# Kingston NV2 1TB -- Budget PCIe 4.0 DRAM-Less NVMe Review (2026)

The Kingston NV2 1 TB is the capacity sweet spot in Kingston's budget PCIe 4.0 line, delivering adequate Gen4 throughput at a price that undercuts most competitors.

Quick answer: The 1 TB NV2 is the capacity to buy if you want the cheapest Gen4 1 TB drive. Its 3,500/2,800 MB/s speeds are adequate for gaming and general productivity. The 320 TBW endurance is sufficient for consumer use. The DRAM-less design means it is not suitable for sustained professional workloads. The variable hardware policy means you may get different controllers and NAND between batches — but at the NV2's price point, this is an accepted trade-off. Compare pricing against the WD Blue SN580 1 TB and Crucial P3 1 TB.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 1 TB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Phison PS5021-E21 |
| Memory type | Toshiba 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | HMB (DRAM-less) |
| Sequential read | 3500 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 2800 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 3000000 |
| Random write IOPS | 3000000 |
| Endurance | 320 TBW |
| MTBF | 1500000 |
| Warranty | 3 years |

## Performance

The 1 TB NV2 delivers 3,500/2,800 MB/s sequential reads and writes. The HMB design handles moderate sustained writes adequately. Gaming load times are competitive with any PCIe 4.0 drive. Under heavy sustained writes, the drive transitions to native NAND speeds faster than DRAM-equipped alternatives.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Kingston covers the NV2 1 TB with a three-year warranty limited by 320 TBW, equivalent to roughly 292 GB/day over three years. At typical consumer write rates this spans many years beyond the warranty period.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 3,500/2,800 MB/s -- adequate Gen4 speeds
- DRAM-less HMB design keeps price lowest
- 320 TBW endurance -- sufficient for consumer use
- Single-sided PCB -- thin-laptop compatible
- Often the cheapest 1TB PCIe 4.0 drive available
**Cons:**

- No DRAM -- slower sustained random I/O
- Variable hardware -- components change between batches
- Below Gen4 ceiling -- not a performance drive
- 3-year warranty (not 5 years like most competitors)


## Verdict

The 1 TB NV2 is the capacity to buy if you want the cheapest Gen4 1 TB drive. Its 3,500/2,800 MB/s speeds are adequate for gaming and general productivity. The 320 TBW endurance is sufficient for consumer use. The DRAM-less design means it is not suitable for sustained professional workloads. The variable hardware policy means you may get different controllers and NAND between batches — but at the NV2's price point, this is an accepted trade-off. Compare pricing against the WD Blue SN580 1 TB and Crucial P3 1 TB.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the 1TB NV2 good for gaming?

Yes — 3,500 MB/s reads provide fast game loading, and 1 TB holds a respectable library. Gaming load times are competitive with any PCIe 4.0 drive.

### What is the TBW of the 1TB NV2?

Rated for 320 TBW over three years. At typical gaming write rates of 10-20 GB/day this lasts 44-88 years.

### Does it have DRAM?

No — the NV2 is DRAM-less with HMB (Host Memory Buffer). This is the primary reason for its low price.

### Why does the NV2 have variable hardware?

Kingston sources controllers and NAND from multiple suppliers to maintain supply chain flexibility and pricing. You may receive Phison E21T or Silicon Motion SM2267XT controllers with different NAND vendors. The rated speeds remain the same.

### How does it compare to the WD Blue SN580 1TB?

The SN580 leads on reads (4,150 vs 3,500 MB/s) and has a more consistent hardware configuration. At similar pricing, the SN580 is the stronger performer. Choose the NV2 when it is the cheapest option.

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Last updated: 2026-05-23. Source: https://ssdrive.net/kingston-nv2-1-tb