Hardware (Bruno Ferreira, September 21, 2026) reports that the maker tested USB and Ethernet after installation.
#1 Best Overall
- COMPLETE KIT: Development kit includes Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, IO Board, protective case, cooling system, antenna kit, power supply, and essential HDMI/USB cables
- POWERFUL PROCESSOR: Features BCM2712 64-bit processor with ARM Cortex-A76 architecture for high-performance computing capabilities
- DEVELOPMENT READY: IO Board provides comprehensive connectivity options including HDMI and USB ports for versatile prototyping and embedded solutions
- THERMAL MANAGEMENT: Includes dedicated cooler and heatsink system to maintain optimal operating temperatures during development
- CONNECTIVITY: Comes with antenna kit and multiple USB/HDMI cables for immediate setup and testing of wireless applications
The maker writes: “This was also the first complete motherboard I have designed.” The page says the first board worked on the first attempt, but that is still the account of a prototype, not a long-validated product.
Can you put a CM5 in an N40L?
Not directly. The CM5 is a system-on-module, not a motherboard, so it needs a carrier board that provides the connectors and power circuitry. This project works because EastMakes designed that carrier to fit the N40L. The maker has not published Gerbers, a bill of materials or manufacturing files, and describes the page as a showcase, not a ready-to-build product. PCB fabrication, assembly and X-ray inspection were sponsored by PCBWay, as the maker discloses.
What about the four drive bays?
The original drive cage connects through SFF-8087 Mini-SAS. The maker says an M.2/PCIe-to-SATA controller could connect the cage and that the storage interface was proved to work. But the maker also states that the four bays were not populated in the documented build. Treat the SATA route as a possible expansion, not a finished feature. No specific controller or SSD models are named in the sources.
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- Upgraded processor BCM2712, quad-core Cortex-A76 64-bit SoC, more powerful performance
- Faster eMMC Flash storage, up to 200 Mbps data rate
- Adopts B to B connectors, most compatible with Compute Module 4
- Onboard Gigabit Ethernet PHY supporting IEEE1588, suitable for network applications
- Onboard PCIe Gen 2 x1 interface, allows connecting more useful modules
Performance figures reported so far
Hackster.io (Nick Bild, 2026) reports:
- roughly 500 MB/s from an NVMe SSD over PCIe Gen 3
- around 90 MB/s from an external USB drive
These are figures reported about this one project. Tom’s Hardware says USB and Ethernet speeds were tested but does not give these numbers. No independent benchmark or long-duration reliability test was found, so don’t read them as guaranteed results for every CM5 build.
CM5 specifications that shape the design
Per Raspberry Pi’s product page, the CM5 offers:
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Broadcom BCM2712, quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 at 2.4 GHz |
| Memory | 2GB, 4GB, 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4-4267 |
| eMMC | 0GB, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB |
| PCIe | One x1 Gen 2 root complex (5Gbps) |
| USB | One USB 2.0 port; two USB 3.0 ports supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet PHY |
The carrier design decides how these appear on the finished server. Raspberry Pi says the CM5 stays in production until at least January 2036, and listed it from $67.50 when the page was accessed; price and stock vary, so check current listings.
Rank #3
- POWERFUL PROCESSOR: Broadcom BCM2712 quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 processor running at 2.4GHz delivers exceptional performance for embedded applications
- MEMORY AND STORAGE: Equipped with 16GB RAM and 64GB eMMC flash storage for robust data handling and storage capacity in a compact form factor
- WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY: Certified radio module with dual-band 2.4GHz/5.0GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 BLE, plus Gigabit Ethernet PHY with IEEE 1588 support
- DUAL 4K DISPLAY OUTPUT: Two HDMI 2.0 ports support simultaneous 4Kp60 output on both displays, plus two 4-lane MIPI ports for DSI and CSI-2 interfaces
- COMPACT DESIGN: Measures 2.17 x 1.57 x 0.19 inches with four M2.5 mounting holes, operating temperature range of -4°F to +185°F, and production guaranteed until January 2036
Custom board versus Mini-ITX retrofit
| Factor | Custom CM5 board (this project) | Standard Mini-ITX swap |
|---|---|---|
| Case changes | None described; fits original location and tray | Maker says needed, due to non-standard mounting and I/O opening |
| Power supply | Original retained | Not stated |
| Design effort | High: full PCB design | Low: off-the-shelf board |
| Reproducibility | Low: files not published | Not stated |
| Drive bays | Not populated in documented build | Not stated |
The Bottom Line
This is an impressive proof of concept for reviving a 15-year-old chassis, but for now it is a showcase. Anyone wanting the same result would need to design their own carrier board or wait for the maker to release files.
Quick Recap
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