UGREEN DH4300 Plus - impossible to boot into BIOS

[Enquiries]

Hello and thank you for all your excellent content!

I am a first time NAS-owner (UGREEN DH4300 Plus arrived today), but I wanted to let you know about a huge disappointment that might be worth mentioning to anyone considering buying this device.

It is not possible to boot this device into BIOS. This was confirmed by their support. I emailed them - their response is quoted below.

I bought UGREEN specifically because all reviews mentioned how easy it was to install TrueNAS. But since that is not possible, I will be trying to return the device for a refund.

Regards.
Robert

"Saki" from UGREEN Support said:
"Regarding your question, we’d like to clarify that the DH4300 Plus uses an ARM-based architecture.
ARM-based NAS devices do not have a BIOS/UEFI interface, so it is not possible to enter a BIOS screen using keys such as F2, F12, or Delete. This behavior is normal and expected for this model."

[ed]

Thanks for the heads up, and I’m really sorry you had to discover this the hard way. Your experience is absolutely valid, and it’s something a lot of new UGREEN buyers are only now realising: the DH4300 Plus is ARM based, and despite the desktop-style marketing, it behaves like a locked appliance rather than a small server. Without a BIOS or any form of boot override, you cannot install TrueNAS, Unraid or any other OS, and that removes one of the biggest reasons people choose UGREEN in the first place. UGREEN should make this clearer in their documentation because most users reasonably assume a Plus model with NVMe slots and upgradeable RAM would allow third party operating systems.

For your budget and your intention to run TrueNAS, the right move is to return it and go with a proper x86 NAS or a small server that gives you full boot control. The most comparable ready-to-use NAS would be the Synology DS425 Plus, which has an Intel CPU, upgradable memory and proper BIOS-level control. If you prefer more flexibility for TrueNAS or custom OS installs, a compact QNAP or even a small DIY box based on something like an ASRock Rack motherboard gives you the freedom UGREEN removed.

Here are the closest alternatives that actually support installing your own OS:

Synology DS425+
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Synology+DS42...=ncmail-20

QNAP TS-464
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=QNAP+TS-464&l...=ncmail-20

Mini PC TrueNAS build (Intel N100 or higher)
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Intel+N100+Mi...=ncmail-20

Th