How much storage fits in the UGREEN NASync DXP2800?

Portrait of Devin ChuaBy Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated · Prices checked
In short

The UGREEN NASync DXP2800 takes 2 drives, up to 80 TB raw, but usable is the number that matters: 2 × 8 TB in RAID 1 gives 7.28 TiB for about CA$1,144 in drives, and it survives 1 drive failing. The gap from raw capacity is parity.

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Want to know whether the DXP2800 fits your actual storage plan? Open the NAS Builder with this model weighted.

Usable space in the DXP2800, by drive size

All 2 bays filled with equal drives in RAID 1, the DXP2800’s sensible default. Usable TiB is what the NAS reports; TB is the drive maker’s unit.

Drive sizeRawUsable (TB)Usable (TiB)Drive failures survived
2 × 4 TB8 TB4 TB3.64 TiB1
2 × 8 TB16 TB8 TB7.28 TiB1
2 × 12 TB24 TB12 TB10.91 TiB1
2 × 16 TB32 TB16 TB14.55 TiB1
2 × 20 TB40 TB20 TB18.19 TiB1
2 × 24 TB48 TB24 TB21.83 TiB1

How much space you actually need

Start from what you store today, not from the drive sizes. As rough guides: a 24-megapixel RAW photo is about 25 to 30 MB, a phone photo 3 to 5 MB, and an hour of 4K phone video around 20 GB; check a folder of your own files for real numbers. Add the growth you expect over the next three to five years, then keep about 20 percent free so the pool does not run full.

Then plan the backup copy. RAID keeps the DXP2800 running through a drive failure; it does not protect against deletion, ransomware, theft or fire. Size a second copy (an external drive, a second NAS or a cloud plan) for the data you cannot replace, which is often far less than the array.

For your own mix of drive sizes and RAID types, use the DXP2800 capacity calculator. For drives that fit and their current Amazon.ca prices, see the best drives for the DXP2800.

A worked configuration for the DXP2800

WD Red Pro or Seagate IronWolf Pro in every bay is the recommendation for the DXP2800. At 2 × 8 TB in RAID 1, the DXP2800 lands 7.28 TiB usable for about CA$1,144 in drives, gives up 8 TB to parity, and survives 1 drive failing. Step the same 2 bays of the DXP2800 up to 16 TB drives and it holds roughly twice that, at the CA$/TB the live table above shows.

One rule holds on every NAS, the DXP2800 included: use CMR drives, not SMR. SMR drives rewrite overlapping tracks and collapse during a RAID rebuild, dragging a repair from hours into days.

Drive policy: UGREEN locks no drive brand on the DXP2800; its compatibility list is guidance, not a gate. The DXP2800’s full compatibility rules.

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, and CMR versus SMR explains why SMR drives do not belong in a RAID array. Wondering what the DXP2800 can actually do: Plex, Immich, Docker, VMs? See what the DXP2800 can run.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum storage in the DXP2800?

2 drives, up to 80 TB raw per the manufacturer. 2 × 32 TB hard drives plus 2 × 8 TB NVMe, per the manufacturer

How much of the DXP2800 is actually usable?

In the DXP2800, 2 × 8 TB in RAID 1 yields about 7.28 TiB: that is 8 TB in drive-maker terms, with 8 TB to parity. It shows less than the label because it counts in powers of two.

Can I fit larger drives in the DXP2800 later?

Yes, but on the DXP2800 classic RAID sizes to the smallest drive, so the extra space arrives only once every drive is replaced. There is no flexible RAID like SHR on this model.

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.

About the author
Portrait of Devin Chua
Devin Chua
Writer, components & compatibility

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.

Portrait of Owen NakamuraData checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)