About Kingston NV3

The Kingston NV3 500GB M.2 PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD is a value-focused, next-generation storage solution designed to provide a significant speed boost over older SATA drives and entry-level Gen 3 NVMe models. As the successor to the popular NV2 series, the NV3 aims to deliver modern Gen 4 performance while remaining affordable for budget-conscious builders and laptop users.

Operating on a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, the 500GB variant offers impressive sequential speeds that enhance system responsiveness. It features a DRAM-less design, utilizing Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology to maintain performance by leveraging a small portion of your system's RAM.

Sequential Read Speed: Up to 5,000 MB/s

Sequential Write Speed: Up to 3,000 MB/s

Form Factor: M.2 2280 (Single-sided)

Endurance: 160 TBW (Total Bytes Written)

NAND Type: 3D NAND (typically QLC/TLC depending on the batch)

The NV3 features a slim, single-sided M.2 2280 design, making it an ideal fit for thin-and-light laptops, small-form-factor PCs, and modern motherboards. Its lower power consumption and reduced heat output compared to high-end Gen 4 drives allow it to run efficiently without requiring a bulky heatsink, though a motherboard heat spreader is always recommended for heavy workloads.

Kingston backs the NV3 with a 3-year limited warranty (some regions report up to 5 years) and a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 2 million hours. It also includes a free version of Acronis True Image, which simplifies the process of cloning your old drive to the new SSD.

While it isn't the fastest Gen 4 drive on the market, the NV3 500GB strikes a great balance for everyday productivity, casual gaming, and content creation, providing "pro-sumer" speeds at a entry-level price point.