SSDs / Compare

Kingston KC3000 vs Samsung 980 PRO

A

Product A: Kingston

KC3000

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B

Product B: Samsung

980 PRO

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Only differences

AKingston KC3000

BSamsung 980 PRO

General

4 of 9 differ

Series

Not available

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Model numbersiMaker identifiers for this exact model and its listed variants. Excludes sibling models and other generations.

SKC3000S/512G, SKC3000S/1024G, SKC3000D/2048G, SKC3000D/4096G3Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Spec table part numbers SKC3000S/512G, SKC3000S/1024G, SKC3000D/2048G and SKC3000D/4096G. Geizhals agrees

MZ-V8P250BW, MZ-V8P250B/AM, MZ-V8P500BW, MZ-V8P500B/AM, MZ-V8P1T0BW, MZ-V8P1T0B/AM, MZ-V8P2T0BW, MZ-V8P2T0B/AM, MZ-V8P1T0CW, MZ-V8P2T0CW1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Product lineup table: MZ-V8P250BW and MZ-V8P250B/AM, MZ-V8P500BW and MZ-V8P500B/AM, MZ-V8P1T0BW and MZ-V8P1T0B/AM, MZ-V8P2T0BW and MZ-V8P2T0B/AM2Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/samsung_nvme_ssd_980_pro_with_heatsink_datasheet_rev_2.0_10129696069825.pdfRead 23 October 2026Heatsink model codes MZ-V8P1T0CW (1TB) and MZ-V8P2T0CW (2TB)

GTIN / EAN

740617324402, 740617324433, 740617324242, 74061732429710Spec databasegeizhals.de/kingston-kc3000-v88169.htmlRead 15 October 2026Geizhals per-capacity pages (a2621455 to a2621458) carry EAN 0740617324402 (SKC3000S/512G), 0740617324433 (SKC3000S/1024G), 0740617324242 (SKC3000D/2048G) and 0740617324297 (SKC3000D/4096G). Stored as 12-digit UPCs. All pass the check digit. Geizhals notes the model shipped with Micron TLC 176 Layer NAND before 2023, and its NAND field says Kioxia BiCS5 112 layer, which conflicts with every launch review and is not used

Not available

AnnouncediThe maker's first announcement of this model. This is separate from first retail availability.

25 October 20218Press articlesimms.co.uk/news/product-launch-kingston-kc3000-pcie-40-nvme-m2-ssdRead 15 October 2026Simms International, a Kingston distributor, published a product launch notice on 25 October 2021. Kingston's own release is dated 9 November 2021 per search listings, which could not be read

22 September 202010Press releasenews.samsung.com/global/samsung-delivers-next-level-ssd-performance-with-980-pro-for-gaming-and-high-end-pc-applicationsRead 23 October 2026Samsung Global Newsroom, Korea, September 22, 2020

Status

Available10Spec databasegeizhals.de/kingston-kc3000-v88169.htmlRead 15 October 2026Geizhals lists 52 offers for the 1TB with a price update dated 15 October 2026 and dealers with stock, so the drive is still sold

Available9Maker product pagesamsung.com/us/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd-1tb-sku-mz-v8p1t0b-amRead 23 October 2026Samsung US still lists the 980 PRO in 1TB and 2TB and shows both as out of stock. No Samsung document says the drive is discontinued. The page prices are current store prices and are not used

PredecessoriThe model this one directly replaced, in the same line, tier and size, as the maker or a trusted review names it.

Not available

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SuccessoriThe model that directly replaced this one, in the same line, tier and size. A revision such as a Slim or OLED model does not count when a next generation exists.

