I tested the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus, its the best NAS I’ve used for photo and video

The UGREEN DXP4800 Plus is a four-bay NAS designed for creative professionals such as photographers and videographers. It is essentially a network-attached drive; you connect it to your router using a standard network cable, then you can access it using the UGREEN software or connect in the usual way for a network-attached drive through the IP.

What really makes this drive stand out is the fact that you can configure the drives it holds yourself. In this review, I’ve used four 8 TB Western Digital Red drives, giving me 32 TB of potential storage, and I can divide and configure this through UGREEN’s UGOS software.

If you’re unfamiliar with NAS systems, while they might look like just a normal external drive, there’s actually a lot more to them. Unlike a normal desktop drive, it has its own computer inside, running UGREEN’s own OS.

Running in the background is an Intel Pentium Gold 8505 CPU with 8 GB of DDR5 RAM, which, for this level of NAS, is quite impressive.

While I’ve used 8TB drives in the configuration of this drive, it has the potential of installing 30 TB HDDs, so 30 TB per bay, giving you a total of 120 TB, which really does make it an ideal option for both photo and video archiving. Another standout feature is its very fast network connection. While many NAS options run at 2.5 or 5 Gb/s, this particular model runs at a massive 10 Gb/s, which is pretty much top tier at present.

The price also makes this NAS extremely affordable compared with other NAS boxes, although don’t get me wrong it is still expensive, and with features such as HDMI out for direct 4K playback, hot-swappable bays so drives can be removed and replaced if needed, and AI-assisted photo tagging and filtering, it makes it a perfect option for professionals, especially photographers and videographers.

Removing the UGREEN DXP4800 Plus from the packaging, I was instantly struck by how nice this NAS system looks. In the past, they looked like IT products designed to be functional rather than attractive, whereas here, UGREEN has clearly invested in product design across its range.

Across the front of the four HDD bays, each has a quick-release feature: simply push down on the bay and it can be pulled directly out. Another feature is that when you pop the drive in, there are no screws; a clever fixing system clamps down on the drive, holding it securely in place. You can then slip it into the bay, and it will be recognised by the system. This makes it great if you just need to check a drive, but also if a drive fails at any point, it’s quick and easy to pull it out and hot-swap it for a new one.

The DXP4800 Plus takes standard 3.5-inch hard drives like those in traditional desktop machines, and if you have 2.5-inch SSDs or HDDs, these will also fit without much issue with a caddy.

As NAS systems tend to sit untouched on a shelf, they can build up dust. It’s nice to see that at the back of the machine, there is a magnetic dust filter, so you can give it a quick clean now and then to prevent fluff and dust build-up. Over a month of testing, I was slightly horrified to see how much dust had gathered in the surrounding area.

One surprising feature for a NAS of this type is quick-access USB and SD ports on the front. If you want to quickly transfer files directly onto the system, you can plug them in and then activate any transfer through the UGREEN software.

Another surprise was the fact that you can increase both the RAM and install two M.2 NVMe drives via a hatch underneath the machine, boosting performance for various apps. This is something you don’t often see on a NAS of this grade.

Running through the features quickly shows that this is more than just a drive to archive footage. With its 10 GbE port, it enables multiple terabytes of project transfers as well as network editing. This is a drive that is clearly designed for the creative market.

There’s also an HDMI 4K output that enables local review, although some technical knowledge is needed to use it properly. You can connect a monitor directly to the NAS to review files and navigate the contents via the built-in OS.

Through UGREEN’s operating system, you have a series of different apps, a mix of common NAS applications alongside some unique ones, such as the AI album, which can auto-tag faces and subjects. It’s one of the most advanced auto-tagging systems I’ve seen on a NAS of this type.

In terms of hardware, you can install up to four 3.5-inch HDDs or 2.5-inch HDDs in the caddies. Capacity can reach up to 136 TB of internal storage with four 30 TB HDDs and two 8 TB M.2 NVMe drives, although this would cost well over £3,500 / $3,500.

