Kingston NV3 500GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
What Buyers Say
Kingston NV3 500GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
The Kingston NV3 SSD generally receives positive feedback for its ease of installation, speed, and reliability in everyday use. However, several users note that the price has increased significantly, making it less of a value than before. Some Q&A responses highlight that it lacks DRAM and may slow down during sustained writes, but it's considered adequate for typical desktop and gaming use.
Pros
- Easy installation
- Fast performance
- Reliable in daily use
- Good value at normal price
- Works well for OS storage
Cons
- Price increased significantly
- No DRAM (uses HMB)
- Slows down during sustained writes
- 500GB capacity may be limiting
Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
The Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB is widely praised for its blazing PCIe 5.0 speeds, especially in data transfers and heavy workloads, with users noting it competes with the fastest drives on the market. While most reviewers are highly satisfied, some mention that the speed boost over PCIe 4.0 drives may not be noticeable in everyday tasks or gaming, and the lack of an included heatsink is a common concern. Overall, it's seen as a premium, reliable choice for high-end systems, though not budget-friendly.
Pros
- Blazing PCIe 5.0 speeds
- Excellent data transfer performance
- Reliable Samsung quality
- Easy installation
- Good value compared to 990 Pro
Cons
- No included heatsink
- Speed gain over PCIe 4.0 not noticeable in daily tasks
- Not budget-friendly
- Requires PCIe 5.0 support for full speed
Scores
Specifications
| Kingston NV3 | Samsung 9100 PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 | 5★ |
| External | ✗ | ✗ |
| Performance | ||
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | ||
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | ||
| Random Read (IOPS) | No data | |
| Random Write (IOPS) | No data | |
| Hardware | ||
| NAND | — | TLC★ |
| DRAM Cache | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Controller | — | In-House Controller |
| Reliability | ||
| Endurance (TBW) | ||
| MTBF (hours) | ||
| Warranty (years) | 5 | 5 |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Hardware Encryption | — | ✓★ |
Pros & Cons
Kingston NV3 500GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong social proof (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Strong affordability (77th percentile)
- Strong endurance (70th percentile)
- Strong speed (70th percentile)
- Below average feature (15th percentile)15th %ile
- Below average capacity (26th percentile)
Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong random (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong feature (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong speed (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong social proof (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Below average affordability (18th percentile)18th %ile
Verdict
Scores 97 overall, wins 5 of 6 usage categories and 11 of 18 specs.