UGREEN launches Kickstarter campaign for the NASync line of network-attached-storage systems with 12th-gen Intel chips

PC and mobile accessory maker UGREEN is entering the network-attached storage (NAS) space in a big way. The company’s new NASync line of products includes six different models at launch, including systems with support for up to 8 hard drives.

First unveiled earlier this year, these NAS systems are basically small, purpose-built computers designed for storage and file serving duties. And while UGREEN is new to this space, these systems have some features that make them look pretty competitive. But the biggest selling point right now might be that UGREEN is offering steep discounts to folks who back a the UGREEN NASync Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign which kicks off today.

For example, starting prices ranging from $239 to $899 during crowdfunding. But retail prices will range from $400 to $1500.

You’ll have to wait until June or later to actually receive your UGREEN NASync system though, as that’s the estimated delivery date.

A few other features that helps UGREEN’s NAS systems stand out from the latest Synology, QNAP, Asustor, and Terramaster solution is that all of UGREEN’s systems ship with 8GB of user upgradeable DDR5-4800 memory and they all feature 12th-gen Intel processors, although which processor varies from model to model.

The entry-level 2-bay and 4-bay DXP2800 and DXP4800 systems, for example, have Intel Processor N100 chips based on Alder Lake-N architecture, which means they have four Efficiency cores and no Performance cores. The DXP4800 Plus has an Intel Pentium Gold 8505 chip with one Performance core and four Efficiency cores. And the other models in the series have Core i5-1235U chips with two Performance cores and eight Efficiency cores.

All models also have 2.5 GbE or faster LAN connections (some models have 10 GbE SFP+

Another attractive feature? Every model in the series has at least two M.2 slots for solid state drives that can be used as cache or primary storage. In fact, the DXP480T Plus is a compact, quiet model that has four M.2 slots and no support for hard drives. Ian is currently working on a review of that model and we’ll share more details once he’s had time to finish testing it and writing up his observations.

But there’s at least one more thing to keep in mind before backing the NASync crowdfunding campaign: software can make or break a NAS, and UGREEN is brand new to this space, while competitors have been refining (and securing) their software solutions for years. And if you were hoping to simply replace the default software with an open source, third-party solution like TrueNAS CORE or OpenMediaVault, it’s worth keeping in mind that while that may be possible, it’s not officially supported.