Two years ago, we reviewed the venerable Kingston NV2 PCIe M.2 NVMe SSD. We loved it. It’s affordable, fast, and more than enough for first time builders and console players. However, Kingston has again decided to update their mainstay SSD by releasing the NV3. In this review, we get to check if the Kingston NV3 M.2 NVMe SSD is something to look out for. Read this review to know more!
| Product Name |
Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
|
| Form Factor |
M.2 2280
|
| PCIe / NVMe |
PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe
|
| Capacity |
2TB (this review), also available in 5000GB, 1TB, 4TB capacities
|
| NAND |
3D
|
| Sequential Read/Write | 500GB – 5,000/3,00MB/s 1TB – 6,000/4,000MB/s 2TB – 4TB – 6,000/5,000MB/s |
| Endurance | 500GB – 160TB 1TB – 320TB 2TB – 640TB 4TB – 1280TB |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C~85°C |
| Operating Temperatures | 0°C~70°C |
| Dimension | 22mm x 80mm x 2.2mm |
| Weight | 7g (All capacities) |
| Vibration Operating | 2.17G Peak (7-800Hz) |
| Vibration Non-operating | 10G (10-1000Hz) |
| MTBF (Mean-Time Between Failures) | 2,000,000 hours |
| Warranty/Support | Limited 3-year warranty with free technical support |
The Kingston NV3 NVMe SSD used in this review is the 2TB version.
You can check your own drives using CrystalDiskInfo 8.
The following are the tools used to test and review the Kingston NV3 SSD. Click on them to download them and try them out on your own PC:
For those looking for a benchmark to compare scores, Anvil’s Storage Benchmark is the go to program. It runs the drive under different tests and displays the results in an easy to read table. Not only that, but it also outputs a number that can help in gauging the overall performance of the drive.
CrystalDiskMark is benchmark software that measures the transfer speed of media data storage drive such as HD, SSD, USB memory, SD card and NAS.
AS SSD’s Copy Benchmark simulates the drive’s performance when copying files. The ISO one simulates the transfer of 2 very large files. Program uses a lot of smaller files while Game uses a combination of both. While the benchmark is innately synthetic, it does show how the drive performs when it encounters file sizes similar to that of actual usage.
ATTO Disk Benchmark measures performance in hard drives, solid state drives, RAID arrays as well as the host connection to attached storage. It can be used to test any OEM RAID controller, storage controller, host adapter, hard drive or SSD drive.
A HDD/SSD utility software which supports a part of USB, Intel RAID and NVMe. It is very well-known when testing storage devices and is quite light. It can be used to test a variety of setups such as RAID and can even be used on external drives.
When it comes to building your first PC, the Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD is a good choice. Although you have the more affordable Kingston NV2 still in the market, the NV3 is undoubtedly faster in both read and write. Note that while the Kingston NV2 is enough (even the Kingston NV1), getting the Kingston NV3 might give you that added oomph when gaming, accessing larger files, or just an overall faster storage experience. Note that things may be a bit sluggish later down the line as the Kingston NV3’s lack of DRAM cache directly affects performance.
Although not explicitly mentioned, the Kingston NV3 is also a good option for expanding your laptop’s or your game console’s storage. When finding yourself troubled with almost reaching your laptop’s maximum capacity, the Kingston NV3 can give you that much needed expansion without you having to spend much.
With all things said, the Kingston NV3 PCIE 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD is a great choice for budget-conscious users. It is compatible with a good number of devices and you can also make it as either a main drive or as an expansion for your desktop PC. However, note that this PCIe SSD does not have a DRAM, making it a bit slower than competing products. But then again, you’re getting a large capacity with blazing SSD speeds at a price that’s incredibly tempting. Simply put, the Kingston NV3 SSD is definitely a product you should look out for.
The Kingston NV3 SSD is available in the Philippines. We checked the pricing via the official Shopee page and have found that the 2TB costs PhP 8,265 without any discount. The 1TB version costs around PhP 4,475 in Lazada. Expect the local prices to revolve around that.
You can buy it at your local PC store or buy it from the official Kingston flagship stores on either Lazada or Shopee. If you buy it online, make sure to take advantage of sales and events for huge discounts to get a better deal on the already well-priced Kingston NV3.
For more information about the Kingston NV3 M.2 SSD, check out the official product page.