Not available

Samsung 990 PRO22Reviewtomshardware.com/pc-components/42-percent-slashed-of-samsungs-990-pro-ssd-2tb-now-usd369-usd270-savings-brings-one-of-the-fastest-pcie-4-0-ssds-to-its-lowest-price-in-monthsRead 23 October 2026Tom's Hardware says the Samsung 990 Pro is the successor to the 980 Pro.23Reviewkitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/samsung-990-pro-2tb-review/all/1Read 23 October 2026KitGuru says the Samsung 990 Pro takes over from the previous high-end drive, the SSD 980 Pro.

Launch price (US)iThe maker's US launch MSRP for the stated configuration, excluding tax. Current store prices and later discounts do not qualify.

Not available

$429.9913Press articlelegitreviews.comRead 23 October 2026Legit Reviews, January 26, 2021: the 2TB 980 PRO is available for purchase at $429.99, US. The article does not call it MSRP. The Tom's Hardware review table lists the same $429.99 for the 2TB

Launch price (EU)iThe maker's euro launch price for the stated configuration, including VAT as published. Current store prices and later discounts do not qualify.

€3769Press articlegeektopia.es/es/technology/2021/10/25/noticias/kingston-presenta-la-serie-kc3000-de-ssd-tipo-pcie-4-0.htmlRead 15 October 2026Geektopia, 25 October 2021, prints a PVPR row (recommended retail price) of 112.90 EUR, 184.90 EUR, 376 EUR and 1069 EUR for 512GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB. Spanish outlet, so assumed Spain and incl. VAT. A German price was not found. Stored as the 2TB value, 376

From €83.821Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 20262Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/samsung_nvme_ssd_980_pro_with_heatsink_datasheet_rev_2.0_10129696069825.pdfRead 23 October 20263Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/brochure/SSD_980_PRO_980_PRO_with_Heatsink_Brochure.pdfRead 23 October 20264Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-2tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p2t0bwRead 23 October 20265Maker product pagesamsung.com/ae/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p1t0bwRead 23 October 20266Maker product pagesamsung.com/ae/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-500gb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p500bwRead 23 October 20267Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-with-heatsink-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p1t0cwRead 23 October 20268Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-with-heatsink-2tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p2t0cwRead 23 October 202611Press releasenews.samsung.com/us/memory-ssd-980-pro-gaming-pcRead 23 October 202612Press releasenews.samsung.com/de/samsung-nvme-ssd-980-proRead 23 October 202613Press articlelegitreviews.comRead 23 October 202614Press articleguru3d.com/story/samsungs-980-pro-ssd-now-includes-a-stock-heatsink-as-optionRead 23 October 202615Press articlewinfuture.de/news,125801.htmlRead 23 October 202616Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-reviewRead 23 October 202617Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-review/2Read 23 October 202618Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-review/3Read 23 October 202619Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-review/4Read 23 October 202620Reviewkitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/samsung-ssd980-pro-1tb-review/all/1Read 23 October 202621Reviewkitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/samsung-980-pro-with-heatsink-1tb-review/all/1Read 23 October 2026

MarketsiISO country or region codes where this exact model or variant is sold. A source page's language does not establish availability.

Not available

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ColoursiThe maker's own colour names

Not available

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Form factoriPhysical size of the drive. External is any drive in its own case that connects by cable. A drive sold in two M.2 lengths is two products. Xbox expansion card is a card for the storage expansion slot of an Xbox Series console.

M.2 22802Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Specifications table reads M.2 2280

M.2 22801Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026

CapacityiNominal capacity before formatting, in decimal GB. A published 1 TB is 1000 GB. A published 1024GB stays 1024. The marketed capacity is stored, not a raw or usable figure from the same table, such as OWC's 2048 GB total and 1920 GB usable for a 2.0TB drive.

512, 1,024, 2,048, 4,096GB2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Capacities row reads 512GB, 1,024GB, 2,048GB, 4,096GB, copied from Kingston's table. Stored as published since the table says 1,024GB and not 1TB

250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 20261GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes by IDEMA. 250GB, 500GB, 1TB (1,000GB) and 2TB (2,000GB)

Interface

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InterfaceiFastest host connection the drive is rated for. The PCIe generation of an NVMe drive is its own field. A Thunderbolt drive that also works over USB uses its Thunderbolt version.

