TerraMaster F4-424 vs UGREEN NASync DXP4800
Buy the TerraMaster F4-424 for the most hardware per dollar and a 32GB RAM ceiling, and the UGREEN DXP4800 for the same value formula with two NVMe slots. These two are closer than any other pair on this site: both have a current Intel N-series CPU with an integrated GPU for hardware transcoding, both ship 8GB of DDR5 and dual 2.5GbE, both run a young bundled OS, and both openly support running TrueNAS instead. The differences that decide it: the F4-424's memory goes to 32GB against the DXP4800's 16GB, and TerraMaster's TRAID handles mixed drive sizes where UGOS Pro offers standard RAID levels; the DXP4800 answers with two M.2 NVMe slots and an HDMI port, where the F4-424's NVMe provision varies by revision. Our data lists the F4-424 as value / mid tier and the DXP4800 as mid tier, enclosure only.
The mistake this comparison exists to prevent: choosing on the bundled operating system. TOS is less mature and less polished than DSM, and UGOS Pro's long-term support and security history is still being written. The main appeal of both boxes for many buyers is as capable hardware to run TrueNAS or Unraid on, so decide which hardware you will still want in five years and treat the stock OS as a starting point, not the reason to buy.
Side by side
| Feature | TerraMaster F4-424 | UGREEN NASync DXP4800 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel N95 quad-core | Intel N100 quad-core |
| Hardware transcoding | Yes, hardware transcoding | Yes, hardware transcoding |
| Memory | 8GB DDR5, to 32GB (non-ECC) | 8GB DDR5, to 16GB (non-ECC) |
| Networking | 2× 2.5GbE built in | 2× 2.5GbE built in |
| NVMe slots | Varies by revision (check the current spec sheet) | 2× M.2 NVMe |
| Flexible RAID | TRAID (mixed-size, single or dual redundancy) | Standard RAID levels |
| Operating system | TOS 6; TrueNAS / Unraid openly documented | UGOS Pro (launched 2024); third-party OS supported |
| Price band | Value / mid tier (enclosure only) | Mid tier (enclosure only) |
Transcoding: a draw, and that is the point
One spec decides a Plex/Jellyfin NAS: an Intel iGPU with Quick Sync for hardware transcoding. The F4-424's Intel N95 and the DXP4800's Intel N100 both have it, which is why both sit near the top of our best NAS for a home media server ranking and why neither carries the Synology DS923+'s no-iGPU caveat. If every device direct-plays, any NAS works; the moment a remote viewer or mismatched device forces a transcode, either of these does the work in hardware.
Both also use the newest, most efficient silicon on the site. A current Intel N100 or N95 idles meaningfully lower and does more per watt than the older Celeron J-series in entry Synology boxes, which matters for a box that runs 24×7; see NAS power consumption.
RAM ceiling: the F4-424's real advantage
RAM upgradeability varies sharply by model class and is worth checking before you buy. Entry Synology units (like the DS224+) often have a small amount soldered plus one SODIMM slot with a modest official maximum (e.g. 6GB). Mid boxes (QNAP TS-x64, TerraMaster, UGREEN) typically take a single DDR4/DDR5 SODIMM up to 16GB, and prosumer boxes like the DS923+ reach 32GB of ECC. More RAM mainly helps caching, many simultaneous apps, containers, and VMs — not raw single-user file speed. Match RAM to how many services you'll run, and confirm the official maximum (unofficial higher configs sometimes work but aren't guaranteed). The F4-424 breaks the mid-box pattern: it ships with 8GB of DDR5 and is expandable to 32GB, the same ceiling as the prosumer DS923+ (though not ECC). The DXP4800 ships with the same 8GB of DDR5 but tops out at 16GB. Either is comfortable for Plex plus several containers; Whether a NAS can run Docker containers and virtual machines is set mostly by its CPU class and RAM, not the marketing. The Intel Celeron/N-series and low-power AMD chips in these boxes handle a handful of lightweight Docker containers (Pi-hole, a *arr stack, small databases) comfortably with 4–8GB RAM; running full virtual machines, or many heavy containers at once, wants a stronger CPU and 8–16GB+. ARM-based budget NAS units and some entry models don't support VMs or full container platforms at all. If self-hosting is your goal, prioritize an x86 (Intel/AMD) NAS with expandable RAM. If VMs or a heavy container stack are on the roadmap, the F4-424 is the one with headroom. See how much RAM a NAS needs and the Docker and VM guide.
NVMe, flexible RAID and drive freedom
The DXP4800 carries two M.2 NVMe slots alongside its four bays, which is what makes a capacity-plus-flash build straightforward. The F4-424's NVMe provision varies by revision, so confirm the current spec sheet before you count on cache or an NVMe pool. Our NVMe cache explained guide covers what cache actually speeds up.
On the array side the TerraMaster has an answer the UGREEN does not. TerraMaster's TRAID similarly targets the mixed-size flexibility Synology's SHR is known for, with single- or dual-drive redundancy (verify current details in TerraMaster's documentation). UGOS Pro, as a young OS, offers standard RAID levels, which generally treat every drive as the size of the smallest one. See SHR vs classic RAID. If you install TrueNAS on either box, ZFS handles mixed drives in its own, quite different way, so plan the pool layout up front rather than counting on filling bays later.
Neither has a drive-lock policy: TerraMaster and UGREEN accept standard third-party NAS drives such as WD Red Plus and Seagate IronWolf, which is one reason many buyers now look here instead of Synology's Plus line. See Synology drive compatibility explained for the policy they are avoiding.
