Kioxia RC500 1TB NVMe SSD Review (2026)
The Kioxia RC500 1TB is the larger capacity of this value-oriented NVMe line (originally Toshiba OCZ), delivering 1,700 MB/s reads with TLC NAND and DRAM cache at a budget-friendly price point.
Controller & Memory
The RC500 was originally launched under the Toshiba OCZ brand before the storage division became Kioxia. It uses a Toshiba in-house controller with Toshiba BiCS4 96-layer 3D TLC NAND and a DDR4 DRAM cache. The 1TB model is rated at 1,700 MB/s sequential reads and 1,600 MB/s sequential writes, with 355K random read IOPS and 410K random write IOPS.
The 1TB capacity provides room for a combined OS, application, and game drive — roughly 15–25 AAA titles alongside the operating system. The TLC NAND and DRAM cache ensure consistent write performance that QLC-based competitors cannot match. The RC500 carries a three-year warranty, shorter than the five-year coverage on Kioxia's newer Exceria line.
The drive uses an M.2 2280 form factor compatible with most desktops and laptops. The RC500 has been largely superseded by the Kioxia Exceria, which offers similar speeds with a longer warranty. The RC500 remains available at discount pricing, which is its primary selling point. Competitors include the Kingston A2000 1TB and Crucial P2 1TB.
Storage Comparisons:
RC500 Performance & Benchmarks
The RC500 1TB is rated for 1,700 MB/s sequential reads and 1,600 MB/s sequential writes. The 1TB model has more NAND die for parallel writes than the 500GB variant, giving it a larger SLC cache and better sustained write performance after cache exhaustion — typically around 1,000–1,200 MB/s native TLC writes.
Kioxia RC500 1 TB vs M.2 3.0 x 4 peers
Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 3.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.
- ADATA SX 8800 Pro 512 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
- ADATA SX 8800 Pro 1 TB: 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
- ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G RGB 256 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 3,000 MB/s write
- ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G RGB 512 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 3,000 MB/s write
- Kioxia RC500 1 TB (this drive): 1,700 MB/s read, 1,600 MB/s write
The DRAM cache ensures consistent random IO under multitasking workloads. Gaming load times are faster than SATA SSDs and comparable to other entry-level NVMe drives. The TLC NAND maintains write consistency that QLC drives lack. For a budget build needing 1TB of NVMe storage with reliable performance, the RC500 delivers.
Kioxia RC500 vs Competitors
See how the RC500 stacks up against other M.2 3.0 x 4 drives in our database:
Compare with rival drives:
Endurance, TBW & Warranty
The Kioxia RC500 1TB carries a three-year limited warranty — shorter than the five-year industry standard. Kioxia does not publish a specific TBW rating for the RC500 series. The three-year warranty is the primary coverage metric. For a read-heavy boot and game drive, the warranty period should be sufficient. The newer Kioxia Exceria line offers similar performance with five-year warranty coverage, which may be preferable despite a potentially higher price.
Kioxia RC500 1 TB Specifications
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 1 TB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller [?] | Phison PS5012-E12S |
| Memory type [?] | Toshiba 96L 3D TLC |
| DRAM [?] | Yes |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 1700 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 1600 |
| Read IOPS [?] | 355000 |
| Write IOPS [?] | 410000 |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 400 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | 1500000 |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 3 |
Verdict: Is the RC500 Worth It in 2026?
The Kioxia RC500 1TB is a budget NVMe SSD that delivers 1,700 MB/s reads, 1TB capacity, TLC NAND, and DRAM cache at a discount price. The hardware is solid — Toshiba TLC with DRAM is a better foundation than QLC at the same price. The drawback is the three-year warranty and the fact that Kioxia's own Exceria line has superseded the RC500 with the same performance and better warranty terms. If the RC500 is significantly cheaper than the Exceria, it is a good value. If priced similarly, the Exceria's five-year warranty makes it the better buy.
+ Pros
- 1,700 MB/s reads — three times faster than SATA
- 1TB capacity at a budget price point
- TLC NAND with DRAM cache — consistent performance
- Toshiba/Kioxia in-house controller with native NAND
- Cons
- Three-year warranty — shorter than the five-year standard
- No published TBW endurance rating
- Superseded by the Kioxia Exceria with better warranty
- 1,700 MB/s reads — entry-level NVMe speed
- Aging product with limited retail availability
Buy this or similar SSD Storage:
Video Review
KIOXIA EXCERIA NVMe SSD - Introduction