PCIe NVMe2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Specifications table reads PCIe 4.0 NVMe

PCIe NVMe1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.3c. Footnote 2 says the drive is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0

PCIe generationiHighest PCIe generation the drive supports, e.g. 5 for PCIe 5.0. NVMe drives only. A drive rated for PCIe 4.0 x4 or 5.0 x2 is 5 with 2 lanes, and the source note names both modes.

43Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Spec table reads PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4

41Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026

PCIe lanesiLanes the drive uses at its highest PCIe generation, usually 4. NVMe drives only.

43Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026x4

41Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026

NVMe versioniVersion of the NVMe specification as published. A revision letter is left out, so 2.0d is stored as 2.0.

1.43Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026NVMe 1.4 for all four capacities

1.31Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Published as NVMe 1.3c, stored as 1.3 without the revision letter

Detachable cableiExternal drives. No means the cable is fixed to the drive.

Not available

Not available

Hardware

4 of 7 differ

ControlleriController maker and model as named by the maker or a review. On an external drive, the controller of the SSD inside, not the USB or Thunderbolt bridge chip. The bridge chip goes in the source note.

Phison E182Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Phison E18. The text names the Phison PS5018-E18 on TSMC 12nm. Tom's Hardware spells it PS5018-E18, stored as Phison E18 as on the Corsair MP600 entries3Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Phison PS5018-E18, 8-channel, 12nm. Table lists the same controller for all capacities

Samsung Elpis4Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-2tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p2t0bwRead 23 October 2026Controller row reads Samsung Elpis Controller (2TB bare page)16Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-reviewRead 23 October 2026Review table and text: Samsung Elpis, 8nm, 16.5 x 16.5 mm, PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe 1.3c

Flash typeiBits stored in each flash cell. TLC stores three and QLC stores four. A maker can use another flash type in some capacities, so it is per variant.

TLC2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Specifications table reads 3D TLC

TLC1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026NAND row reads Samsung V-NAND 3bit MLC, which is three bits per cell, so TLC. The Rev 2.1 data sheet no longer names the controller16Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-reviewRead 23 October 20263-bit TLC flash

Flash memoryiFlash maker and generation as named by the maker or a review.

Micron B47R TLC2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Text names Micron's B47R 3D TLC NAND. Tom's Hardware and Club386 name 176-layer TLC. Geizhals notes the drive shipped with Micron 176-layer TLC before 2023, so later units may differ3Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Spec table and text: Micron 176L TLC, thirty-two 512Gb dies at 1,600 MT/s on the 2TB

Samsung V-NAND V6 TLC16Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-reviewRead 23 October 2026Table reads Samsung 1xxL V-NAND TLC and the text calls it V6 V-NAND. The review says V6 reportedly has up to 136 layers, and the 2TB page calls it 128L. Samsung gives no layer count, so the layer count is not stored

Flash layersiStacked layers of the 3D flash, from the maker or a review.

1763Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026176L

Not available

DRAM cacheiDRAM is a memory chip on the drive. HMB is a drive without DRAM that borrows host memory. None has neither. HMB not stated is a drive without DRAM where no source says whether it borrows host memory. An external drive counts when a source names the cache of the drive inside.

DRAM3Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Spec table DRAM: DDR4 for all capacities, a Kingston-branded DDR4 chip

DRAM1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026DRAM Cache Memory row: 512MB LPDDR4 (250GB and 500GB), 1GB LPDDR4 (1TB), 2GB LPDDR4 (2TB)16Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-reviewRead 23 October 2026LPDDR4 for FTL metadata: 512MB (250GB and 500GB), 1GB (1TB), 2GB (2TB)

DRAM cache sizeiSize of the DRAM on the drive. Any DRAM type counts, such as DDR4 or LPDDR4X. Host memory buffer (HMB) is not DRAM on the drive.

