With the NASync DXP480T Plus, UGREEN presents a new NAS solution whose concept is still rather exceptional. However, if you want to store your data securely, share it conveniently on the network and also stream media, there is hardly any way around a high-performance NAS. Reason enough to release a NAS that relies entirely on M.2 NVMe SSDs instead of the usual connections for HDDs or SATA SSDs. Thanks to a 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface, several Thunderbolt ports and a quiet operating volume, it should be particularly suitable for power users as well as everyday users. With its compact design, the case is visually rather inconspicuous and also looks good in private living spaces.
We subjected the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus to an everyday test and examined both the initial setup and operation in practical use. Finally, we answer the question of how powerful the NAS with the in-house UGOS Pro operating system actually is.
Technical data
| Type | NAS |
| Model | DXP480T Plus |
| Processor (CPU) | Intel Core i5-1235U (10 cores, 12 threads, up to 4.40 GHz) |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB SO-DIMM DDR5 (expandable up to 64 GB) |
| Drives | 4x M.2 NVMe 2280 (up to 8 TB each) |
| Flash memory | 128 GB SSD |
| RAID support | JBOD, Basic, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 |
| Network connection | 1x 10 Gigabit Ethernet port |
| WLAN | Integrated Wi-Fi |
| Thunderbolt ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 |
| USB ports | 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gb/s) |
| Power consumption | 23.14 W (with drive access), 16.94 W (in idle mode) |
| Operating system | UGOS Pro |
| Product dimensions (L × W × H) | 179 × 142 × 52 mm |
| Price | € 944.99 * |
Scope of delivery
- Futuristic design arouses curiosity when unpacking
- Additional accessories including screws, screwdriver and thermal pads
- SSDs must be purchased separately
Even at first glance, the stylish packaging design is striking, giving the NAS an almost futuristic look. This arouses curiosity for more – even when unpacking. Once you have sorted everything and put the parts together, you can see the complete scope of delivery. In addition to the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus, this naturally also includes the corresponding power supply unit with a cable length of one meter and an RJ45 Ethernet cable (CAT7) with 10 Gbit/s. There is also mounting material consisting of two screws, a screwdriver and a set of four thermal pads for applying to the NVMe SSDs. The scope of delivery is rounded off by the usual package inserts, including the warranty card and the user manual.
Any SSDs are not included and must be purchased separately. We use two Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSDs for our test.
Design and workmanship
- Compact, high-quality metal housing in the style of a mini PC
- Simple replacement of the M.2 SSDs possible
- Power supply only via DC power supply unit, not via USB-C
In terms of design, the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus is quite discreet with its compact metal housing. Made primarily from an aluminum alloy, the design looks more like a modern mini PC than a traditional NAS solution. This is partly due to its dimensions: With a surface area of around 18×15 cm, it can be stowed away on practically any desk. The housing is therefore quite clean, especially the front, which only has the on/off switch. The inscription “PROTECT WHAT YOU LOVE” adorns the front panel. While all connections are located at the rear, numerous ventilation slots on the rear and side panels ensure sufficient ventilation.
The build quality is evident right from the start in the scope of delivery: UGREEN includes a CAT7 cable that can potentially transfer up to 1.25 GB/s via the network, provided the connection allows it. There is also the base, whose rubberized feet ensure a secure stand and dampen vibrations at the same time. It is also easy to open the underside to replace the M.2 NVMe SSDs of type 2280. Only two screws need to be opened for the replacement. As far as the casing is concerned, no faults can be identified – UGREEN has done a good job here. This applies to both expandability and maintenance. Only SATA SSDs or 3.5″ or 2.5″ hard disks do not fit into the NAS. However, this is part of the underlying concept and is therefore intentional. On the other hand, we see potential for optimization in the clunky DC-based power supply unit. It would have been desirable to use USB-C with Power Delivery here, as this would increase flexibility.
