I’m tired. Your Internet friend Marius is really, really tired. Tired of watching sponsored YouTubers with that shiny “I know everything about storage” face open a UGREEN DH2300 or DH4300 Plus, put it on the table with the little lights blinking, and tell you with that perfect sponsor voice: “This is a beast! Insane power! Perfect for everything!” Then in the next video they unbox a DXP4800 Pro or an iDX and say the exact same words. Just with more enthusiasm. Because of course there’s a discount code involved.

I live in a different reality. The one where people message me privately. And not to say “Thanks, now I have the NAS of my dreams.” No. They write things like: “I bought the DH because the YouTuber said it was powerful. Now, if I launch two Docker containers it freezes.” “I wanted to run some Plex with transcoding.. hahahaha no.” “The RAM is fixed and you can’t touch it. It’s like buying a car and not being allowed to change the tires.” And I always reply with the same face: “I told you so.”

⚠️So, Which UGREEN NAS Should You Avoid?

Basically the entire DH series.

Specifically:

• ⛔DH2300 (2-bay)
• ⛔DH4300 Plus (4-bay)

These two are the classic NAS models for beginners but only if “beginners” for you means backing up your phone photos and sharing Grandma’s recipe folder. That’s it. Why are they weak NASes? Because UGREEN designed them that way on purpose:

1. ARM processors (Rockchip) Rockchip A72+A53 8 Cores 2.2GHz.
2. Fixed RAM (4 GB on the 2300, 8 GB on the 4300 Plus), not expandable.
3. No useful M.2 NVMe slots.
4. No real virtualization.
5. Docker, yes (on the 4300 Plus), but with the usual entry-level ARM limitations.
6. Network: 1 GbE on the DH2300, 2.5 GbE on the DH4300 Plus.
7. Zero Intel Quick Sync. Hardware transcoding? Keep dreaming.

They’re perfectly fine as quiet, cheap network hard drives. But when someone tells you “you can do everything with these”, they’re lying. Or they’re taking sponsor money. Or both.

👌Which UGREEN NAS Should You Buy?

• ✅DXP2800
• ✅DXP2800 GT
• ✅DXP4800 Plus
• ✅DXP4800 Pro
• ✅DXP4800 GT
• ✅DXP480T Plus
• ✅DXP6800 Pro
• ✅DXP8800 Plus
• ✅DXP6800 Ultra
• ✅DXP8800 Ultra
• ✅iDX6011
• ✅iDX6011 Pro

🆗DXP models: Now we’re in the adult world. Intel processors (N100, Pentium Gold 8505, i3, i5), expandable RAM, M.2 slots, often 10GbE, Quick Sync that actually works for Plex/Jellyfin, Docker and virtual machines that don’t make you cry. The DXP4800 Plus in particular has become the “sweet spot” for half the internet for a reason.

🆗GT (DXP2800 GT and DXP4800 GT): AMD Ryzen Embedded, 10GbE (even dual on the 4800), ECC support, and in some cases U.2. These are built for people who want network speed and reliability more than video transcoding. If you don’t do heavy streaming but move huge files all day, they’re excellent.

🆗Ultra (DXP6800 Ultra and DXP8800 Ultra): Here we stop joking. Newer and more powerful Intel Core processors, up to 96 GB of RAM, 6 or 8 bays, dual 10GbE + Thunderbolt 4. These are machines for studios and small businesses. If you’re still looking at the DH models after seeing these, there’s a problem.

🆗iDX (iDX6011 and iDX6011 Pro): The new “AI-native” models. Intel Core Ultra, lots of RAM, real local AI (not the fake marketing kind), 6 bays, dual 10GbE and Thunderbolt 4. If you want a NAS that doesn’t just store your files but understands them, organizes them, and actually helps you, these are on another level.

If your favorite YouTuber is selling you a DH like it’s the new Mac Pro, close the video. Not because the DH models are garbage (for simple backups and basic use they’re actually nice and quiet), but because they’re selling you the base model with the language of the top model. People keep coming to me complaining about exactly this: they bought the wrong machine because someone told them it was powerful. And now they’re stuck with a NAS that starts gasping for air the moment you ask it to do anything more than “copy this folder“.

⚓Want a UGREEN NAS?

Just photo and document backups? Fine, get a DH model.

Want to do real stuff (Docker, Plex with transcoding, VMs, speed, future expansion)? Skip the DH series and go for DXP / GT / Ultra / iDX.

And the next time you see a sponsored video praising a DH like it’s a DXP6800 Ultra, think of me. And laugh. Because, honestly, that’s the only healthy thing left to do.