Kingston NV3 NVMe SSD Review – Heat Efficiency Without Heatsink

Kingston’s NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD offers a solid option for users looking to upgrade their storage with both speed and reliability in mind. This SSD stands out as a next-gen storage solution, thanks to its Gen 4×4 NVMe controller, delivering impressive read and write speeds, and doing so with efficiency in power consumption and heat management. Whether you’re a gamer, content creator, or just need fast storage for your daily tasks, the NV3 looks like it’s designed to meet a wide range of needs.

Right from the start, the NV3 promises speed. With read speeds reaching up to 6,000MB/s and write speeds of up to 5,000MB/s (for the larger capacities), it’s clearly built for performance. Here are the capacities and speeds available (sequential read/write speeds):

• 500GB – 5,000/3,000MB/s
• 1TB – 6,000/4,000MB/s
• 2TB – 4TB – 6,000/5,000MB/s

If you’re working with large files or running demanding applications, you’ll definitely appreciate this level of responsiveness. For those upgrading from a traditional SATA SSD or even a Gen 3 NVMe drive, the difference is night and day. Boot times, file transfers, and application load times are significantly faster, and Kingston has done well to position this drive as a high-performance option for everyday users who need more than just basic storage.

I’ve finally ditched my last SATA SSD, SanDisk Ultra, and replaced it with the Kingston NV3.

Running CrystalDiskBenchmark shows the promised speed of sequential read/write though in real life, you won’t get that juicy speed when writing huge amount of files. I only recorded around 492 MB/s during the heavy write.

The NV3 manages to balance performance with thermal efficiency. One of the common concerns with high-speed NVMe drives is heat generation, which can lead to throttling and reduced performance over time. Kingston seems to have addressed this well by designing the NV3 to consume less power and generate less heat than some of its competitors, making it ideal for compact systems like thin laptops or small form factor PCs.

This also makes it appealing to those who don’t want to invest in additional cooling solutions, as the single-sided M.2 2280 form factor means it fits snugly into a wide range of systems without requiring much space or additional components.

I’m actually pretty surprised that the Kingston NV3 only got to 68 degree Celsius after heavy usage without any heatstink. If I compare it to my most recent review on the T-Force Cardea A440, that drive reached 79 degree Celsius even with the included ultra-thin heatsink. Sure the read/write speed is faster compared to the NV3 but not by much.

Speaking of space, the NV3 offers a broad selection of storage capacities, from 500GB up to 4TB. This flexibility is great for users who may need varying levels of storage. If you’re a gamer, for example, the larger capacities could be ideal for storing hefty game files, while professionals working with large media projects will appreciate the ample space for storing videos, photos, and other large files. Even with the 500GB option, you’ll have more than enough space for your OS, frequently used programs, and key files, making this a versatile storage solution.

Weighing only 7 grams and being just 2.3mm thick, it’s practically made for systems with limited internal space (especially if you have the M.2 slot underneath your graphics card on the motherboard). Thin and light laptops, mini PCs, or even home media centres would benefit from this SSD, as it provides the speed and storage space of a high-performance drive without taking up much room.

Durability is another factor Kingston has taken into account. The NV3 comes with a 3-year limited warranty, which should provide peace of mind for users. Additionally, the endurance ratings are quite robust, with the 4TB model rated for 1,280TB written. This means even with heavy usage, the NV3 is designed to last for years, making it a sound investment for anyone looking to future-proof their system.

Kingston NV3 Review Conclusion

In conclusion, the Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD is an excellent choice for anyone looking to significantly boost their system’s performance without sacrificing space or efficiency. Whether you’re upgrading a gaming rig, need fast storage for work, or just want to enhance your everyday computing experience, the NV3 delivers. Its combination of speed, capacity options, and thoughtful design makes it a standout in the current SSD market, especially for those looking to upgrade to PCIe 4.0 performance without breaking the bank.

Sure, it doesn’t have a heatsink included (or as an option), but during my tests, it ran below 70 degree of Celsius during heavy test of writing hundreds of Gigabytes of data that ran for a while. And that was straight after I ran my CrystalDiskMark. Looks like you shouldn’t be having any problems such as speed throttling with this drive (but obviously depending on usage).

Kingston NV3 is available for purchase at retailers around Australia and at Amazon.

Disclosure: Kingston NV3 2TB review sample was supplied for reviewing