Consumercarts
Kingston NV1 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
Kingston

Kingston NV1

Expert rating6.7 / 10

Interface:
PCIe 3.0 x4
Sequential Read:
Up to 2
Capacity Options:
250GB

Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more

Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.

Manufacturer: Kingston Last updated: 2026-09-12

Where to buy

Kingston NV1 (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/Entry-Level Predecessor to the NV2) Review

Kingston NV1 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, added as a replacement after the originally planned Kingston NV2 turned out to already be in the catalog; an entry-level NVMe predecessor to the NV2.

Before the NV2 arrived with PCIe 4.0 support, the NV1 was Kingston's answer to "the cheapest NVMe drive that still beats SATA." It succeeds at that narrow goal but doesn't try to do much more — no DRAM cache, modest PCIe 3.0 speeds, and a NAND controller tuned purely for cost. It still shows up in budget prebuilt systems and older motherboard upgrades where PCIe 4.0 bandwidth wouldn't be usable anyway.

Comparison to Alternatives

Against its own successor, the Kingston NV2 already in this catalog, the NV1 is noticeably slower thanks to its PCIe 3.0 interface, making the NV2 the better buy on any PCIe 4.0-capable board. Compared with the Crucial P2, the two are close rivals in the entry-level NVMe tier, with performance differences that rarely matter for basic desktop use.

Specifications

Identity

BrandKingston
Model NumberNV1
SeriesNV1

Interface and form

Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe

Sequential performance

Sequential Read2100 MB/s
Sequential Write1700 MB/s

NAND

NAND TypeTLC, DRAM-Less

Physical and commercial

Warranty3 Years
Capacity Options250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

Expert Review

Reviewed by Burooj Alam. Rated by us, not by users.

Expert rating6.7 / 10

An entry-level NVMe drive now effectively discontinued in favor of the faster NV2, but still found in budget builds.

Best for

  • Basic NVMe upgrades on older motherboards
  • Budget secondary storage
  • Light everyday computing

Not for

  • Gaming or creative work
  • PCIe 4.0 systems wanting full bandwidth
  • Sustained large file transfers

FAQs

What are the key specifications of the Kingston NV1 (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/Entry-Level Predecessor to the NV2)?

The Kingston NV1 (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/Entry-Level Predecessor to the NV2) is a component from Kingston. Key specs: Interface PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe, Sequential Read 2100, Sequential Write 1700, NAND Type TLC, DRAM-Less, Capacity Options 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB.

Who is the Kingston NV1 (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/Entry-Level Predecessor to the NV2) best suited to?

It suits basic nvme upgrades on older motherboards, budget secondary storage, light everyday computing.

What are the drawbacks of the Kingston NV1 (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/Entry-Level Predecessor to the NV2)?

It is a poor fit for gaming or creative work, pcie 4.0 systems wanting full bandwidth, sustained large file transfers.

Compare and read more