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Acer FA300 vs Kingston NV3: Comparison
What is the difference between Acer FA300 and Kingston NV3?
On sequential read the spread is 45%, Acer FA300 11000 MB/s against Kingston NV3 6000 MB/s, so Acer FA300 takes it. Measured rather than claimed: in Speed Score the Acer FA300 returns 8.5 against 6.4, a 25% lead. Acer FA300 also leads on sequential write, 10000 MB/s on the Acer FA300 versus 5000 MB/s on the Kingston NV3. Bus interface is not the same on both, PCIe 5.0 x4 on the Acer FA300 versus PCIe 4.0 x4 on the Kingston NV3. They differ on nand type too, TLC on the Acer FA300 versus QLC on the Kingston NV3. Dram cache is not the same on both, DRAM-less on the Acer FA300 versus None on the Kingston NV3. They differ on controller too, SM2504XT on the Acer FA300 versus Multi-BOM, varies by manufacturing batch on the Kingston NV3.
Which should you buy, Acer FA300 or Kingston NV3?
The Kingston NV3 is the one to take for secondary or scratch storage, though it is the wrong buy for sustained heavy write workloads like large video exports and buyers who need to know exactly what components they're getting. It is equally the pick for 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.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, form factor included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Acer FA300
- 8.5/10Best
- Kingston NV3
- 6.4/10-25%
How fast this drive is, rated from its read and write speeds, cache and NAND type. 10 is the fastest.
Brand
- Acer FA300
- Acer
- Kingston NV3
- Kingston
Model Number
- Acer FA300
- Acer FA300
- Kingston NV3
- NV3
Series
- Acer FA300
- FA300
- Kingston NV3
- NV3
Bus Interface
- Acer FA300
- PCIe 5.0 x4
- Kingston NV3
- PCIe 4.0 x4
Form Factor
- Acer FA300
- M.2 2280
- Kingston NV3
- M.2 2280
Sequential Read
- Acer FA300
- 11000 MB/s
- Kingston NV3
- 6000 MB/s-45%
Sequential Write
- Acer FA300
- 10000 MB/s
- Kingston NV3
- 5000 MB/s-50%
Controller
- Acer FA300
- SM2504XT
- Kingston NV3
- Multi-BOM, varies by manufacturing batch
DRAM Cache
- Acer FA300
- DRAM-less (HMB)
- Kingston NV3
- None (Host Memory Buffer)
NAND Type
- Acer FA300
- TLC
- Kingston NV3
- QLC (teardown-confirmed, Kingston datasheet only says "3D")
Which one should you pick?
Choose Acer FA300 if you want the higher speed score (8.5 vs 6.4), the higher sequential read (11000 MB/s vs 6000 MB/s) and the higher sequential write (10000 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 FA300 | 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.