UGREEN DXP4800 Plus NAS evaluate: This 4-bay server has excellent {hardware}

UGREEN is understood for its GaN chargers and energy banks, and during the last 12 months the Chinese language producer branched out into docking stations, energy stations, and a wide range of equipment. Now, UGREEN is making its debut into what’s probably its most bold class but: NAS servers.

Dubbed the NASync sequence, UGREEN is rolling out six fashions at launch: a 2-bay DXP2800, 4-bay DXP4800 and DXP4800 Plus (which I am reviewing), a 6-bay DXP6800 Professional, an 8-bay DXP8800 Plus, and a 4-bay DXP480T Plus that makes use of all-flash storage. The two-bay and 4-bay fashions are geared toward residence customers, with the 6-bay and 8-bay servers focused at companies and fanatic customers. I am going to get to the Professional fashions a bit later, and contemplating they’ve Intel Core i5 {hardware}, there’s clearly quite a bit on supply.

However proper now, it is the DXP4800 Plus that stands out within the model’s portfolio. This 4-bay NAS is powered by the Intel’s Alder Lake-based Pentium Gold 8505, comes with 8GB of RAM as customary, has a 128GB SSD put in out of the field, and has 4 HDD drive bays along with two M.2 slots. And there is a 10GbE port together with a 2.5GbE port on the again, and there actually is not a lot lacking on the {hardware} facet of issues.

What you may actually like is the pricing; UGREEN is taking the unconventional route of crowdfunding, and the DXP4800 Plus could be purchased for simply $419 consequently. I am unable to consider one other 4-bay NAS with this caliber of {hardware} that is accessible for underneath $550, and whereas there’s normally a draw back to backing a relative unknown model, UGREEN has its bases coated.

I used the DXP4800 Plus for simply over two weeks, and this is why it is best to think about the NAS server when you’re trying to improve. 

UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: Pricing and launch date

UGREEN unveiled the NASync sequence on March 26, and the merchandise are now available on Kickstarter. You possibly can again the DXP4800 Plus for $419, and UGREEN mentions that the retail mannequin will debut at $699 as soon as it begins promoting on its web site and Amazon.

There’s a typical DXP4800 that’s powered by the Intel N100 platform, and it comes with the identical 4 drive bays and two NVMe slots, however you get twin 2.5GbE ports as a substitute. There’s 8GB of RAM, 32GB of eMMC storage, and the identical set of ports because the Plus mannequin. The DXP4800 goes for $359, and it’ll price $599 at retail.

UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: Design

UGREEN’s merchandise have a definite design aesthetic, with the model favoring a metallic gray coloration scheme. The DXP4800 Plus has the same aesthetic, and it finally ends up trying elegant. The chassis is made out of aluminum, and it’s clearly constructed to final — it has a reassuring heft to it.

I might have preferred to see vented sides to ship passive airflow, however apart from that quibble, I haven’t got any points on the design entrance. The drive trays are numbered, and there is a single fan on the again that is coated by a mud filter. Whereas most NAS servers use this fan because the exhaust, it really works as an consumption on the DXP4800 Plus, with scorching air blowing out the entrance in between the drive trays. The fan itself is quiet, and it is not audible even when the NAS is underneath load; the HDDs are noisier by some margin.

Speaking about HDDs, the DXP4800 Plus has 4 drive bays, and you may simply set up 3.5-inch drives with none instruments. UGREEN has a reasonably cool mechanism that makes use of a lever to increase the peak of the drive tray, permitting you to fit in an HDD. It’s an overengineered resolution to an issue that did not want fixing, but it surely seems to be cool nonetheless.

I do not see any slots for mounting a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, so when you’re pondering of utilizing flash storage, you may must depend on the twin M.2 slots which are situated on the underside. The ability button is situated under the drive bays, and also you get standing LEDs subsequent to it; there’s additionally an SD card reader, a USB-C, and USB-A connectivity on the entrance.

There’s UGREEN branding on each side, but it surely meshes into the design and is barely noticeable. On the entire, I believe UGREEN did an ideal job with the design of the DXP4800 Plus, and the NAS server seems to be good and has glorious construct high quality.

UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: Connectivity and {hardware}

Coming to connectivity, there’s a lot to love on the DXP4800 Plus. There are twin USB 2.0 ports together with a USB 3.2 port on the again, and also you get an HDMI port that permits you to join the NAS to a TV. You possibly can all the time stream media from the NAS through DLNA, however HDMI makes issues simpler.

The DXP4800 Plus has a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port alongside a ten Gigabit port, and you do not actually see many enclosures on this phase which have 10GbE connectivity. Like I mentioned, there actually is not a lot lacking on this space.

The NAS comes with 8GB of RAM as customary, and there are two SO-DIMM slots on the underside, so you’ll be able to simply add extra reminiscence do you have to want to take action. The system is ready to deal with as much as 64GB of RAM — 32GB in every slot — so there isn’t any scarcity of upgradability. You additionally get two M.2 2280 slots on the underside, and UGREEN bundled foam pads that do a superb job managing thermals if you set up an SSD.

You additionally get two Cat7 cables within the bundle, and that is an added bonus. The DXP4800 Plus is sort of heavy by itself, however UGREEN makes use of an exterior energy brick to drive the NAS.

