Quick Summary (TL;DR):
The UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Pro and DXP8800 Plus are much closer than their names suggest. Both current EU models use the same Intel Core i5-1235U with 10 cores/12 threads, ship with 8GB DDR5, support up to 64GB RAM, include a 128GB system SSD, two M.2 NVMe slots, dual 10GbE, PCIe x4 expansion, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, SD 4.0 and 8K HDMI. The real difference is storage: the DXP6800 Pro has six SATA bays, while the DXP8800 Plus has eight. That makes the DXP8800 Plus attractive when you want RAID 6 without sacrificing as much usable capacity, already expect a very large media or backup pool, or want to postpone replacing drives with larger capacities. The six-bay DXP6800 Pro is the better fit when six disks already provide plenty of long-term capacity, because buying and eventually replacing eight large NAS drives is a substantial extra cost. Do not pay for the DXP8800 Plus expecting a faster CPU or more RAM—it is primarily a capacity, RAID-efficiency and growth-headroom upgrade.
UGREEN DXP6800 Pro vs DXP8800 Plus at a Glance
| Feature | DXP6800 Pro | DXP8800 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-1235U | Intel Core i5-1235U |
| CPU | 10 cores / 12 threads | 10 cores / 12 threads |
| Max turbo | 4.4GHz | 4.4GHz |
| RAM | 8GB DDR5, max 64GB | 8GB DDR5, max 64GB |
| SATA bays | 6 | 8 |
| M.2 NVMe slots | 2 | 2 |
| System drive | 128GB SSD | 128GB SSD |
| RAID | JBOD / Basic / 0 / 1 / 5 / 6 / 10 | JBOD / Basic / 0 / 1 / 5 / 6 / 10 |
| Advertised max storage | 208TB including M.2 | 272TB including M.2 |
| Ethernet | 2 × 10GbE | 2 × 10GbE |
| PCIe expansion | 1 × PCIe x4 | 1 × PCIe Gen4 x4 |
| Thunderbolt 4 | 2 ports | 2 ports |
| HDMI | 8K | 8K |
| Dimensions | 293 × 258 × 200mm | 360 × 258 × 189mm |
| UGREEN drive-access power figure | 43.07W | 70.39W |
| Best fit | High-capacity six-bay home/server NAS | Very large pool or RAID 6 growth |
The CPU, memory and network platform are essentially the same. You are therefore choosing how many hard drives the NAS should accommodate over its useful life.
Same CPU: Intel Core i5-1235U
Both models use Intel’s 12th-generation Core i5-1235U.
- 10 total CPU cores.
- 2 performance cores.
- 8 efficiency cores.
- 12 threads.
- 4.4GHz maximum turbo frequency.
- 12MB Intel Smart Cache.
- 15W processor base power.
- 55W maximum turbo power.
- Intel Quick Sync Video.
- 80 graphics execution units.
That means Docker, VM, media and indexing performance should not be separated simply by the DXP6800 Pro and DXP8800 Plus model names. Any performance difference caused by chassis cooling, firmware or storage configuration is a separate issue from the processor specification.
The DXP8800 Plus Is Not the Faster Compute Model
This is the most important buying point.
Moving from DXP6800 Pro to DXP8800 Plus does not give you:
- More CPU cores.
- Higher CPU clock speed.
- More included RAM.
- A higher RAM ceiling.
- More M.2 slots.
- Faster Ethernet.
- More Thunderbolt ports.
If your DXP6800 Pro would be limited by CPU or memory rather than storage capacity, buying the DXP8800 Plus would not solve that limitation.
Six Bays vs Eight Bays Is the Real Decision
The DXP6800 Pro has six SATA bays. The DXP8800 Plus has eight.
Two bays may not sound dramatic, but they change both maximum capacity and the economics of redundant arrays.
