Kingston NV3 2TB SSD Review: Reclaiming the Budget Throne
▼ Summary
– The Kingston NV3 2230 is an affordable M.2 2230 SSD designed for budget builds and devices like the Steam Deck, offering a wide capacity range from 500GB to 4TB.
– It uses variable hardware components, including controllers and flash memory that may change based on availability, which can affect consistency but generally meets performance specifications.
– The drive features PCIe 4.0 x4 interface with sequential read speeds up to 6,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 5,000 MB/s, and it comes with a five-year warranty for reliability.
– It is single-sided for better compatibility in compact systems and uses BiCS8 QLC flash, providing improved power efficiency and latency over previous versions.
– While not high-end, it delivers good value for cost-conscious users, though the 500GB model may be less ideal due to potential hardware variations and lower endurance.
The Kingston NV3 2TB SSD arrives as a compelling budget-friendly storage solution, especially for compact systems where space is at a premium. This M.2 2230 form factor drive delivers solid performance and wide availability at an accessible price point, making it a strong candidate for upgrades in devices like the Steam Deck or other small form factor PCs. Kingston continues its tradition of providing dependable storage without breaking the bank, though potential buyers should understand this drive prioritizes value over top-tier speed.
You essentially know what to expect with this model: an affordable and functional drive that gets the job done. The main caveat involves the internal components, which can vary since Kingston’s NV series often uses different controllers and flash memory based on supply. Our review sample featured a Silicon Motion SM2268XT2 controller paired with Kioxia 218-layer QLC NAND, which proved perfectly adequate for the drive’s intended use. The hardware is power-efficient, a critical advantage for the constrained thermal and power budgets of ultra-compact devices. While higher capacities may utilize newer memory, there’s always a chance older QLC could appear, which might affect performance at common capacity points.
It’s wise to remember the old saying: you get what you pay for. The Kingston NV3 2230 is fundamentally sound and inexpensive, but it isn’t a high-performance drive. If your priority is blazing speed, look elsewhere. However, for anyone seeking a reliable upgrade that offers an excellent experience without a hefty price tag, this drive deserves serious consideration. It likely equals or surpasses many lesser-known brands, and its range of available capacities lets you select the exact storage size you need. Additionally, the drive can be physically extended with an adapter to fit longer M.2 2242 or 2280 slots. Our sample demonstrated impressive power efficiency, so heat buildup shouldn’t be a major concern, though it’s worth noting that larger M.2 2280 drives naturally have more surface area for dissipating heat. In short, Kingston has successfully delivered another straightforward, budget-conscious storage option, now in a more compact package.
![Kingston NV3 2TB SSD close-up view]
Available in 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and a forthcoming 4TB model, the Kingston NV3 2230 stands out with its extensive capacity options. Current pricing sits at approximately $50 for the 500GB, $80 for the 1TB, and $140 for the 2TB version. These figures are competitive and align with expectations for the NV3 series. The drive achieves sequential read speeds up to 6,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 5,000 MB/s. Although random read and write IOPS aren’t officially specified, the hardware likely supports a ceiling around 1,000K IOPS.
While the core specifications mirror the full-length NV3 model, several differences are noteworthy. First, the 2230 version carries a five-year warranty compared to the three-year coverage on the 2280 model. This means the drive writes per day (DWPD) rating is actually lower here, though it still exceeds that of competitors like the Crucial P310 2230. Write endurance shouldn’t pose a problem for typical usage, but it’s helpful to be aware of this distinction. Another obvious difference is weight; the 2280 variant is noticeably heavier. Finally, the flash memory differs: the 2280 NV3 uses BiCS6 QLC, while the 2230 version we tested uses BiCS8 QLC, an upgrade we’ll explore further.
Kingston provides the Kingston SSD Manager, a standard toolbox application for monitoring drive health, checking properties, and updating firmware. The company also includes an OEM version of Acronis True Image for backing up, cloning, and restoring data. These two applications cover nearly all user needs for drive management, though they are designed specifically for the Windows operating system.
The 2TB Kingston NV3 is a single-sided drive, which is impressive for an M.2 form factor and greatly benefits compatibility. Devices like the Steam Deck work best with single-sided drives to ensure proper fit around motherboard components and EMI shielding. Systems that support longer M.2 sizes, 2242 up to 2280, can more easily accommodate higher capacities, since those boards have room for multiple NAND packages instead of just one.
This raises an interesting question regarding the planned 4TB model. Can it remain single-sided? Current consumer flash technology stacks up to 16 dies per package, which with 1Tb dies caps capacity at 2TB. While 32-stack technology exists, it isn’t practical for this type of device. Even 16-die packages can face challenges at higher speeds, as seen with some 1TB TLC-based 2230 drives. For a 4TB NV3, Kingston would need to either make it double-sided or utilize 2Tb dies. The latter is entirely possible, and we might even see 2Tb dies in lower capacities eventually. It will be fascinating to observe Kingston’s approach.
A closer look reveals the Silicon Motion SM2268XT2 controller and the single NAND flash package. The XT2 is quite similar to its predecessor, the main upgrade being support for flash speeds up to 3,600 MT/s compared to the XT’s 3,200 MT/s. Few drives currently use either controller variant, with the Kioxia BG6 being a notable example using the XT. This subtle improvement resembles Phison’s update from the E27T to E29T, which increased flash support. In practical terms, a four-channel PCIe 4.0 SSD controller can saturate the interface with just 2,400 MT/s, so higher I/O rates don’t always provide massive benefits, though they can enhance performance or efficiency in certain scenarios.
The BiCS8 QLC flash represents a clear upgrade over the BiCS6 QLC found in the standard NV3. The newer architecture offers better power efficiency and some of the best latency results we’ve observed. Drives like the SanDisk WD Blue SN5100 use this flash to deliver a TLC-like experience, making it ideal for an M.2 2230 drive. We also noted that the 1TB and 2TB models are slightly heavier than the 500GB version, possibly indicating denser flash packages or additional circuitry. This could point to the use of 2Tb dies now or in future production. It’s common for flash packages to maintain consistent size and weight regardless of actual die count, as manufacturers often use fillers or dummy dies for uniformity.
These technical details generally don’t impact end users directly. However, given the drive’s modest performance specifications and Kingston’s history of changing hardware in the NV series, we must caution that the components might not remain identical to our review sample. Any new hardware must still meet the published specifications, so even small variances could signal a change. Considering the relatively low TBW and even lower DWPD compared to the 2280 version, this drive will likely only feature QLC or lower-end TLC flash. A future 4TB model would probably be more standardized due to its specialized nature. Taking all factors into account, we recommend avoiding the 500GB SKU unless it is your only available option.
(Source: Tom’s Hardware)
