Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
Acer FA200 vs Kingston NV3: Comparison
Acer FA200 vs Kingston NV3 sequential read compared
Sequential read is where these two genuinely part company, Acer FA200 7200 MB/s against Kingston NV3 6000 MB/s, a 17% lead for Acer FA200. Measured rather than claimed: in Speed Score the Acer FA200 returns 6.6 against 6.4, a 3% lead. Acer FA200 also leads on sequential write, 6200 MB/s on the Acer FA200 versus 5000 MB/s on the Kingston NV3. They differ on dram cache too, DRAM-less on the Acer FA200 versus None on the Kingston NV3. Controller is not the same on both, MAP1602A on the Acer FA200 versus Multi-BOM, varies by manufacturing batch on the Kingston NV3.
Who each one is for
Take the Acer FA200 for gamers and general users wanting 2000 GB of PCIe 4.0 storage at high read speeds. The same goes for buyers who value a 5 year warranty and a 1000 TBW rating. Avoid it for workloads with constant heavy writing, since the NAND is QLC and the drive has no DRAM. The Kingston NV3 is the one to take for secondary or scratch storage, though it is not built for sustained heavy write workloads like large video exports and buyers who need to know exactly what components they're getting. It also earns its place with budget PC builds where boot speed matters more than sustained writes. It is the wrong buy for anyone who can find the Samsung 990 EVO at MSRP instead. Our rating of the Kingston NV3 (6/10): runs cool, reads fast, and you have no idea which drive is actually in the box. At 2.4x launch price, the value case that used to justify that gamble is gone.
What Acer FA200 and Kingston NV3 have in common
The common ground is wider than the gap: bus interface, form factor and warranty are identical here.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Acer FA200
- 6.6/10Best
- Kingston NV3
- 6.4/10-3%
How fast this drive is, rated from its read and write speeds, cache and NAND type. 10 is the fastest.
Brand
- Acer FA200
- Acer
- Kingston NV3
- Kingston
Model Number
- Acer FA200
- Acer FA200
- Kingston NV3
- NV3
Series
- Acer FA200
- FA200
- Kingston NV3
- NV3
Bus Interface
- Acer FA200
- PCIe 4.0 x4
- Kingston NV3
- PCIe 4.0 x4
Form Factor
- Acer FA200
- M.2 2280
- Kingston NV3
- M.2 2280
Sequential Read
- Acer FA200
- 7200 MB/s
- Kingston NV3
- 6000 MB/s-17%
Sequential Write
- Acer FA200
- 6200 MB/s
- Kingston NV3
- 5000 MB/s-19%
Controller
- Acer FA200
- MAP1602A
- Kingston NV3
- Multi-BOM, varies by manufacturing batch
DRAM Cache
- Acer FA200
- DRAM-less (HMB)
- Kingston NV3
- None (Host Memory Buffer)
NAND Type
- Acer FA200
- QLC
- Kingston NV3
- QLC (teardown-confirmed, Kingston datasheet only says "3D")
Warranty
- Acer FA200
- 5 Years
- Kingston NV3
- 5 Years
Which one should you pick?
Choose Acer FA200 if you want the higher speed score (6.6 vs 6.4), the higher sequential read (7200 MB/s vs 6000 MB/s) and the higher sequential write (6200 MB/s vs 5000 MB/s).
Choose Kingston NV3 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | Acer FA200 | Kingston NV3 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
Kingston NV3
6 / 10 Expert Rating
Runs cool, reads fast, and you have no idea which drive is actually in the box.