2GB6Reviewkitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/kingston-kc3000-2tb-ssd-review/all/1Read 15 October 2026Text says one DDR4 cache IC on each side of the 2TB PCB. The size per capacity is taken from the Igor's Lab table7Reviewigorslab.de/en/kingston-kc3000-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd-review-is-the-kc3000-really-better-than-the-nv3Read 15 October 2026Table of memory model by capacity: 512GB 512 MB DDR4, 1TB 1 GB, 2TB 2 GB, 4TB 4 GB. Review of 9 September 2025 tested a 2TB with Micron 176-layer TLC

2GB1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026512MB is stored as 0.5

Component sidesiWhether chips sit on one or both sides of the board. Thin laptops and some handhelds need single-sided drives. M.2 drives only. The M.2 module code states it: S is single-sided and D is double-sided, e.g. 2280-S3-M or 2280-D5-M.

Double-sided3Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Text says the 512GB and 1TB are single-sided and the larger capacities have components on both sides of the PCB

Not available

Performance

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Sequential read (claimed)iMaker's up-to sequential read speed for this capacity. Test conditions are in the source note.

7,000MB/s2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Sequential Read/Write row: 512GB 7,000/3,900 MB/s, 1,024GB 7,000/6,000, 2,048GB 7,000/7,000, 4,096GB 7,000/7,000. Kingston gives no test host

7,000MB/s1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Up to 6,400 (250GB), 6,900 (500GB), 7,000 (1TB and 2TB) MB/s. IOmeter 1.1.0, AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, ASUS X570 ROG Crosshair VIII Formula, DDR4-2666 2x16GB, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, PCIe 4.0 x4, SSD as secondary drive

Sequential write (claimed)iMaker's up-to sequential write speed for this capacity. Makers usually measure it inside the fast write cache.

7,000MB/s2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Same row as read

5,100MB/s1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Up to 2,700 (250GB), 5,000 (500GB and 1TB), 5,100 (2TB) MB/s. Measured with Intelligent TurboWrite active, so inside the fast write cache

Random 4K read (claimed)iMaker's up-to random read speed with 4 KB blocks. Queue depth and threads are in the source note. The maker's headline claim. Makers test at different queue depths, so compare with care. The queue depth 1 measured fields compare better.

1,000,000IOPS2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Random 4K Read/Write row, up to: 512GB 450,000/900,000 IOPS, 1,024GB 900,000/1,000,000, 2,048GB and 4,096GB 1,000,000/1,000,000. Queue depth is not stated

1,000,000IOPS1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026QD32, 16 threads: 500K (250GB), 800K (500GB), 1,000K (1TB and 2TB). The data sheet also lists QD1, 1 thread: 22K read and 60K write, which are not stored

Random 4K write (claimed)iMaker's up-to random write speed with 4 KB blocks. Queue depth and threads are in the source note. The maker's headline claim. Makers test at different queue depths, so compare with care. The queue depth 1 measured fields compare better.

1,000,000IOPS2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Same row as read

1,000,000IOPS1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026QD32, 16 threads: 600K (250GB), 1,000K (500GB, 1TB and 2TB)

Endurance and reliability

2 of 3 differ

Endurance (TBW)iTerabytes that can be written within the warranty, as the maker rates them.

1,600TB2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026TBW row: 512GB 400 TB, 1,024GB 800 TB, 2,048GB 1.6 PB, 4,096GB 3.2 PB, stored as 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 TB

1,200TB1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026150 TB (250GB), 300 TB (500GB), 600 TB (1TB), 1,200 TB (2TB). JESD218. The warranty covers 5 years or the TBW, whichever comes first

MTBF or MTTF (claimed)iMean time between failures, or mean time to failure when the maker publishes MTTF. The source note says which. Some makers state it per capacity, so it is per variant.

