Kingston NV2 review – Good SSD for a very good price

After Kingston recently established new SSD models in the high-end sector with the KC3000 or the external XS2000, a low-priced model followed last fall with the NV2. The NV2 relies on PCIe Gen4, achieves transfer speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s in sequential read and 2,800 MB/s in sequential write, and primarily wants to convince with a low price. The 2 TB model, which we have for review, is already available for ~105€ (as of March 14, 2023) and is thus one of the cheapest SSDs.

In the following test, we clarify whether the Kingston NV2 can convince and how the very low price affects the SSD’s performance.

Technical data of the Kingston NV2

Capacity	2 TB
Interface	PCIe Gen4x4
Form factor	M.2 2280
Flash type	Not set, in test: 3D NAND TLC (Kioxia BiCS5, 112 layer, 512 Gbit)
Cache	No DRAM, HMB support, SLC cache
Controller	Not set, in test: Phison PS5021-E21T
Max. Read/write speed (MB/s)	3,500/2,800
Operating temperature	0 °C – 70 °C
MTBF	1.5 million hours
TBW	640 TB
Guarantee	3 years or until TBW
Price	€ 103.51 *

The Kingston NV2 is an entry-level M.2-2280 SSD. PCIe Gen4x4 is used as the interface, but the sequential transfer rates of the 2 TB model of up to 3,500 MB/s for reading and 2,800 MB/s for writing would also be feasible with PCIe Gen3x4 and are meanwhile rather at the lower end of the performance spectrum. Furthermore, the SSD is available in capacities of 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB, but these offer a lower write speed and partly also a lower read speed.

Kingston does not rely on specific components for the NV2. Depending on availability and price, the installed controller or even the memory can vary, but the stated sequential transfer rates are guaranteed. In our case, the installed controller is the Phison PS5021-E21T and the memory is Kioxia BiCS5 (TLC NAND), but there are also SSDs with controllers from Silicon Motion (SM2267XT) and/or memory from Intel (QLC NAND) in circulation. An overview of the variants that are currently in circulation can be found in the SSD database from TechPowerUp. As is usually the case with inexpensive SSDs, Kingston also does without a DRAM cache. All variants of the SSD do without a heat sink, and the warranty period is 3 years for a capacity of 2 TB or applies up to a write performance of 640 TB.

Scope of delivery

The packaging of the Kingston NV2 is a visible packaging. While the M.2 SSD is behind clear plastic, the packaging is otherwise mostly cardboard, half white and half red. On the front, we can find information about capacity, maximum transfer rate and warranty duration alongside the name.

The PCB of the M.2 SSD is dark blue and only has components on the upper side. These are completely covered by a white sticker with information and details about the SSD.

Test system

• ASUS ROG Strix B560-F Gaming WiFi motherboard
• Intel Core i5-11400F processor
• 32GB G.Skill RipJaws V 3200 RAM
• INNO3D GeForce RTX 3060 Twin X2 graphics card
• Kingston KC3000 1TB SSD
• Crucial P5 2TB SSD
• Crucial MX500 4TB SSD
• Seasonic Focus GX-550 power supply

Performance test of the Kingston NV2

For the performance test of the Kingston NV2 we use, as usual, the programs AS SSD, CrystalDiskMark, ATTO Disk as well as HD Tune Pro.

Results of the performance test

Based on the stated sequential read and write speeds, we can guess that the Kingston NV2’s performance is unlikely to be comparable to the majority of PCIe Gen4 SSDs, but rather to fast PCIe Gen3 SSDs.

Considering this, the SSD achieves a good result in the AS SSD benchmark. In sequential read and write, the SSD lands in the upper midfield. In the 4K test, the Kingston NV2 falls slightly behind our expectations and also some PCIe Gen3 SSDs in read, but it clearly beats them in write. We also achieve a good benchmark score, and even a very good result in the copy benchmark.

With 3,784 MB/s in sequential read and 2,945 MB/s in sequential write, we surpass the manufacturer’s specifications of up to 3,500 MB/s and 2,800 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark quite clearly. In the 4K test, the Kingston NV2 achieves a good result in read and write, but the gap to faster PCIe Gen4 SSDs is especially clear in read.

Kingston’s new entry-level model also performs well in the other benchmarks. In the ATTO benchmark, it achieves up to 2.19 million IOPS in read mode and up to 2.81 million in write mode, which is on par with faster PCIe Gen3 SSDs. In HD Tune Pro, the NV2 lands in the upper midfield with 1,899 MB/s. The access times are low in HD Tune Pro and need improvement in AS SSD.

Good performance with Phison controller and TLC NAND

Overall, the Kingston NV2 offers a good performance in the test and places itself in the midfield of the SSDs we have tested so far. It can keep up well with fast PCIe Gen3 SSDs and even beat them in parts of the performance test. As expected, it rarely comes close to the frequently represented PCIe Gen4 high-end SSDs. The NV2 we tested thus offers a very good price-performance ratio and is especially suitable for price-conscious buyers or as a supplement to a high-end SSD for the operating system, as a large, fast and yet inexpensive storage for games and data.

However, it should be noted that the results of specimens with a different controller or QLC NAND can deviate. The variant with Phison PS5021-E21T and Kioxia BiCS5 can currently be considered the optimum based on previous experiences and tests.

Kingston NV2 review: Conclusion

The Kingston NV2 can convince as an inexpensive SSD of the entry-level class in the test. The SSD offers a good performance, but one should not be blinded by PCIe Gen4. The sequential transfer rates show that the performance is more like that of PCIe Gen3 SSDs. Our test also confirms this. This makes the SSD less interesting for enthusiasts, but these transfer rates are still sufficient for a large number of applications. Thus, the NV2 is very well suited as storage for games, photos, videos and other data. In other words, everything that you would ideally like to store on a fast SSD, but where you can do without some performance due to the required storage space and costs. Speaking of costs, these are the big plus points of the Kingston NV2. While high-end SSDs usually cost ~€100 per TB, the NV2 with 2 TB is currently available for ~€105.

However, the low price also has a point of criticism. Kingston sells several variants of the NV2 and reserves the right to make further changes. It is not obvious which components are included in the purchase. QLC NAND has noticeable disadvantages compared to TLC NAND, for example, the write speed drops significantly more after SLC mode and the durability is lower. If this is not a deterrent and a low price is a high priority, then you should keep an eye on the Kingston NV2. If you want a bit more performance and less risk and can invest more for it, you can for example reach for the Corsair MP600 GS.