Model: Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB Solid State Drive
Manufacturer: Kingston
Provided By: Kingston
As the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products, Kingston Technology doesn't need much of an introduction. The company got its start in 1987, when the computer industry was suffering from a severe shortage of surface-mount memory chips. To provide a solution, Kingston's founders designed a new Single In-Line Memory Module (SIMM) that used readily available, older technology through-hole components. Today, Kingston offers more than 2,000 memory products for everything from computers, servers and printers to MP3 players, digital cameras and cell phones.
Like many other manufacturers, Kingston has set its sights on the growing solid-state drive (SSD) market. Last summer, the company launched its first SandForce-based drive, the HyperX SSD. Designed for enthusiasts, gamers and performance users, the HyperX leveraged high-quality components like LSI's SandForce SF-2281 processor and Intel's compute-quality 25nm MLC NAND (5k P/E cycles) to deliver some truly impressive performance. Unfortunately, it also commanded a pretty hefty price tag which put it out of reach for many consumers.
Kingston has now released the HyperX 3K. This cost-effective alternative to the HyperX is also powered by LSI's SandForce SF-2281 processor and offers many of the same features including a SATA 6GB/s interface and DuraClass technology. The major difference between the two drives is the type of NAND used. The HyperX 3K is equipped with synchronous NAND rated at 3,000 program/erase cycles which is more affordable than the compute-quality NAND found in the original HyperX. There is a bit of a trade off in regards to endurance but the HyperX 3K is still able to deliver up to 555MB/s read and 510MB/s write speeds and a maximum of 74,000 4KB random write IOPS.
The HyperX 3K is available in 90GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities as either a stand-alone drive or in an upgrade kit to make installation quick and easy. For this review, Kingston sent us the 240GB upgrade bundle kit. The 240GB version of the HyperX 3K is capable of delivering up to 555 MB/s sequential read and 510 MB/s sequential write speeds as well as up to 86,000 random read and 60,000 random write IOPS.
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Needless to say, this is only a taste of what the HyperX 3K has to offer. To give you an idea of what to expect, we'll take a closer look at Kingston's new SSD and then see how well it performs. Does the HyperX 3K have what it takes? More importantly, is it the best bang for your buck? Keep reading as we find out.