1,800,000h2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026MTBF 1,800,000 hours for every capacity, published as MTBF

1,500,000h1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Published as MTBF, 1.5 million hours

Operating temperatureiMaker's operating range. The storage range is not stored.

Min0Max70°C2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Operating temperature 0C to 70C. The storage range of -40C to 85C is not stored

Min0Max70°C1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 20260 to 70 C, measured by S.M.A.R.T. temperature, proper airflow recommended. The non-operating range of -40 to 85 C is not stored

Power

6 of 6 differ

Power while reading (claimed)iMaker's average power during sequential reads, including a figure given at the full read speed. A single average or active figure with no read and write split, such as Corsair's, is stored in both read and write, and the source note says so. A maximum figure, such as Kingston's (MAX) Read, is a peak and is not stored.

Not available

6.1W1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Active average, IOmeter 1.1.0 on AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, GIGABYTE X570 AORUS MASTER, Windows 10 Pro: 5.0 W (250GB), 5.9 W (500GB), 6.2 W (1TB), 6.1 W (2TB)

Power while writing (claimed)iMaker's average power during sequential writes. A single average or active figure with no read and write split is stored in both read and write, and the source note says so. A maximum figure, such as Kingston's (MAX) Write, is a peak and is not stored.

Not available

5.6W1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 20263.9 W (250GB), 5.4 W (500GB), 5.7 W (1TB), 5.6 W (2TB)

Max power consumption (claimed)iMaker's peak or maximum power figure. Not the average while reading or writing. Kingston publishes max read and max write power apart. Store the higher one and name both in the source note.

9.9W2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Power row per capacity: 512GB 5mW Idle / 0.34W Avg / 2.7W (MAX) Read / 4.1W (MAX) Write, 1,024GB 5mW / 0.33W / 2.8W / 6.3W, 2,048GB 5mW / 0.36W / 2.8W / 9.9W, 4,096GB 5mW / 0.36W / 2.7W / 10.2W. The higher max figure, the write one, is stored. Kingston publishes max read and max write power only, so the read and write fields are empty

7.2W4Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-2tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p2t0bwRead 23 October 2026Average Power Consumption (system level): average 6.1 W, maximum 7.2 W (burst mode) for the 2TB. Only the maximum is stored here5Maker product pagesamsung.com/ae/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p1t0bwRead 23 October 20261TB bare: average 6.2 W, maximum 8.9 W (burst mode). The Samsung 2TB page gives a lower maximum of 7.2 W, both as published6Maker product pagesamsung.com/ae/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-500gb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p500bwRead 23 October 2026500GB bare: average 5.9 W, maximum 7.4 W (burst mode)7Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-with-heatsink-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p1t0cwRead 23 October 20261TB with heatsink: average 6.2 W, maximum 8.9 W (burst mode)8Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-with-heatsink-2tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p2t0cwRead 23 October 20262TB with heatsink: average 6.1 W, maximum 7.2 W (burst mode)

Average power in light use (claimed)iMaker's average over a mixed client workload such as MobileMark. Not idle power and not read or write power.

360mW2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Avg figure per capacity, 0.34W is 340 mW, 0.33W is 330 mW and 0.36W is 360 mW. The workload is not named

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Idle power (claimed)iMaker's idle power in the PS3 state with APST on, or the state the maker calls low-power idle. On a SATA drive, Slumber counts as low-power idle. A plain idle figure with no low-power state, often near 1 W, is active idle and is not stored. Samsung's Idle with DIPM on is a SATA link power state, so it counts as low-power idle.

5mW2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Kingston labels 5mW as Idle for every capacity. At 5 mW it can only be a low-power state, though the datasheet does not name the state. Some retailer copies print 50mW for the 512GB and 4TB

35mW1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Idle with APST on (printed ASPT on): 35 mW for every capacity. The AU and AE Samsung pages print it as max. 35 mW

Sleep power (claimed)iMaker's power in the deepest sleep state, PS4 or L1.2. On a SATA drive this is DevSleep.