DXP6800 Pro
6 SATA drives
+ 2 M.2 NVMe
DXP8800 Plus
8 SATA drives
+ 2 M.2 NVMeUGREEN currently calculates its maximum storage figures using up to 32TB per SATA bay plus up to 8TB per M.2 slot:
- DXP6800 Pro: 6 × 32TB + 2 × 8TB = 208TB advertised maximum.
- DXP8800 Plus: 8 × 32TB + 2 × 8TB = 272TB advertised maximum.
Those are maximum raw/device figures, not the usable capacity you will see after RAID, filesystem overhead and formatted-capacity differences.
RAID 6 Is Where Eight Bays Start to Make Sense
For large arrays, RAID 6 is attractive because it can tolerate two drive failures.
With equal-sized drives, the simple capacity formula is:
RAID 6 usable capacity
≈ (number of drives - 2) × drive capacityUsing 12TB drives:
| Array | Raw capacity | Approx. RAID 6 usable before overhead |
|---|---|---|
| 6 × 12TB | 72TB | 48TB |
| 8 × 12TB | 96TB | 72TB |
Two additional 12TB drives therefore add about 24TB of usable RAID 6 capacity rather than being consumed by additional parity.
RAID 6 Capacity with 16TB Drives
| Array | Raw capacity | Approx. RAID 6 usable before overhead |
|---|---|---|
| 6 × 16TB | 96TB | 64TB |
| 8 × 16TB | 128TB | 96TB |
At this point the DXP8800 Plus is providing another 32TB of usable protected capacity simply because the two parity drives represent a smaller proportion of the total array.
RAID 6 Capacity with 20TB Drives
| Array | Raw capacity | Approx. RAID 6 usable before overhead |
|---|---|---|
| 6 × 20TB | 120TB | 80TB |
| 8 × 20TB | 160TB | 120TB |
This is the type of workload where an eight-bay chassis stops looking excessive. If you already need around 80–100TB of usable protected storage, six bays can force you toward very large individual drives much sooner.
The Extra Bays Can Let You Buy Smaller Drives
Suppose your target is roughly 70TB of usable RAID 6 capacity.
With six bays, you would need something around:
6 drives - 2 parity = 4 data drives
70TB / 4
≈ 17.5TB per driveThat pushes you toward 18TB or 20TB-class disks.
With eight bays:
8 drives - 2 parity = 6 data drives
70TB / 6
≈ 11.7TB per driveSix 12TB-class data positions plus two parity positions can reach the same broad target using smaller individual disks.
That does not automatically make the eight-bay build cheaper. You are buying more drives. The correct comparison is current cost per usable terabyte, which we cover separately in 8TB vs 12TB vs 16TB vs 20TB NAS Drives: Cost per Usable Terabyte.
Do You Need to Fill Every Bay Immediately?
No—but your RAID strategy matters.
You can buy the larger chassis and begin with fewer drives where UGOS Pro supports the intended storage-pool layout and later expansion path.
However, do not plan a multi-year expansion based on assumptions such as “I will just add one drive every year”. Verify that the RAID type and UGOS Pro version support the exact migration or expansion you expect.
Both Models Have the Same Two M.2 Slots
The eight-bay model does not give you additional NVMe positions.
Both systems have two M.2 SSD slots, useful for workloads such as:
- Application storage.
- Docker databases.
- VM disks.
- Photo metadata.
- SSD cache where appropriate.
If you need more than two NVMe drives, the DXP8800 Plus is not automatically the right answer just because it has more SATA bays.
Both Have Dual 10GbE
UGREEN gives both models two 10GbE RJ45 ports.
This is a strong configuration for large arrays because multiple hard drives can easily produce more aggregate throughput than a single 1GbE or 2.5GbE link can carry.
Dual 10GbE can be useful for:
- Separate client/server networks.
- Redundancy.
- Link aggregation where the full network stack supports it.
- Serving several high-speed clients.
- Creator workstations.
- Large backup targets.
Do not assume bonding two 10GbE ports gives one workstation a 20Gbps SMB transfer. Link aggregation normally improves aggregate or multi-flow bandwidth rather than automatically doubling one ordinary connection.