The hardware in detail
- Powerful i5 processor with DDR5 RAM and up to 64 GB support
- Four NVMe slots, up to 32 TB storage possible
- Top connections including 10 GbE, Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi
An Intel Core i5-1235U processor is used inside the NAS. This is an economical yet powerful processor from the Alder Lake generation. With 10 cores and 12 threads, the CPU is suitable for multitasking as well as for more complex tasks such as virtualization or the parallel execution of several Docker containers. From a technical point of view, this configuration is noticeably different from classic NAS systems, which are often still operated with ARM or Celeron processors. 8 GB DDR5 RAM is installed ex works, which can be expanded to up to 64 GB via two SO-DIMM slots. The result is therefore also a lot more impressive here than with comparable NAS systems, whose manufacturers still often rely on the common and widespread DDR4 standard. Nevertheless, DDR5 offers a decisive future advantage in terms of speed on the one hand and energy efficiency on the other.
The slots are four M.2 NVMe slots of type 2280 for SSDs. Up to 8 TB per slot are supported, resulting in a maximum data storage capacity of 32 TB – all without clunky 3.5-inch drives. In addition, the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus has a separate 128 GB SSD, which is reserved exclusively for the UGOS Pro operating system and is controlled via PCIe 3.0 x4. This means that the actual storage space is available exclusively for user data, without the OS taking up any of it.
As mentioned at the beginning, the actual interfaces are located on the back of the NAS. An RJ45 Ethernet port with 10 Gbps and two Thunderbolt 4 ports for the direct connection of Mac or Windows PCs are installed here. There is also a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port for external drives or accessories and an HDMI port, which supports resolutions up to 8K at 60 Hz. It should be noted at this point that the output can unfortunately not be used as a solution for classic workstation PCs, but only as a display option for the in-house app. The interface equipment is completed by a 3.5 mm jack, a reset hole and the power connection on the outside. Practical: Wi-Fi is integrated by default, which is not always the case with NAS devices in this class. This means that the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus can also be used on the move without a LAN cable, even though a NAS is primarily designed for stationary operation.
Practical test
- Quick start-up, setup takes less than 15 minutes
- Stable OS with RAID, Docker and VM support
- Quiet in everyday use, audible under high load
Commissioning and setup
Now it’s time for the practical test and therefore the first start-up. To begin with, we need to turn the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus upside down and open the lower housing cover with two screws to access the M.2 slots. There we insert the two Samsung SSD 980 Pro with 1 TB of storage space each – together with a thermal pad for better cooling. We then replace the housing cover, tighten the screws and we’re ready to go.
At this point, the procedure is to plug in the power cable and the Ethernet cable. After pressing and holding the on/off button, the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus automatically enters setup mode. This action is signaled by an acoustic signal that sounds when the system boots up and shuts down, among other things. From this point on, local access to the system is available and the first configuration steps can be carried out. In short, it takes less than 15 minutes from the installation of the NVMe SSDs to the appearance of the NAS desktop.
This is followed by a short introduction in which we assign the SSDs used to a storage pool. The individual hard disks can also be selected separately, the appropriate RAID type determined and the size of the volume specified as required. With regard to the file system, there is a choice between ext4 and Btrfs. The latter offers more modern functions such as snapshots, checksums and better data integrity. However, ext4 is currently still the common standard, which is due to its excellent compatibility, the optimization of many tools for the file format and its general maturity. Over time, however, Btrfs is likely to become increasingly important, especially in the NAS sector.
Meanwhile, the following RAID levels are available in UGOS PRO:
- RAID 0 – The data is distributed across several hard disks, which increases the access speed but offers no protection in the event of failures.
- RAID 1 – All data is mirrored, ensuring full data security in the event of a hard disk failure.
- RAID 5 – Combines speed and security, with one hard disk used for error correction.
- RAID 6 – Works like RAID 5, but with double parity, so two hard disks can fail at the same time.
