Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD vs WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against NVMe SSDs at a similar price

The WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB scores 7.1/10 overall, ahead of the Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD at 5.9/10.

The Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD leads on efficiency and thermals and software.

The WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB leads on performance and endurance.

They score the same on warranty.

The biggest difference is performance, where the WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB scores 8/10 to the Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD's 5/10.

Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

5.9/10verdict: good, not the best

The Kingston NV3 suits buyers who want a cool, low-power PCIe 4.0 M.2 drive for everyday use and light server or homelab duty. It is a budget-minded option with a five-year warranty and Kingston's SSD Manager tool. It is a weaker fit for anyone who writes large amounts of data or needs confirmed hardware details.

Typically about £130 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

7.1/10verdict: buy

The SN850X 1TB without a heatsink is for buyers who want a fast PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 drive for a desktop or a PS5. It suits people who already have a motherboard heatsink or good case airflow. It is less suited to anyone who needs Linux or macOS drive tooling or has no cooling for the drive.

Typically about £178.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD	WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB
Performance	35%	5/10	8/10
Endurance	20%	4/10	7/10
Warranty	15%	9/10	9/10
Efficiency and thermals	15%	7/10	5/10
Software	15%	6/10	5/10
Overall		5.9/10	7.1/10

Specifications

Spec	Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD	WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB
Interface	PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe	PCIe 4.0 x4
Sequential read	6,000 MB/s (1TB model)	7,300 MB/s
Sequential write	4,000 MB/s (1TB model)	6,300 MB/s
Endurance (2TB)	320 TBW (1TB model)	600 TBW
Form factor	M.2 2280 (22x80mm, single-sided)	M.2 2280
Warranty	5 years limited warranty with free technical support	5-Year Limited Warranty

Strengths and weaknesses

Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

+ Owners praise low power draw and low heat
+ Five-year warranty with free technical support
+ Owners report good value for money
− 640 TBW at 2TB is modest for heavy writing
− No heatsink included

Skip it if:

Anyone running sustained heavy writes, such as build servers, logging or scratch disks.
Buyers who need confirmed NAND type and a DRAM cache.
Buyers who want a heatsink included with the drive.

Read the full Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD review ›

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

+ Rated 7,300 MB/s read and 6,300 MB/s write
+ 5-year limited warranty
+ Owners report easy installation and PS5 compatibility
− Owners report it runs hot without a heatsink
− WD_BLACK Dashboard is Windows only
− Owners note a price premium over cheaper drives

Skip it if:

Buyers with no heatsink or airflow for the M.2 slot, who may prefer the heatsink version
Linux or macOS users who want vendor firmware tooling
Budget buyers who would rather pay less for a cheaper drive

Read the full WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB review ›

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