Klevv CRAS C920 256GB Review — Phison E18 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
The Klevv CRAS C920 256GB is a compact PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD from Korean brand Klevv, built around the Phison E18 controller and 3D TLC NAND.
Klevv is a consumer memory brand under Essencore, a Korean company that is closely affiliated with SK Hynix — one of the world's three major DRAM manufacturers. The CRAS C920 is Klevv's flagship PCIe 4.0 SSD, and the platform is well-established: a Phison PS5018-E18 controller paired with 3D TLC NAND and DDR4 DRAM cache. The E18 is the same flagship Gen4 controller found in drives from Corsair, Gigabyte, and Sabrent, delivering up to 7,000 MB/s sequential reads and up to 6,850 MB/s writes depending on capacity.
It is worth noting that Klevv's official product documentation lists only 1 TB and 2 TB capacities for the CRAS C920. A 256 GB variant is not confirmed on the company's product pages or in press materials. The specifications associated with this 256 GB entry — including the 6,850 MB/s write speed and 1,400 TBW endurance — actually match the 2 TB model's published ratings. This suggests the data may have been inherited from a larger-capacity listing or represents a regional SKU that Klevv does not widely document.
Assuming the Phison E18 platform holds true for this capacity, the drive would feature a DDR4 DRAM cache buffer (the database notes both DRAM and SLC caching), which provides strong random performance and efficient flash translation layer management. The E18's 12 nm process runs cooler than the first-gen E16, though it still benefits from a heatsink under sustained writes. At 256 GB, the SLC cache window would be smaller than on larger capacities, meaning sustained writes would exhaust the cache more quickly and drop to direct TLC speeds.
Against competitors, the CRAS C920 platform competes with the Corsair MP600 Pro XT, Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000S, and Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus — all E18-based drives with similar sequential ratings. Klevv's Korean market positioning and Essencore backing give it regional availability advantages in Asia.
✅ Storage Comparisons:
🚀 Performance and benchmarks
The Phison E18 controller delivers up to 7,000 MB/s sequential read on the PCIe 4.0 x4 bus, which is the practical ceiling for Gen4. The write speed listed for this entry is 6,850 MB/s — though that figure matches the 2 TB model's rating, and a 256 GB capacity would typically write significantly slower due to fewer NAND dies for parallel operations. If the E18 platform holds, random 4K performance would be strong, with the DDR4 DRAM cache ensuring low-latency address translation.
Klevv CRAS C920 256 GB vs M.2 4.0 x 4 peers
Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.
- PNY XLR8 CS3140 1 TB: 7,500 MB/s read, 5,650 MB/s write
- PNY XLR8 CS3140 2 TB: 7,500 MB/s read, 6,850 MB/s write
- Asgard AN4 512 GB: 7,500 MB/s read, 5,500 MB/s write
- Asgard AN4 1 TB: 7,500 MB/s read, 5,500 MB/s write
- Klevv CRAS C920 256 GB (this drive): 7,000 MB/s read, 6,850 MB/s write
The E18 is a mature and well-understood controller with excellent firmware support from Phison. Like all E18 drives, the CRAS C920 uses dynamic SLC caching for burst writes, and sustained writes that exhaust the cache will fall to direct TLC speeds. The 12 nm controller runs warm but not as hot as the 28 nm E16 — a basic M.2 thermal plate or the drive's own heatsink is sufficient for most workloads. At 256 GB capacity, the smaller SLC cache means heavy sustained writes would see a performance drop sooner than on 1 TB or 2 TB models.
🖥️ Endurance and warranty
Klevv provides a five-year warranty on the CRAS C920, consistent with the enthusiast positioning of the E18 platform and matching coverage from competitors like Corsair and Gigabyte. The listed endurance for this entry is 1,400 TBW, though that figure matches the 2 TB model's published rating — a 256 GB drive would typically carry a lower TBW in the 200–400 TBW range. Without official confirmation from Klevv that a 256 GB SKU exists, the endurance figure should be treated with caution. MTBF is not separately published. For light to moderate consumer use, any reasonable endurance estimate would exceed the five-year warranty period.
📊 Specs
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 256 GB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller [?] | Phison PS5018-E18 |
| Memory type [?] | 3D TLC |
| DRAM [?] | DRAM SLC |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 7000 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 6850 |
| Read IOPS [?] | n/a |
| Write IOPS [?] | n/a |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 1400 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | n/a |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 5 |
Conclusion
The Klevv CRAS C920 256GB, if it exists as a distinct SKU, would be a compact-capacity entry in Klevv's flagship PCIe 4.0 lineup, leveraging the proven Phison E18 controller and 3D TLC NAND. The five-year warranty is a strong point. However, Klevv's official documentation only confirms 1 TB and 2 TB capacities for the CRAS C920, and the specs associated with this listing match the 2 TB model. Buyers should verify the actual capacity and specifications with their retailer before purchasing, as this may represent a data entry artifact rather than a genuine product variant.
+ Pros
- Phison E18 flagship PCIe 4.0 controller
- 3D TLC NAND with DDR4 DRAM cache
- Five-year warranty coverage
- Korean brand with SK Hynix affiliation
- Competitive with other E18-based drives
- Cons
- 256GB capacity not confirmed by Klevv official docs
- Specs appear borrowed from 2TB model listing
- E18 controller still runs warm under load
- Limited availability outside Asian markets
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✨ Video Review
KLEVV CRAS C920 M.2 Nvme Gen4 & C720 M.2 Nvme Review & Benchmarks