For the file system, there’s the option to use Btrfs, which enables snapshots so you can roll back changes. On the outside, there’s also a USB-C 10 Gb/s port for ultrafast SSD access, again for quick transfers to and from the machine.

A key feature I like is the upgradable RAM; if you need faster processing for direct access, the additional RAM helps. Alongside this, the option to install two NVMe drives makes it ideal for Lightroom cache or other cache options. With this network speed and internal processing power, it works perfectly well for network editing across multiple machines, making it great for both home and larger studios.

When the NAS arrives, it needs the drives installed and formatted/configured in the way you want. If you’re unfamiliar with NAS systems, this can seem daunting at first. However, UGREEN has streamlined the process, and from installing the 3.5-inch HDDs to formatting and using the UGREEN OS, everything feels straightforward.

In this review, I’ve used four 8 TB Western Digital Red drives. They’re a good, reliable base HDD for consumer-level NAS systems, and I’ve used them for years without issue.

Installation takes only a few minutes, with the drives clicking into place in the caddies. You then slot each caddy back into the machine. Once everything is installed, plug in the power and the network cable to your router, and you’re ready to start configuring the NAS.

Unlike a traditional desktop hard drive, a NAS is accessed through the network, so you need to configure it so it’s easy to find when you need the contents. Alongside the NAS, you also have its own OS installed, which enables you to monitor and configure everything, as well as download applications such as the Photo AI organisation app, media players, and other useful options.

This isn’t an external hard drive in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s network-attached storage. First, you need to let it boot up, which can take a little while, then connect to it through the network. Thankfully, UGREEN has developed an easy-to-use application that will connect to the NAS once it’s booted and mount the drive on your desktop, making it far easier to use than many other systems.

The OS also launches into its own environment, enabling you to monitor the drives, install apps, and manage contents.

One of the first things I did was use the NAS as a backup for my computer. Using the sync application was straightforward. Once set up, I also backed up my external portable hard drives, so when I get back from a shoot, I plug them into my computer, and all contents automatically upload to the NAS. This gives me a secondary backup from the outset.

I also created an archival section, so once I’ve finished a project, I can back it up there. The sync function ensures whatever is on my drives is duplicated, so if I lose one in the field, I still have a backup. Once I need to clear that drive for another project, I archive the synced data into the archive drive for permanent storage.

Through testing the DXP4800 Plus, I was impressed with the transfer speed and the easy-to-use interface. While my network is slightly limited by a 5 Gb/s hub, the speeds to and from the drive were still impressive and stable. Over Wi-Fi, the speeds were reduced, but being able to connect from anywhere in the house or studio was a huge benefit.

One feature I really liked was the ability to quickly offload SD cards and USB drives directly to internal storage. Simply attach the drive, and through the UGREEN NAS software, select how and where you’d like the files downloaded.

During testing, I found that if the NAS was left unused for a few days, it would fall into a deep hibernation, and the only way to reconnect was to power it down using the button on the front and restart it.

The UGREEN DXP4800 Plus is a superb option for any photographer or videographer looking for a small office or studio NAS system to back up video and image data. The setup is easy; simply connect it to your wireless router, then use the UGREEN software to mount the drive onto your desktop on a Mac or access it as network-attached storage on a PC.

There were a few quirks. On one occasion, I couldn’t connect to the NAS, but this was resolved after a firmware update. As mentioned, if it’s left unattended for a few days without being powered down, it requires a reboot to connect again, something that could potentially be fixed with a future update.

There are also a few OS limitations, but these improved during testing as software updates were rolled out. My only wish is for the option to install more applications, such as a decent media server like Plex, which would enhance the system’s usability.

Overall, with a decent OS and solid performance that seems to improve monthly, this is an excellent option. The standout feature is the AI tools, which help you organise and locate files once stored on the NAS.

If you’re new to NAS, this is an ideal choice; it’s quick, streamlined, and easy to use. It’s also worth noting that because UGREEN is a large company, support is available when needed and is relatively quick. As an overall solution for backing up and storing files, and even as a network source for video over a wired connection, it’s one of the best all-around options at this price.