Last year, we took a close look at the Kingston NV2, a PCIe 4.0 SSD that quickly became a favorite among budget-conscious users. It offered impressive performance at a remarkably affordable price point.
Now, Kingston is back with the NV3, a new and improved version that aims to build upon the success of its predecessor.
On paper, the NV3 boasts faster speeds while maintaining a similar price tag as the NV2. This combination of performance and affordability makes it a compelling option for those seeking to upgrade their storage without breaking the bank. Let’s put the NV3 to the test and see if it can deliver on its promises.
Kingston NV3 Overview
The Kingston NV3 maintains a simple and straightforward design. The drive itself is unadorned, with only the SSD and a sticker visible. The minimalist approach is likely due to its doesn’t produce much heat so no heat sink is required.
Underneath the sticker, Kingston arranged the controller and NAND chips neatly on one side of the PCB. This design makes it easier to dissipate heat with a single piece of heatsink if necessary.
Controller
The Kingston NV3 takes advantage of the new SiliconMotion SM2268XT2 controller. This controller is designed for PCIe Gen 4 SSDs and offers impressive performance capabilities. It features a DRAM-less design, which helps to reduce costs and improve power efficiency
The SM2268XT2 supports 16GT/s x4 lanes of bandwidth, providing ample data transfer speeds. Additionally, it has four NAND flash channels that can handle data rates up to 3,600 MT/s per channel. This flexibility allows the controller to adapt to future advancements in NAND flash technology.
NAND
The Kingston NV3 uses the FP01T08UCT1-6B. This NAND chip appears to be exclusive to the NV3 so far, with no other SSD using the same chip.
Each NAND flash chip in the NV3 has a capacity of 1 TB. Our 2 TB review unit, therefore, contains two of these NAND chips.
Specification
| NV3 | NV3 | NV3 | |
| Capacity | 500GB | 1TB | 2TB /4TB |
| Sequential Read | 5000MB/S | 6000MB/S | 6000MB/S |
| Sequential Write | 3000MB/S | 4000MB/S | 5000MB/S |
| Endurance | 160TB | 320TB | 2TB – 640TB 4TB – 1280TB |
| Controller | ? | ? | SM2268XT2 |
| NAND Flash | ? | ? | FP01T08UCT1-6B |
| Warranty | 3-year limited warranty | 3-year limited warranty | 3-year limited warranty |
Test System
| Category | Model |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 3.9 GHz 6-Core |
| CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 620S |
| Motherboard | AORUS X870 ELITE WIFI7 |
| RAM | Kingston FURY Beast RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory |
| NVME | Kingston NV3 2 TB M.2-2280 |
| GPU | – |
Performance
The Kingston NV3 delivers exceptional performance, particularly in sequential read/write operations. It achieves sequential read speeds of up to 6200 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 5700 MB/s. While its random-access performance is not as high as its sequential performance, it is still suitable for most everyday tasks and gaming.
For example, the NV3 achieves random read speeds of 903.88 MB/s and random write speeds of 638.99 MB/s. Overall, the NV3’s performance metrics demonstrate that it is a capable SSD that its price brackets.
Kingston NV3 Conclusion
The Kingston NV3 is a compelling PCIe 4.0 SSD that delivers impressive performance at an affordable price point. Its combination of fast sequential read/write speeds, decent random access performance, and reliable design makes it an excellent choice for users seeking to upgrade their storage without breaking the bank.
In terms of performance, we’re particularly impressed by how close the NV3’s speeds come to the theoretical maximum of PCIe 4.0. This demonstrates its efficient utilization of the PCIe bus and its powerful controller.
While the NV3 may cost slightly more than its predecessor, the NV2, the performance gains it offers are substantial. For a relatively small price difference, you’re getting nearly double the performance. Considering the official Shopee store price is RM797 for the NV3, the NV3 offers exceptional value for money.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly PCIe 4.0 SSD that can handle demanding workloads without compromising on performance, the Kingston NV3 is definitely worth considering. With that, we award the Kingston KV3 with our Gold Award.
Help us!
So here you go, our review of Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive. If you agree with us and want to pick one up, do consider purchasing via the link below. The affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra, but will be a great help to keep our lights on here at HelloExpress.
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