- RAID 10 – Combines the properties of RAID 1 and 0 and combines fast performance with high reliability through mirroring and distribution.
Software, remote access and Docker support
UGOS Pro is an in-house development from UGREEN. Originally, the operating system lagged behind other solutions such as Synology DSM at times, which was due to the not yet fully developed software and the limited range of functions. In fact, a lot has changed over time: UGREEN offers a wide range of different client versions for a wide variety of devices for download. In addition to the Android and iOS mobile operating systems, the app is also available for desktop PCs, namely for macOS and Windows. For smart TVs, the UGREEN NAS client is also available for Android TV and Apple TV. Alternatively, the NAS interface can also be easily operated via a browser.
Fortunately, unlike comparable products, a slimmed-down version of the UGREEN NAS client is not used for our test with an Android smartphone. Instead, you get full access to the respective applications and almost the same configuration options as with a direct connection via a PC. This is extremely convenient and a good solution, especially when on the move.
The operating system presents itself as tidy, cleanly structured and modern. This results in a lean OS that still provides all the usual functions of a NAS. Should there be any uncertainties, a glance at the support app, which explains the most important functions in a few words, is sufficient. The essential apps such as a file manager, photo gallery, media player for videos and the “Sync & Backup” application for backing up PC or smartphone data are pre-installed ex works. A look at the App Center is where things get really interesting. There are currently 30 apps available for download from UGREEN. The App Center categories include Utility, Driver, System Management and Media&Entertainment. The latter includes the open-source media server Jellyfin, which offers similar functions to Plex. The utilities include Firefox, qBittorrent and Home Assistant, for example, which are not delivered natively as apps but as Docker containers like Jellyfin.
All of this sounds promising, but without Docker or VM support, it would only be a slimmed-down range of functions. With Docker in particular, a large number of other containers can be imported in order to run the desired programs on the NAS. Containers could be imported either from your own PC or via the internal memory of the NAS. The same applies to the use of virtual machines: Pre-built VMs can be integrated or, alternatively, one can be created by hand. Thanks to the built-in core, the Intel Core i5-1235U, and the integrated 8 GB RAM, sufficient resources are available, allowing the hardware to be optimally divided or scaled to several programs. Even if the RAM should run out, nothing stands in the way of an upgrade to up to 64 GB. However, the more computing-intensive the individual processes are, the louder the NAS will be – a common phenomenon.
In addition to the UGREEN NAS client, a variety of network protocols are also available for accessing the files. These are deactivated by default and must first be activated individually via the settings, depending on the application. SMB is usually activated for seamless integration in Windows environments, while NFS is more typical for Linux systems. The FTP, WebDAV and Rsync protocols are also available. To establish access to the remote console via SSH or Telnet, at least one account with admin rights is required. For security reasons, however, regular users are not granted access.
Performance, power consumption and volume
The actual transfer speed of the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus usually depends on the respective circumstances, including the user’s own network connection. As we did not have a connection with 10 Gigabit Ethernet available during the test period, the full data rates could not be utilized. To illustrate this, we transferred the current 5.4 GB Windows 11 24H2 image via the network, for example, which took around 52 seconds. In this case, the average transfer speeds were predominantly between 100 and 110 MB/s. The principle also applies to downloading the same image to the smartphone, which we also tried out here without further ado. In conjunction with Wi-Fi 6E, we recorded the same data rates, i.e. peak values of around 110 MB/s.
Of course, the two Thunderbolt ports of the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus deliver significantly more power. With them, speeds of over 700 MB/s are easily possible, resulting in a significant leap in performance. So if you want the full performance of the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus, you should either ensure a fast Ethernet connection or alternatively rely on the Thunderbolt ports.