Thunderbolt 4 Is Also the Same
Both systems include two Thunderbolt 4 ports rated up to 40Gbps.
UGREEN targets these higher-end NAS models at creators and professional workflows, where fast direct connectivity and peripheral expansion can matter.
The DXP8800 Plus does not add more Thunderbolt ports, so this is not a reason to choose eight bays over six.
PCIe Expansion Is Available on Both
Both models provide a PCIe x4 expansion path. UGREEN explicitly lists PCIe Gen4 x4 on the current DXP8800 Plus specification.
That adds flexibility for supported expansion hardware, but check UGREEN’s current compatibility documentation before purchasing a PCIe card. A physical x4 slot does not guarantee support for every network, storage or accelerator device.
Docker and Virtual Machines Perform on the Same CPU
Both run UGOS Pro and UGREEN currently promotes Docker and virtual-machine workloads on the platform.
Because both use the i5-1235U and the same 64GB memory ceiling, the DXP8800 Plus does not inherently support a larger VM estate just because it has two more HDD bays.
Same compute platform:
i5-1235U
8GB DDR5 included
64GB maximum
2 × M.2
UGOS Pro
Docker + VMsThe eight-bay model helps if those applications need more bulk storage, not more CPU.
Plex and Jellyfin Are Also Basically a Tie
Both use the same Intel i5-1235U with the same Intel integrated graphics and Quick Sync Video support.
The DXP8800 Plus therefore does not buy stronger hardware transcoding capability in itself.
It can store a larger media library because it has two more SATA bays, which may be much more important for a serious Plex/Jellyfin collection.
Eight Bays Make More Sense for Large Media Libraries
Media libraries are a classic capacity-growth workload.
- 4K remux files can consume tens of gigabytes each.
- Family video archives grow continuously.
- Lossless music libraries can become substantial.
- Multiple backup copies may sit beside the media itself.
If your media pool is already tens of terabytes and still growing, the DXP8800 Plus can postpone the point where every existing drive has to be replaced with a higher-capacity model.
Six Bays Are Already a Lot of Storage for Most Homes
Do not underestimate six large drives.
With six 16TB drives:
- RAID 5 is roughly 80TB usable before overhead.
- RAID 6 is roughly 64TB usable before overhead.
- RAID 10 is roughly 48TB usable before overhead.
For many households, 64TB of RAID 6-protected usable capacity is already far beyond the realistic requirement.
Buying the DXP8800 Plus only because it is “more future-proof” can mean paying for two bays that remain empty indefinitely.
The Eight-Bay Model Has a Larger Physical Footprint
UGREEN currently lists:
- DXP6800 Pro: 293 × 258 × 200mm.
- DXP8800 Plus: 360 × 258 × 189mm.
The eight-bay chassis is substantially longer. Check shelf depth, cable clearance and ventilation before buying it for a cabinet or home office.
Power Consumption: Eight Drives Have a Cost
UGREEN publishes different system-level test figures for the two models:
- DXP6800 Pro: 43.07W drive access, 24.91W drive hibernation.
- DXP8800 Plus: 70.39W drive access, 28.99W drive hibernation.
These are UGREEN’s test results and depend on its specified drive/test configuration, so they should not be treated as your guaranteed wall-power consumption.
The broader principle remains: a fully populated eight-drive NAS generally consumes more power than a six-drive system using comparable disks.
Noise and Vibration Also Scale with Drive Count
The CPU fan is only part of NAS noise. Mechanical hard drives contribute:
- Spindle noise.
- Seek noise.
- Vibration.
- Resonance through the chassis and furniture.
Eight enterprise/NAS drives seeking simultaneously can be noticeably louder than six. If the NAS will sit in a living room or desk area, this is more relevant than the extra bay count on a specification sheet.
Eight Drives Also Mean a Larger Replacement Budget
The enclosure price is only the beginning.