Networking
A draw. Both ship two 2.5GbE ports, so you get faster-than-gigabit transfers with nothing more than a 2.5GbE switch and a Cat6 cable. 2.5GbE matters because 1GbE is the real bottleneck in most NAS setups. A 1GbE link tops out around 110–118MB/s of actual throughput — and a single modern hard drive already reads at roughly 180–280MB/s sequentially, so on gigabit you're leaving half the drive's speed on the table, and a RAID array or NVMe cache is throttled even harder. 2.5GbE lifts the ceiling to ~280MB/s, roughly matching one fast HDD and dramatically improving large-file transfers. It's the single most worthwhile 'speed' upgrade for home NAS; 10GbE only pays off with NVMe pools or many-drive arrays. See 2.5GbE vs 1GbE for whether that speed difference will actually show up in your workflow.
Software: two young operating systems, one shared escape hatch
TerraMaster's own TOS software is less mature and less polished than Synology DSM, with a smaller app catalog, and the brand has had past security-hardening criticism; keep it off the open internet. UGREEN's NASync line and UGOS Pro launched via crowdfunding in 2024, so the OS is still maturing and its long-term update and security track record is unproven versus Synology or QNAP.
The shared escape hatch is that both vendors openly support installing a third-party OS. TerraMaster documents installing TrueNAS or Unraid on the F4-424, and many buyers treat UGREEN's NASync units primarily as good N100 hardware for TrueNAS. You get a proven, community-supported OS and ZFS on your terms, at the cost of doing your own integration and updates. Read DIY TrueNAS vs Synology before you decide, because that is really the choice you are making with either of these.
Power draw
TerraMaster publishes 13.0W in hibernation and 33.0W under read/write for the F4-424, fully loaded with Seagate ST4000VN008 drives, per its specification page. UGREEN publishes no figure for the non-Plus DXP4800, so the NAS Power Cost Index deliberately omits it; we do not invent numbers.
What to watch out for on each
TerraMaster: the software and the security history. TOS is less mature than DSM with a smaller app catalog, and the brand has had past security-hardening criticism. Keep it behind your router and patch it, or plan on TrueNAS or Unraid from day one, which is what the box is best at.
UGREEN: the track record. UGOS Pro is young and its long-term support and security history is still being written, so weigh that against the hardware value, and consider TrueNAS if you want a proven, community-supported OS on it. Its 16GB memory ceiling is also the lower of the two.
Both: the drives. Each ships as an empty enclosure. Use CMR NAS-rated drives, never SMR in an array; see CMR vs SMR. And at every bay count, RAID is not a backup.
Verdict
Choose the TerraMaster F4-424 if you want flat-out the most hardware for the money, a 32GB RAM ceiling, TRAID for mixed drives, and a long-term platform you can move to TrueNAS or Unraid. It is our favorite budget 4-bay to buy as a platform, not just an appliance.
Choose the UGREEN NASync DXP4800 if two M.2 NVMe slots for a capacity-plus-flash build matter more than the RAM ceiling, you want an HDMI port, and you are comfortable with a newer software ecosystem or plan to run TrueNAS. It is the modern 4-bay for buyers who are not wedded to DSM.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buy the TerraMaster F4-424 if you want the most raw hardware per dollar and a long-term platform: a current Intel N95, 8GB of DDR5 expandable to 32GB, dual 2.5GbE, and TerraMaster openly documents installing TrueNAS or Unraid if you outgrow its own OS. Buy the UGREEN NASync DXP4800 if you want the same value formula with two M.2 NVMe slots for a capacity-plus-flash build and an HDMI port, and you are comfortable with a newer software ecosystem or plan to run TrueNAS. The price bands differ slightly: our data lists the F4-424 as value / mid tier and the DXP4800 as mid tier, enclosure only.
Both. The F4-424's Intel N95 and the DXP4800's Intel N100 each include integrated graphics that handle hardware transcoding, which is the one spec that decides a media-server NAS. Both also ship dual 2.5GbE. Streaming never saturates even 1GbE, so buy 2.5GbE for library loading, not playback.
The F4-424 ships with 8GB of DDR5 expandable to 32GB. The DXP4800 ships with 8GB of DDR5 expandable to 16GB. Both are comfortable for Plex plus several containers out of the box; the F4-424's 32GB ceiling is the one with headroom if the stack grows into VMs or many heavy containers. Confirm the official maximum before buying memory, because unofficial higher configs sometimes work but are not guaranteed.
Neither is the reason to buy these boxes. TerraMaster's TOS is less mature and less polished than Synology DSM, with a smaller app catalog, and the brand has had past security-hardening criticism. UGREEN's NASync line and UGOS Pro launched via crowdfunding in 2024, so the OS is still maturing and its long-term update and security track record is unproven versus Synology or QNAP. The main appeal of both for many buyers is as capable hardware to run TrueNAS or Unraid on, and both vendors openly support that.
The TerraMaster. Its TRAID is a flexible-array system that similarly aims to use mixed-size drives efficiently and support single- or dual-drive redundancy, in the way Synology's SHR does; check TerraMaster's current documentation for exact behavior. UGREEN's UGOS Pro, as a young OS, offers standard RAID levels, which generally treat every drive as the size of the smallest one. If you run TrueNAS on either, ZFS handles mixed drives in its own, quite different way and pool layout should be planned up front.
No. TerraMaster and UGREEN, like QNAP and Asustor, accept standard third-party NAS drives such as WD Red Plus and Seagate IronWolf without a vendor-lock policy. That drive freedom is one of the reasons many buyers now look at these brands instead of Synology's Plus line. Use CMR NAS-rated drives in either, never SMR in an array.