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5mW1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026L1.2 mode: 5 mW for every capacity

Measured

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Sequential read (measured)iCrystalDiskMark SEQ1M Q8T1 read result from a reviewer. Host and slot are in the source note. KitGuru's default profile counts as SEQ1M Q8T1.

7,362MB/s6Reviewkitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/kingston-kc3000-2tb-ssd-review/all/1Read 15 October 20262TB. CrystalDiskMark 8 default profile, five runs, drive wiped with HDDerase v4: sequential read 7,362 MB/s

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Sequential write (measured)iCrystalDiskMark SEQ1M Q8T1 write result from a reviewer. Host and slot are in the source note.

6,916MB/s6Reviewkitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/kingston-kc3000-2tb-ssd-review/all/1Read 15 October 20262TB, same test: sequential write 6,916 MB/s

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Random 4K read at queue depth 1 (measured)iCrystalDiskMark RND4K Q1T1 read result from a reviewer. Small reads one at a time, close to everyday use. KitGuru's 4K QD1 1 Thread test counts as RND4K Q1T1. A CrystalDiskMark result printed in IOPS is stored as IOPS x 4096 / 1,000,000 MB/s, the way CrystalDiskMark converts.

83.49MB/s6Reviewkitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/kingston-kc3000-2tb-ssd-review/all/1Read 15 October 20262TB. CrystalDiskMark 8 4K QD1 single thread: read 83.49 MB/s

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Random 4K write at queue depth 1 (measured)iCrystalDiskMark RND4K Q1T1 write result from a reviewer. A CrystalDiskMark result printed in IOPS is stored as IOPS x 4096 / 1,000,000 MB/s, the way CrystalDiskMark converts.

251.49MB/s6Reviewkitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/kingston-kc3000-2tb-ssd-review/all/1Read 15 October 20262TB, same test: write 251.49 MB/s

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Write cache size (measured)iData written at full speed in one long sequential write on an empty drive before the speed drops.

730GB4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-review/3Read 15 October 20262TB. 15-minute Iometer sequential write, 1MB QD32: 730GB written before the speed started to degrade, at a consistent 6.4 GB/s. Intel Rocket Lake bench, drive prefilled to 50 percent and tested as a secondary device, active cooling

238GB19Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-review/4Read 23 October 20262TB, iometer sequential write, 1MB QD32 profile adjusted to a 128KB block size because of scaling issues. The cache measured 238GB, writing at roughly 5.1 GB/s until full. 15-minute test, empty drive

Write speed after the cache (measured)iWrite speed in the first state after the fast cache is full, when the drive writes straight to TLC or QLC. Tom's Hardware calls it TLC mode. The slower folding state and the lowest dip are not stored. Only from a long sequential write test.

1,600MB/s4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-review/3Read 15 October 20262TB, same run. After the cache the drive wrote at roughly 1.6 GB/s until full, stored as 1600. Only one degradation stage

1,500MB/s19Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-review/4Read 23 October 2026After the TurboWrite cache filled, write speed degraded to approximately 1.5 GB/s, then ramped up to 2 GB/s and averaged 1.7 GB/s until full. The first state, 1.5 GB/s, is stored. The text gives a rounded figure

3DMark Storage BenchmarkiOverall score measured by a reviewer. Host and slot are in the source note. From StorageReview only. Tom's Hardware scores the same drive about 30 percent higher, so other reviewers are not mixed in.

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Highest temperature under load (measured)iHighest drive sensor reading in a sustained write test of 10 minutes or more, on the bare drive unless the row is a heatsink version. Short benchmark runs do not count. Heatsink, airflow and room temperature go in the source note.

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Idle power (measured)iReviewer's idle reading. Power-saving settings such as ASPM are in the source note. A value read from a chart image counts when the source note says "read from chart".

