Ugreen NASync DXP480T Plus review: Capable of supporting your home

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

Compact dimensions

Fast connections

Very good performance

Cons

Still few applications

No synchronization software for the Mac

Still small bugs in the software

Not all possible functions fully integrated yet

Our Verdict
The NASync DXP480T Plus is a network-attached storge device that is quiet, offers many connections and acts as a DLNA server. What it lacks is a selection of applications, though that could change with updates.

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The compact Ugreen NASync DXP480T Plus network-attached storage device is built practically. This starts with the fast 10-gigabit ethernet port, which is particularly useful for large amounts of data such as videos and images. The processor is a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with 10 cores and 12 threads. The 8GB or RAM can be expanded to a maximum of 64GB with DDR5 modules. 128GB of storage is standard, and it has four M.2 NVMe slots so you can upgrade it with your own NVMe cards to a maximum storage capacity of 32TB.

The small NAS also has a lot to offer in terms of interfaces, which is rarely found in a network storage device. For example, it has two Thunderbolt 4 ports for fast drives. This allows the storage of the DXP480T Plus to be expanded very easily. There is also a 3.5 mm headset port and a USB3 port (10Gbps) on the back. There’s also a HDMI port with support for 8K video, though it’s not in use at the moment.

Easy assembly and setup

Assembly is easy and is clearly explained in the instructions. The four NVMe SSDs can be accessed under a flap and Ugreen supplies thermal paste, which is also recommended for NVMe SSDs.

Before integrating the DXP480T Plus into your own network, you should think about your ethernet switch. Inexpensive 10Gb switches are in short supply, so we used the tried-and-tested Zyxel XGS1250-12 for our practical test. When we tested the DXP480T, we measured an impressive 596MBps for writing and 741MBps for reading on an M1 Max Mac Studio.

The look of the Ugo Pro operating system is familiar from other competitors, so it’s easy to find your way around. Important applications such as a storage manager for managing and setting up drives are also available, as are user management and folders with individual authorizations.

If you use the DXP480T Plus as a media server, it comes with basic features: a DLNA server and special apps for managing photos, videos, and music. However, this is exactly where the inconsistencies of an early software version begin. For example, the media apps have access to the DLNA server’s folders, but the DLNA server does not have access to the media apps’ personal folders. Other problems are the Mac-specific “.X” files that are displayed as files in the media apps, or that you cannot manually assign a folder to the photo app. However, these are problems of an early software version. The corresponding menu items are already visible, but not yet fully implemented. As Ugreen is working diligently on improvements, this should be fixed soon.

What is still missing is an app for synchronizing data with the Mac. However, the DXP480T Plus can be set up as a Time Machine backup server.

For specialists, Ugreen integrates Docker to integrate Unix applications without porting. However, the whole thing is not self-explanatory and requires intensive work. Applications from other providers, such as the Plex media server or the Minim Server 2 music server, are also missing.

The Ugreen NAS app

The Ugreen NAS app for iOS and iPadOS is important for operation. Instead of individual applications for specific functions, the Ugreen NAS app integrates all features. For example, you get access to the storage manager, files, photos, and music. The interface is pleasantly clear and, above all, the start page can be customized. For example, you can place the hardware temperature display or music application here.

There are still some issues with the Ugreen NAS app. For example, music artists are not sorted alphabetically and the album/artist section is missing. We are also missing an output via DLNA to a streaming client. But here, too, we have seen significant progress in recent months with many updates.

Should you buy the Ugreen NASync DXP480T Plus?

The NASync DXP480T Plus fulfills basic tasks such as providing media and data servers. It lacks specialized media servers such as Minim Server or Plex, but the simple DLNA server supplied is a start. Unix specialists will be pleased to have Docker so that they can install applications. As a Mac user, you would wish for easy-to-use synchronization software–perhaps Ugreen will provide such in a future update. The Time Machine backup works fine.

The hardware is fully convincing, from the proper cooling to the connections and processor performance. It looks stylish and is also quiet. These are all important points for a network storage system that should provide many years of unobtrusive and reliable service. Its $1,000 price doesn’t make it look like a bargain, but it does have its technical features such as the 10Gbit LAN and Thunderbolt 4 for expansion.