Best SSD for the UGREEN NASync DXP2800
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated The 2 bays of the UGREEN NASync DXP2800 take 2.5-inch SATA SSDs as well as hard drives, but over 1 × 2.5GbE it rarely pays: the network caps throughput long before the drive does, and SSDs cost a multiple per TB. An all-SSD DXP2800 makes sense for silence in a living space, or for the many small parallel reads of virtual-machine storage — not for a file-and-backup NAS.
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SATA SSDs for the DXP2800, live from Amazon.ca
What sets the DXP2800 apart
The entry to the NASync line: two bays, but a full x86 base with two NVMe slots. The N100 transcodes Plex in 4K, and because UGOS Pro has no SHR, the drive choice here is especially binding.
When SSDs make sense in the DXP2800
A SATA SSD reads about 550 MB/s, a good NAS drive 200 to 280 — but the DXP2800's 1 × 2.5GbE only carries part of that anyway, and per terabyte the SSD costs several times more. For file storage, backups and media on the DXP2800, hard drives are the sensible choice by every measure.
Two cases flip it. Silence: if the DXP2800 lives in a living room or bedroom, an all-SSD build is the only thing that truly quiets it. And many small parallel reads — virtual- machine storage, a busy photo database — where the SSD's access times, not its data rate, are what you are buying. On a lighter box like the DXP2800, that second case is rarer than it sounds.
The UGREEN drive policy on the DXP2800
unrestrictedOpen. UGREEN mandates no drive brand: “UGREEN NAS does not require branded drives.” The compatibility list is a recommendation, not a lock. UGREEN itself explicitly advises against SMR drives.
The DXP2800 at a glance
| Bays | 2 × 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch SATA |
|---|---|
| Maximum raw capacity | 80 TB 2 × 32 TB hard drives plus 2 × 8 TB NVMe, per the manufacturer |
| Processor | Intel N100 (4 cores) |
| Memory | 8 GB, DDR5 SO-DIMM (2 slots) 16 GB official. Memory vendors certify 32 GB modules for the platform; UGREEN does not endorse that. Anything above 32 GB is unrealistic on the N100. |
| M.2 NVMe | 2 slots 2 × M.2 NVMe, usable as cache or as their own storage pool |
| Network | 1 × 2.5GbE |
| Operating system | UGOS Pro |
| RAID types | Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 |
Keep calculating
To see how much capacity is left after parity, the DXP2800 capacity calculator is preset to its 2 bays and RAID types. For the DXP2800, the wider basics of choosing a drive are in the buying guides, where we also explain why CMR rather than SMR is mandatory in any RAID array.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put third-party drives in the DXP2800?
Yes. UGREEN locks no drive brand on the DXP2800 — its compatibility list is guidance, not a gate — so any CMR NAS drive works.
Which drives fit the DXP2800?
The DXP2800 takes any 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch SATA drive; use a CMR NAS family rated for 24/7 duty such as IronWolf, WD Red Plus or Toshiba N300. On its 1 × 2.5GbE, a standard CMR drive is already fast enough for the DXP2800.
How much capacity is usable in the DXP2800?
In the DXP2800, 2 × 8 TB in RAID 1 gives about 7.28 TiB usable and survives 1 drive failing; the balance is parity.
Can the DXP2800 run Plex with hardware transcoding?
Yes. The DXP2800's Intel N100 (4 cores) includes Intel Quick Sync, which hardware-transcodes Plex including 4K HEVC, so it handles several streams at once without loading the CPU.
Is a Pro drive worth it in the DXP2800?
Marginal. The DXP2800's 1 × 2.5GbE sits right where a standard CMR drive already saturates the link, so a Pro drive mainly buys warranty, not speed.
Devin Chua works out which drives, RAM and NVMe cache fit which NAS model at nasdrives.ca, and what the RAID choice means for usable capacity, checked against what is in stock on Amazon.ca.
Data checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)