How much storage fits in the UGREEN NASync DXP4800?
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated · Prices checked The UGREEN NASync DXP4800 takes 4 drives, up to 136 TB raw, but usable is the number that matters: 4 × 8 TB in RAID 5 gives 21.83 TiB for about CA$2,288 in drives, and it survives 1 drive failing. The gap from raw capacity is parity.
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Want to know whether the DXP4800 fits your actual storage plan? Open the NAS Builder with this model weighted.
Usable space in the DXP4800, by drive size
All 4 bays filled with equal drives in RAID 5, the DXP4800’s sensible default. Usable TiB is what the NAS reports; TB is the drive maker’s unit.
| Drive size | Raw | Usable (TB) | Usable (TiB) | Drive failures survived |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 4 TB | 16 TB | 12 TB | 10.91 TiB | 1 |
| 4 × 8 TB | 32 TB | 24 TB | 21.83 TiB | 1 |
| 4 × 12 TB | 48 TB | 36 TB | 32.74 TiB | 1 |
| 4 × 16 TB | 64 TB | 48 TB | 43.66 TiB | 1 |
| 4 × 20 TB | 80 TB | 60 TB | 54.57 TiB | 1 |
| 4 × 24 TB | 96 TB | 72 TB | 65.48 TiB | 1 |
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 DXP4800 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 DXP4800 capacity calculator. For drives that fit and their current Amazon.ca prices, see the best drives for the DXP4800.
A worked configuration for the DXP4800
WD Red Pro or Seagate IronWolf Pro in every bay is the recommendation for the DXP4800. At 4 × 8 TB in RAID 5, the DXP4800 lands 21.83 TiB usable for about CA$2,288 in drives, gives up 8 TB to parity, and survives 1 drive failing. Step the same 4 bays of the DXP4800 up to 16 TB drives and it holds roughly twice that, at the CA$/TB the live table above shows.
RAID 5 or RAID 6 in the DXP4800?
With 4 bays the DXP4800 gives a real choice. In RAID 5 it keeps 21.83 TiB of the 4 × 8 TB and survives one failure; RAID 6 spends one more drive for two. The trade tips with large drives: after a failure the DXP4800 must read every surviving drive in full to rebuild, which on 20 TB drives runs the better part of a day under peak load. So from 16 TB per drive up, RAID 6 is the calmer choice in the DXP4800.
One rule holds on every NAS, the DXP4800 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 DXP4800; its compatibility list is guidance, not a gate. The DXP4800’s full compatibility rules.
Keep calculating
To see how much capacity is left after parity, the DXP4800 capacity calculator is preset to its 4 bays and RAID types. For the DXP4800, 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 DXP4800 can actually do: Plex, Immich, Docker, VMs? See what the DXP4800 can run.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum storage in the DXP4800?
4 drives, up to 136 TB raw per the manufacturer. Manufacturer figure based on 30 TB drives; correspondingly more with 32 TB drives
How much of the DXP4800 is actually usable?
In the DXP4800, 4 × 8 TB in RAID 5 yields about 21.83 TiB: that is 24 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 DXP4800 later?
Yes, but on the DXP4800 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 DXP4800?
Yes. UGREEN locks no drive brand on the DXP4800; its compatibility list is guidance, not a gate.
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)