In terms of power consumption, the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus is comparatively frugal. However, depending on the power contract, you should expect costs of at least around €50 per year in 24/7 operation, depending on the application. For comparison with a standard NAS: Conventional HDDs consume between 5 and 9 watts per drive when accessed and still around 3 to 4 watts when idle. Economical NVMe SSDs, on the other hand, usually consume less than 2 watts when reading and writing and would therefore be ideal for energy-efficient continuous operation. Even more powerful models, including the Samsung 980 Pro in the test, reach up to 6 watts under load, but remain significantly more economical on average than mechanical hard disks. Especially in a RAID array with several drives, this advantage adds up noticeably – not only in terms of power consumption, but also in terms of noise and waste heat.
The UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus remains largely quiet in everyday use and is practically unnoticeable acoustically – at least as long as there is no heavy load. A positive aspect is the use of the NVMe SSDs themselves, which have no moving parts. Compared to classic hard disks, this eliminates the characteristic drive noise, which is particularly annoying in quiet environments.
Nevertheless, the NAS from UGREEN can be heard in certain situations, namely when the three small fans (2 system fans + 1 CPU cooler) are at work. In idle mode, the fan noise is barely perceptible, but during intensive use the fans are noticeably noticeable. This is most noticeable with resource-intensive Docker containers, such as self-hosted LLMs, Paperless NGX or numerous containers running in parallel. The situation is similar when a few hundred images are uploaded from the smartphone to the gallery via the automatic backup or a large data transfer is pending for a short time. Consequently, it can be said that in normal operation, the background noise remains discreetly in the background, but can be clearly perceptible at times when the system is busy. This can be remedied by configuring the fan mode, which is graduated from standard to quiet to full power.
UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus test: Conclusion
The UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus presents itself as a technically impressive all-flash NAS and impresses with its ultra-compact design. Equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor and 8 GB RAM, it belongs to the high-performance NAS class and scores with various connections, including up to four slots for NVMe SSDs. A NAS like this should be a blessing, especially for tech-savvy people, content creators or data enthusiasts who move large amounts of data back and forth on a daily basis. It also works quietly, as the typical clacking of conventional hard disks is eliminated.
Fortunately, setup is also straightforward and can be completed in around 15 minutes before the NAS is fully operational. This is thanks to UGREEN’s in-house operating system UGOS Pro, which has proven to be very practical in practice and has steadily increased its range of functions. As long as UGREEN continues to provide the OS with regular updates and continuously adds new programs to the App Center, the differences to established manufacturers should soon hardly matter. Even now, the mobile version of the app is already quite impressive: On the one hand, you have permanent access to the NAS and, on the other, many configurations can be carried out conveniently while on the move.
With this in mind, the use of Docker and VMs should be actively pursued wherever possible. If you restrict yourself to the App Center, the range of functions is (still) limited in some cases. As a result, it pays to expand your knowledge of Linux, Docker and VMs and use them specifically on the NAS. Even some apps such as Jellyfin or Firefox from the App Center run in Docker containers.
In terms of points of criticism, the HDMI output for alternative desktop use, which is not fully usable, and the rather limited scaling compared to other NAS devices are currently significant. Admittedly, you can compensate for a lot with a maximum of 32 TB, but classic NAS devices with HDDs and reduced speeds are generally superior. In general, this point is also a question of the individual use case, in which the price issue also plays a role. If you are looking for an all-flash NAS, the UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus is definitely worthwhile. However, the follow-up costs must also be taken into account, which add up considerably with 8 TB per NVMe SSD slot in the maximum configuration.
- Compact NAS
- Strong storage performance
- Software with Docker & VM support
- Quiet everyday operation
- HDMI output with limited functionality
- Increased follow-up costs due to use of NVMe SSDs
UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus
Optics & processing
Equipment
Software
Range of functions
Performance
Price-performance ratio
92/100
The UGREEN NASync DXP480T Plus presents itself as a solid all-flash NAS with impressive performance and quiet operation. With a maximum of 32 TB of storage space, most use cases should be covered, although this results in increased follow-up costs when purchasing NVMe SSDs.
