# Kioxia Exceria Plus 1TB NVMe SSD Review (2026)

The Kioxia Exceria Plus 1TB is a PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD built on Kioxia's own controller and Toshiba 96-layer BiCS5 TLC NAND, offering 3,400 MB/s reads, 3,200 MB/s writes, and 427 TBW endurance at a competitive price.

Quick answer: The Kioxia Exceria Plus 1TB is a well-rounded PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive with the unique selling point of Kioxia's vertically integrated controller-and-NAND design. The 3,200 MB/s write speed is a real differentiator, slightly higher than most PCIe 3.0 competitors. The 427 TBW endurance and 1TB capacity make it suitable for a combined boot, game, and application drive. Kioxia's brand recognition trails Samsung and WD, but the product itself is competitive on performance and typically priced aggressively. The Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB is the safe pick; the Exceria Plus 1TB is the value-conscious alternative that gives up nothing in real-world performance.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 1 TB |
| Interface | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Toshiba TC58NC1201GST-00-BB |
| Memory type | Toshiba 96L 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | 2GB DDR4 pSLC-Cache |
| Sequential read | 3400 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 3200 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 680000 |
| Random write IOPS | 620000 |
| Endurance | 427 TBW |
| MTBF | 2 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

The Exceria Plus 1TB is rated for 3,400 MB/s sequential reads and 3,200 MB/s sequential writes, with 680K random read IOPS and 620K random write IOPS. The write speed is a genuine advantage — most PCIe 3.0 drives top out at 2,900–3,000 MB/s. The in-house controller and native BiCS5 NAND pairing delivers consistent performance across workloads.

The pseudo-SLC cache on the 1TB model absorbs roughly 40–80 GB of burst writes before folding to TLC. Native TLC writes hold around 1,500–2,000 MB/s — strong for PCIe 3.0. Random IO performance is competitive with the Samsung 970 EVO Plus. Gaming load times, file transfers, and application launches are all fast and consistent. The 1TB capacity holds 15–25 modern AAA titles alongside the OS.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Kioxia rates the Exceria Plus 1TB at 427 TBW with a five-year limited warranty. At 30–50 GB of writes per day, the endurance budget covers 23 to 38 years. The 2 million hour MTBF is a population-level statistic. Kioxia provides an SSD utility for health monitoring and firmware updates. Warranty service is handled through Kioxia's RMA process or the retailer.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 3,400 MB/s reads and 3,200 MB/s writes on PCIe 3.0
- In-house Kioxia controller with native BiCS5 NAND
- 427 TBW endurance with 5-year warranty
- 680K/620K IOPS — competitive with best PCIe 3.0 drives
- Vertically integrated design — controller and NAND from one company
**Cons:**

- Kioxia brand less recognized than Samsung or WD
- PCIe 3.0 — surpassed by Gen4 drives
- Management software is basic compared to Samsung Magician
- SLC cache smaller than some competitors
- Double-sided PCB may limit slim-laptop compatibility


## Verdict

The Kioxia Exceria Plus 1TB is a well-rounded PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive with the unique selling point of Kioxia's vertically integrated controller-and-NAND design. The 3,200 MB/s write speed is a real differentiator, slightly higher than most PCIe 3.0 competitors. The 427 TBW endurance and 1TB capacity make it suitable for a combined boot, game, and application drive. Kioxia's brand recognition trails Samsung and WD, but the product itself is competitive on performance and typically priced aggressively. The Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB is the safe pick; the Exceria Plus 1TB is the value-conscious alternative that gives up nothing in real-world performance.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Kioxia Exceria Plus 1TB good for gaming?

The Exceria Plus 1TB delivers 3,400 MB/s reads and 680K random read IOPS, providing fast and consistent game load times. The 1TB capacity holds 15–25 modern AAA titles alongside the OS. The 3,200 MB/s write speed handles game installations and updates quickly. For gaming, the Exceria Plus 1TB is competitive with the Samsung 970 EVO Plus and offers good value at its typically lower price point.

### Does the Kioxia Exceria Plus 1TB have a DRAM cache?

Yes. The Exceria Plus includes a DDR4 DRAM cache that works alongside the pseudo-SLC cache. The DRAM supports the Kioxia TC58NC1201GST controller's flash translation layer. The 1TB model has a larger DRAM allocation than the 500GB variant, proportionally scaled to the capacity. DRAM presence ensures consistent random IO performance.

### What is the TBW endurance of the Kioxia Exceria Plus 1TB?

The Exceria Plus 1TB is rated at 427 TBW (terabytes written), covered by a five-year limited warranty. At a typical consumer workload of 30–50 GB per day, the endurance budget covers 23 to 38 years. Even at a heavy 100 GB per day, it would take 11 years to exhaust the allowance. For normal desktop and gaming use, endurance is not a concern.

### How does the Exceria Plus compare to the Samsung 970 EVO Plus?

Both are PCIe 3.0 NVMe drives with TLC NAND and DRAM cache. The Samsung uses its in-house Phoenix controller with Samsung TLC, while the Exceria Plus uses Kioxia's in-house controller with Toshiba BiCS5 NAND. Peak read speeds are similar at 3,400 MB/s. The Exceria Plus has a slight edge in write speed at 3,200 MB/s versus the Samsung's 3,300 MB/s — essentially tied. The Samsung has better brand recognition and more mature management software. The Exceria Plus is typically priced lower.

### Is the Kioxia Exceria Plus 1TB good for video editing?

The Exceria Plus 1TB handles video editing well with 3,200 MB/s writes and 427 TBW endurance. The fast write speed helps when importing footage and exporting renders. The 1TB capacity provides room for project files and render caches. The in-house controller maintains consistent write speeds during long exports. For 4K workflows with very large files, a PCIe 4.0 drive would offer higher throughput, but for most content creators the Exceria Plus is sufficient.

### Does the Exceria Plus 1TB need a heatsink?

The Exceria Plus does not include a heatsink. The in-house controller runs at moderate temperatures under typical use. Most modern motherboards include an M.2 heatsink that provides sufficient cooling. For sustained write workloads like video rendering or large file transfers, a basic M.2 heatsink helps maintain peak performance by preventing thermal throttling.

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Last updated: 2026-05-17. Source: https://ssdrive.net/kioxia-exceria-plus-1-tb