1,111mW4Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-review/3Read 15 October 20262TB. Quarch PPM idle power with ASPM/LPM disabled: 1,111 mW, read from chart. The text says it consumed over 1.1 watts at idle

760mW19Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-980-pro-m-2-nvme-ssd-review/4Read 23 October 20262TB, Quarch HD Programmable Power Module, idle with ASPM/LPM disabled, 760 mW read from chart. Test bench: open air, 24 C room

Cooling and build

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HeatsinkiVersions sold. The base lists every version and each variant row lists its own. A water block or a cooler with a fan counts as a heatsink. A thermal pad or label alone is bare. A heatsink in the box that the buyer fits, as on the XPG MARS 980 BLADE, counts as with heatsink.

Without heatsink3Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026The drive has a low-profile graphene aluminum heat spreader in the label and no heatsink. A label alone counts as bare. The review ran it without a heatsink

Without heatsink, With heatsink2Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/samsung_nvme_ssd_980_pro_with_heatsink_datasheet_rev_2.0_10129696069825.pdfRead 23 October 2026980 PRO with Heatsink Data Sheet, Revision 2.0 (June 2023). Bare drives are in the main data sheet. The heatsink models have the same speeds, IOPS, TBW and power values as the bare drives of the same capacity

RGB lightingiAny version sold has lighting the user can set. A status LED alone does not count. Leave it out when no version has lighting. The Heatsink rows show which version has it.

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Dust and water ratingiPublished IP rating of an external drive.

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Drop test heightiMaker-published tested height. Surface and conditions are in the source note.

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Security and software

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SecurityiFeatures the maker names for the drive. Encryption done by host software does not count. ATA Security passthrough counts as password protection.

Not available

AES 256-bit hardware encryption, TCG Opal 2.0, IEEE 1667 (eDrive)1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Data Security row reads AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption, TCG/Opal V2.0, Encrypted Drive (IEEE1667)

Software

Kingston SSD Manager3Reviewtomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Kingston SSD Manager for health and firmware, plus an Acronis True Image HD key. The drive has no AES-256 hardware encryption

Samsung Magician4Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-2tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p2t0bwRead 23 October 2026Management SW row reads Magician Software for SSD management

Compatibility

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PlatformsiPlatforms the maker names for this drive. A PS5 needs a heatsink on an internal drive. PC is for a maker that writes Client PCs or PC without naming an operating system. Handheld PCs go in Other with a source note.

PC (no OS named)8Press articlesimms.co.uk/news/product-launch-kingston-kc3000-pcie-40-nvme-m2-ssdRead 15 October 2026Notice says the drive is for desktop and laptop PCs, with no operating system named

PC (no OS named), PS51Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Usage Application reads Client PCs, stored as PC. The PS5 entry comes from the Samsung pages of the heatsink model, see the Samsung AU heatsink pages7Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-with-heatsink-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p1t0cwRead 23 October 2026Application row reads Client PCs, Game Consoles. The description says the 980 PRO with Heatsink is compatible with PlayStation 5. The PS5 entry is for the heatsink models only, the bare drive is listed for Client PCs

Dimensions and weight

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DimensionsiLength is the long side. Height is the thickness, including a fitted heatsink. As the maker publishes it. A maximum counts. Length is the long side even when the maker lists the width first.

Length80Width22Height3.5mm(3.1 × 0.9 × 0.1 in)2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026512GB and 1,024GB 80mm x 22mm x 2.21mm. 2,048GB and 4,096GB 80mm x 22mm x 3.5mm

Length80.15Width22.15Height2.38mm(3.2 × 0.9 × 0.1 in)1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Bare drive, Max 80.15 x Max 22.15 x Max 2.38 mm on every capacity2Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/samsung_nvme_ssd_980_pro_with_heatsink_datasheet_rev_2.0_10129696069825.pdfRead 23 October 2026Heatsink models, Max 80.15 x Max 25 x Max 8.88 mm. Revision 1.0 (October 2021) and Samsung's regional pages still give 80 x 24 x 8.6 mm, which Revision 2.0 replaced

WeightiDrive alone, with a heatsink when it is sold fitted. No cable and no packaging. As the maker publishes it. A maximum counts. Not a measured weight.

