Samsung 990 EVO 2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Kingston NV3 500GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
What Buyers Say
Samsung 990 EVO 2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Users are generally very satisfied with this Samsung SSD, praising its fast read/write speeds, easy installation, and good value for budget builds. Some note that a DRAM-equipped alternative like the 990 EVO PLUS is close in price and might be a better choice, and a few mention minor setup quirks like needing extra screws or firmware updates. Overall, it's seen as a solid, reliable drive for gaming and general storage expansion.
Pros
- Fast read/write speeds
- Easy installation
- Good value for budget
- Reliable Samsung quality
- Great for gaming storage
Cons
- DRAM-less design
- Requires firmware update
- Extra screws needed
- Heatsink installation tricky
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
Scores
Specifications
| Samsung 990 EVO | Kingston NV3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 | 4 |
| 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 | Samsung in-house Controller | — |
| Reliability | ||
| Endurance (TBW) | ||
| MTBF (hours) | No data | |
| Warranty (years) | 5★ | 3 |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | ✗ | ✗ |
| Hardware Encryption | ✓★ | — |
Pros & Cons
Samsung 990 EVO 2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong social proof (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong random (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong endurance (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
- Strong feature (79th percentile)
Kingston NV3 500GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong social proof (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Strong affordability (76th percentile)
- Strong speed (70th percentile)
- Strong endurance (70th percentile)
- Below average feature (15th percentile)15th %ile
- Below average capacity (27th percentile)
Pricing
Kingston NV3 500GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280 offers 1.2x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 87 overall, wins 6 of 6 usage categories and 8 of 18 specs.
