Kingston NV3 1TB
Score: 81/100
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB
Score: 70/100Rankings
The Kingston NV3 1TB M.2 SSD delivers PCIe 4.0 speeds at a budget-friendly price, using a DRAM-less architecture that keeps power low and size minimal. While it offers impressive sequential performance, its consistency and long-term reliability may lag behind higher-end models.
The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1 TB is a high-performance PCIe 4.0 SSD that also supports PCIe 5.0 x2, offering flagship-class sequential speeds and strong random performance while remaining power-efficient, but it lacks onboard DRAM and includes a minimal accessories package.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
1,000 GBbest | 1,000 GBbest | |
6,000 MB/s | 7,150 MB/sbest | |
4,000 MB/s | 6,300 MB/sbest | |
— | 850,000 IOPSbest | |
— | 1,350,000 IOPSbest | |
320 TBW | 600 TBWbest | |
3 years | 5 yearsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | — | 4.3 Wbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Performance(2) | ||
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 6000 MB/s | 7150 MB/s |
Sequential Write Speed (MB/s) | 4000 MB/s | 6300 MB/s |
Storage(4) | ||
NAND Type | 3D NAND | TLC |
Endurance (TBW) (TBW) | 320 TBW | 600 TBW |
Warranty Period (years) | 3 years | 5 years |
MTBF (hours) | 2000000 hours | 1500000 hours |
Design & Build(2) | ||
Weight (g) | 6.57 g | 9 g |
Thickness (mm) | 2.3 mm | 2.54 mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers view the Kingston NV3 as a budget-friendly PCIe 4.0 SSD that delivers a noticeable speed uplift over older drives, praising its price-to-performance ratio and suitability for mainstream users, but caution that the DRAM-less design can lead to inconsistent performance and reliability may not match higher-end competitors.
Everyday users generally appreciate the NV3's quick installation, fast boot times, and gaming responsiveness, especially when bought at a discount, but recurring complaints focus on inconsistent real-world speeds, occasional drive failures, and data loss.
“It's fast when it works, but I'll never buy another Kingston M.2. It's a gamble.”
“Blazing fast boot and load times.”
“Easy installation and plug-and-play compatibility.”
Professional reviewers praise the 990 EVO Plus for its flagship-class sequential speeds, impressive power efficiency, and the combination of Samsung's latest 236-layer V-NAND with a 5 nm controller, while noting the absence of DRAM and occasional BIOS compatibility quirks.
Everyday users rate the drive very highly (around 4.8-4.9/5), highlighting blazing-fast boot times and noticeable system responsiveness, with occasional complaints about missing mounting screws and BIOS issues.