9.7g(0.3 oz)2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026512GB and 1,024GB 7 g. 2,048GB and 4,096GB 9.7 g

9g(0.3 oz)3Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/brochure/SSD_980_PRO_980_PRO_with_Heatsink_Brochure.pdfRead 23 October 2026Technical Specifications table, 2021 brochure: Max 9.0 g for the bare drives and Max 30.5 g for the heatsink models4Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-2tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p2t0bwRead 23 October 2026Weight row: Max 9.0 g5Maker product pagesamsung.com/ae/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p1t0bwRead 23 October 20261TB bare, Max 9.0 g6Maker product pagesamsung.com/ae/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-500gb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p500bwRead 23 October 2026500GB bare, Max 9.0 g7Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-with-heatsink-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p1t0cwRead 23 October 2026Max 30.5 g with heatsink8Maker product pagesamsung.com/au/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-with-heatsink-2tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-mz-v8p2t0cwRead 23 October 2026Max 30.5 g with heatsink

In the box

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In the box

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Samsung SSD 980 PRO 250GB, Samsung SSD 980 PRO 500GB, Samsung SSD 980 PRO 1TB, Samsung SSD 980 PRO 2TB, Samsung SSD 980 PRO with Heatsink 1TB, Samsung SSD 980 PRO with Heatsink 2TB, Warranty Statement1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Product lineup table: the drive and a Warranty Statement for each capacity2Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/samsung_nvme_ssd_980_pro_with_heatsink_datasheet_rev_2.0_10129696069825.pdfRead 23 October 2026Product lineup table: the drive with heatsink and a Warranty Statement. The 2TB line has a typo in the data sheet (Samsung SSD PRO with Heatsink PRO 2TB), stored as Samsung SSD 980 PRO with Heatsink 2TB

Cables includediCables supplied with an external drive.

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Links

Not compared

Product page

www.kingston.com/en/ssd/kc3000-nvme-m2-solid-state-drive1Maker product pagekingston.com/en/ssd/kc3000-nvme-m2-solid-state-driveRead 15 October 2026Kingston's product page for the drive. It returned HTTP 403 to automated requests and the datasheet URL pattern kingston.com/datasheets/SKC3000S_us.pdf returned 404, so neither was read. StorageReview and APH Networks print Kingston's spec list

www.samsung.com/us/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd-1tb-sku-mz-v8p1t0b-am9Maker product pagesamsung.com/us/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/980-pro-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd-1tb-sku-mz-v8p1t0b-amRead 23 October 2026

Spec sheet

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download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdf1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 2026Samsung V-NAND SSD 980 PRO Data Sheet, Revision 2.1 (February 2021). It covers 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. Heatsink models have their own data sheet

Manual

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EPREL registration numberiId in the EU energy label database. Each size or model of a series has its own id, so it is per variant.

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Warranty

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Manufacturer warranty (source market)iThe maker's warranty period for the exact SKU or configuration and market named in the source note. It applies only to that stated market, not every regional variant. Statutory consumer rights are excluded. The base term is stored. An extension that needs registration goes in the source note.

5years2Reviewstoragereview.com/review/kingston-kc3000-ssd-reviewRead 15 October 2026Limited 5-year warranty with free technical support

5years1Maker spec sheet (PDF)download.semiconductor.samsung.com/resources/data-sheet/Samsung-NVMe-SSD-980-PRO-Data-Sheet_Rev.2.1_10129504060695.pdfRead 23 October 20265 years limited, or the TBW, whichever comes first

Both are also in the API. Back to all SSDs.