As for the {hardware}, the DXP4800 Plus has what’s arguably the perfect bundle on this phase. Intel’s Pentium Gold 8505 is a tier above the Celeron N4125 and N5105 that is utilized in most NAS servers today, and it has loads of energy to spare. Because the software program is not fairly prepared simply but, I am not going to share detailed efficiency metrics — I am going to accomplish that in an replace.

That mentioned, I transferred a number of hundred Gigabytes of information to the NAS and used it with M.2 SSDs over my 10GbE residence community, and it dealt with transfers simply in addition to different 10GbE NAS servers I examined. There have been two situations the place the SMB share failed to indicate up, however a reboot solved the difficulty.

UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: Software program

UGREEN despatched me the DXP4800 Plus two weeks forward of its Kickstarter debut, and the model talked about that the software program remains to be in beta. That is an understatement; there are a lot of points with the UI, and bizarre translation errors all through the interface, and it is not near being prepared for client use as of writing.

That mentioned, the UI itself seems to be clear, and it is clear that UGREEN is making an attempt to emulate DiskStation Supervisor. Synology is the model to beat on this space, so it is good to see UGREEN making an attempt to repeat from the perfect. Contemplating the state of the software program, I am not going into an excessive amount of element, however you get a settings web page that permits you to tweak the fan settings, add and alter person accounts, arrange storage swimming pools, and so forth.

There’s distant entry as nicely, and also you want a UGREEN cloud account to entry the NAS from outdoors your property community. Nonetheless, there isn’t any approach to allow 2FA on the account, so I would not counsel setting it up till that function is stay. Additionally, whereas I created an account and signed in on day one, I wasn’t capable of get again within the subsequent day — I needed to register once more utilizing the identical e-mail tackle.

There isn’t any icon administration on the house display screen, and apart from dragging the icons round, you’ll be able to’t change a lot. The bundle middle does not have many utilities; the Common Search does a superb job indexing the information saved on the NAS and pulling up helpful data, however there isn’t any native Plex shopper as of writing, or Docker containerization.

You do not even get a built-in media or audio service, and UGREEN notes that these are being added. Whereas I did not have any points making a storage pool with Seagate IronWolf drives, I received an error message a number of days later stating the drives are incompatible; UGREEN mentioned it will not impose any limitations round HDD use, and that each one NAS HDDs ought to work with none points.

I am going to revisit this part as soon as UGREEN rolls out software program updates to the NAS, however as of now, know that the DXP4800 Plus does not have a lot to supply from a software program standpoint.

UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: The competitors

ASUSTOR’s AS5404T is an efficient alternative in order for you a 4-bay NAS with highly effective {hardware} and the power to transcode Plex content material. It’s powered by the Intel Celeron N5105 platform, has 4GB of RAM, 4 M.2 slots, and twin 2.5GbE connectivity. ASUSTOR made lots of adjustments to its software program within the final 12 months, and also you get a superb UI together with a ton of helpful options. Coming in at $529, the AS5404T is costlier than the DXP4800 Plus, and also you miss out on 10GbE connectivity.

Should you want the perfect software program options, the DiskStation DS923+ remains to be a terrific alternative. That mentioned, the {hardware} is distinctly second-best; you solely get Gigabit Ethernet ports, and whereas the Ryzen R1600 is a lot quick, it does not do transcodes. Retailing for $599, the DS923+ is significantly costlier, and whereas you aren’t getting the perfect {hardware}, the software program is why you are paying a premium.

UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: Must you purchase it?

You should purchase this if:

• You need the perfect 4-bay NAS {hardware}
• You want 10GbE connectivity
• You need the comfort of HDD storage in addition to M.2 slots
• You want loads of reminiscence and a simple approach to improve down the road

You should not purchase this if:

• You need a native Plex shopper and Docker out of the field
• You want safe distant entry

General, UGREEN has a robust exhibiting with its NASync sequence, and the DXP4800 Plus has the potential to be the most effective 4-bay NAS servers round. The {hardware} clearly is in a league of its personal, and you aren’t getting the identical feature-set on another $500 NAS as we speak. The truth that it options an Intel 8505 platform together with 10GbE connectivity offers the DXP4800 Plus a definite edge.

The construct high quality is on par with the perfect residence NAS servers, the enclosure is quiet in day by day use, and 8GB of RAM is greater than what you get on this phase. That mentioned, UGREEN nonetheless must do lots of work on the software program entrance; there isn’t any native Plex shopper or Docker containerization, and UGOS Professional is lacking a built-in media and audio servers.

UGREEN clearly states that the software program is in beta, and that it’ll roll out updates with new options within the coming weeks. I am going to replace this submit as soon as these options go stay, however the little I’ve seen on the software program reveals lots of promise. Whereas I am typically cautious of recommending crowdfunded merchandise, UGREEN is a model with a confirmed historical past of delivering dependable merchandise — I take advantage of its GaN chargers and docks all through my residence — so I am prepared to suggest the DXP4800 Plus.

Should you do not thoughts ready a number of weeks for the software program options, the DXP4800 Plus is an easy recommendation at $419 — there’s nothing else on this phase that offers you pretty much as good a worth.