Choosing a diskless NAS: drives, network speed and backup

Separate bays, installed drives and usable storage

Drive bays describe where drives can be installed. They do not establish the storage included in a diskless offer. The UGREEN DXP4800 Plus specification, for example, lists a 128 GB system SSD as well as four SATA bays. That system disk is not a set of data drives for your files.

Estimate your files today and the space you expect to add. Then calculate capacity using the intended drives and storage layout. In QNAP's RAID 1 description, two drives hold matching copies. Two equal 8 TB drives therefore provide roughly one drive's nominal capacity before system and filesystem overhead. Other supported layouts have different capacity and failure-tolerance rules.

Choose bays and memory for the workload

The ASUSTOR Drivestor 2 Pro Gen2 has two SATA bays, the Synology DS425+ has four, and the UGREEN DXP6800 Pro has six. Choose a drive layout that supports today's files and your expected growth. Budget for the disks and backup as well as any unused bays.

Check memory before choosing applications. The Drivestor's 2 GB is fixed. The DS223j ships with 1 GB, but the cited documents do not establish an upgrade path. The Lockerstor 4 Gen3 AS6804T ships with 16 GB ECC DDR5 and supports up to 64 GB. ASUSTOR warns that adding non-ECC memory disables ECC. UGREEN's DDR5 on-die ECC description does not establish the same system-level protection.

Expansion options can share physical space. On the AS6804T, installing the optional network card requires removing the M.2 daughterboard. Its two factory 10GbE and two 5GbE ports are already present; check whether you need the optional card before giving up the four M.2 positions.

Plan the backup destination at the same time

Drive redundancy can help with certain drive failures. You still need a recoverable copy outside that storage group. Synology's backup guidance describes keeping three copies across two types of media, with one offsite. A second copy beside the NAS shares risks such as theft or a building fire.

Decide which files need version history, how often to back them up and where that copy will live. Check that the NAS software supports your chosen destination and computer systems. Include a restore check in your setup plan: select a few files and confirm that you can recover them.

Check the complete network path

The DXP4800 Plus has one 10GbE port and one 2.5GbE port. To use a faster connection, the computer, any intervening switch and the cabling must support it. Drive performance and the workload also affect transfers. We have not measured file-copy speeds for these enclosures.

Two ports do not automatically combine for one transfer. QNAP's SMB Multichannel guidance specifies client, operating-system and network-interface requirements. If you want that feature, verify the complete supported setup before budgeting for adapters or a switch.

Verify the hardware revision and drive rules

The TS-264-8G hardware sheet dates its SODIMM memory configuration to January 2024 onward. A seller's broad TS-264-8G label does not, by itself, confirm which revision will ship. Ask the seller to identify it when memory upgrades affect your choice.

Drive compatibility also changes with software. Synology's DSM 7.3 announcement broadened third-party drive use on its 2025 Plus, Value and J models. The DS925+ specification still places specific compatibility requirements on M.2 SSDs, including Synology-verified SSDs for M.2 storage pools. Check the current list for the exact drive, intended use and installed DSM version.

Price the complete setup

1. Confirm the exact enclosure and its diskless seller selection.
2. Add compatible data drives and calculate the intended usable capacity.
3. Check the applications, client support and any licenses needed for your tasks.
4. Include the backup destination and any required network equipment.
5. Check the current seller's warranty, returns and package contents.

The NAS comparison keeps bays, included memory, expansion limits and network ports in separate rows. Use the source notes to follow revision and compatibility qualifications.