When comparing six and eight bays, calculate:
- Initial drive set.
- Future replacement drives.
- Spare drive strategy.
- UPS capacity.
- 10GbE switching.
- External or off-site backup capacity.
Two extra 20TB-class drives can cost more than the price difference between the NAS enclosures themselves.
Backup Cost Becomes Serious at This Capacity
An eight-bay RAID 6 array with 20TB drives can provide around 120TB of usable capacity before filesystem overhead.
Backing up 120TB is not a casual USB-drive problem.
You may need:
- A second large NAS.
- Multiple offline drives.
- Selective off-site backup.
- Tiered backup where irreplaceable data is protected more heavily than replaceable media.
The larger the primary array, the more important it is to plan backup cost before filling the NAS.
When the DXP6800 Pro Is the Better Buy
- Six bays already cover your five-year storage estimate.
- You want RAID 6 but 40–80TB usable is enough with realistic drive sizes.
- You want the i5-1235U, dual 10GbE and Thunderbolt 4 platform without buying eight drives.
- You want lower physical size and potentially lower total drive power.
- You would rather spend the difference on larger disks, backup storage or a UPS.
When the DXP8800 Plus Is Worth It
- You already expect more than roughly 60–80TB usable protected storage.
- Your media/photo/video library is growing quickly.
- You want RAID 6 while preserving better capacity efficiency.
- You want to use smaller individual disks to reach a large total capacity.
- You want two spare SATA positions for future expansion.
- You want to postpone replacing an entire drive set with larger disks.
When Neither Is the Right NAS
Even eight bays may be the wrong architecture if you need:
- Much more than 100TB of usable protected capacity with generous growth.
- More than 64GB RAM.
- More CPU than an i5-1235U.
- Several discrete expansion cards.
- Enterprise redundancy features beyond a prosumer NAS.
At that point, compare larger NAS systems or a DIY rack/home-server architecture rather than automatically buying the largest desktop NAS in the same family.
A Practical Buying Matrix
| Your requirement | Better fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ~50TB usable with RAID 6 | DXP6800 Pro | Six bays already provide ample room with mainstream large drives |
| 60–100TB+ usable with RAID 6 | DXP8800 Plus | Eight bays improve capacity efficiency |
| Docker / VMs only | Tie | Same CPU, RAM ceiling and UGOS Pro platform |
| Plex/Jellyfin compute | Tie | Same i5-1235U and iGPU |
| Largest media library | DXP8800 Plus | Two additional SATA bays |
| Lower drive count, lower complete-system cost | DXP6800 Pro | Two fewer drive positions to populate |
| Need more than 64GB RAM | Neither | Both top out at 64GB |
UGREEN DXP6800 Pro vs DXP8800 Plus: The Bottom Line
The DXP6800 Pro is the better value for most high-capacity home users. Six SATA bays, two NVMe slots, an i5-1235U, dual 10GbE, Thunderbolt 4 and 64GB RAM support already put it well beyond the needs of a typical family NAS.
The DXP8800 Plus is for buyers who can justify the extra two bays with real capacity requirements. Its advantage is not faster compute—it is that RAID 6 becomes much more capacity-efficient and the storage pool can grow further before you have to replace existing disks.
If six 16TB drives in RAID 6—roughly 64TB usable before overhead—already cover your realistic future, the eight-bay model is difficult to justify. If you are heading toward 80TB, 100TB or more of usable protected storage, the two extra bays can save you from repeatedly buying the largest possible drives.
The right question is therefore not “Which one is more powerful?” They use the same compute platform. The useful question is: how much protected capacity will I realistically need, and what will it cost to buy, power, replace and back up that many drives?
Continue the NAS Buying Series
- 2-Bay vs 4-Bay vs 6-Bay NAS: Which Size Should You Buy?
- Best 6-Bay and 8-Bay NAS for a Growing Home Lab
- 8TB vs 12TB vs 16TB vs 20TB NAS Drives: Cost per Usable Terabyte