Kingston currently has three similar NVMe PCIe Internal Solid State Drives on the market with the A2000, KC2000 and KC2500. So, which of these is the best out of the group?
You can find out in this comparison guide between the three SSDs.
Quick Summary
The Kingston KC2500 NVMe PCIe SSD easily has the best performance as it is the fastest in maximum sequential read speed, maximum sequential write speed, maximum random read speed and maximum random write speed.
In terms of durability, the A2000, KC2000 and KC2500 have identical TBW and MTBF specifications.
A2000 vs. KC2000 vs. KC2500 Comparison Charts
You can take a look at Seeking Tech’s comparison tables between the A2000, KC2000 and KC2500 SSDs below.
250 GB A2000 SSD vs. 250 GB KC2000 SSD vs. 250 GB KC2500 SSD
| 250 GB A2000 SSD | 250 GB KC2000 SSD | 250 GB KC2500 SSD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 6.6 g | 8 g | 8 g |
| Dimensions | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes |
| NAND | 3D | 96-layer 3D TLC | 96-layer 3D TLC |
| Encryption | XTS-AES 256-bit | XTS-AES 256-bit | XTS-AES 256-bit |
| Maximum Sequential Read Speed | Up to 2,000 MB/s | Up to 3,000 MB/s | Up to 3,500 MB/s |
| Maximum Sequential Write Speed | Up to 1,100 MB/s | Up to 1,100 MB/s | Up to 1,200 MB/s |
| Maximum Random Read Speed | Up to 150,000 IOPS | Up to 350,000 IOPS | Up to 375,000 IOPS |
| Maximum Random Write Speed | Up to 180,000 IOPS | Up to 200,000 IOPS | Up to 300,000 IOPS |
| Total Bytes Written | 150 TB | 150 TB | 150 TB |
| Mean Time Between Failures | 2,000,000 hours | 2,000,000 hours | 2,000,000 hours |
| Power Consumption | .0032W Idle .08W Avg 1.7W (MAX) Read 4.5W (MAX) Write | .003W Idle .2W Avg 2.1W (MAX) Read 7W (MAX) Write | .003W Idle .2W Avg 2.1W (MAX) Read 7W (MAX) Write |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C |
| Operating Vibration | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) |
| Non-Operating Vibration | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
500 GB A2000 SSD vs. 500 GB KC2000 SSD vs. 500 GB KC2500 SSD
| 500 GB A2000 SSD | 500 GB KC2000 SSD | 500 GB KC2500 SSD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 6.8 g | 10 g | 10 g |
| Dimensions | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes |
| NAND | 3D | 96-layer 3D TLC | 96-layer 3D TLC |
| Encryption | XTS-AES 256-bit | XTS-AES 256-bit | XTS-AES 256-bit |
| Maximum Sequential Read Speed | Up to 2,200 MB/s | Up to 3,000 MB/s | Up to 3,500 MB/s |
| Maximum Sequential Write Speed | Up to 2,000 MB/s | Up to 2,000 MB/s | Up to 2,500 MB/s |
| Maximum Random Read Speed | Up to 180,000 IOPS | Up to 350,000 IOPS | Up to 375,000 IOPS |
| Maximum Random Write Speed | Up to 200,000 IOPS | Up to 250,000 IOPS | Up to 300,000 IOPS |
| Total Bytes Written | 300 TB | 300 TB | 300 TB |
| Mean Time Between Failures | 2,000,000 hours | 2,000,000 hours | 2,000,000 hours |
| Power Consumption | .0032W Idle .08W Avg 1.7W (MAX) Read 4.5W (MAX) Write | .003W Idle .2W Avg 2.1W (MAX) Read 7W (MAX) Write | .003W Idle .2W Avg 2.1W (MAX) Read 7W (MAX) Write |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C |
| Operating Vibration | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) |
| Non-Operating Vibration | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
1 TB A2000 SSD vs. 1 TB KC2000 SSD vs. 1 TB KC2500 SSD
| 1 TB A2000 SSD | 1 TB KC2000 SSD | 1 TB KC2500 SSD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 6.6 g | 10 g | 10 g |
| Dimensions | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes |
| NAND | 3D | 96-layer 3D TLC | 96-layer 3D TLC |
| Encryption | XTS-AES 256-bit | XTS-AES 256-bit | XTS-AES 256-bit |
| Maximum Sequential Read Speed | Up to 2,200 MB/s | Up to 3,200 MB/s | Up to 3,500 MB/s |
| Maximum Sequential Write Speed | Up to 2,000 MB/s | Up to 2,200 MB/s | Up to 2,900 MB/s |
| Maximum Random Read Speed | Up to 250,000 IOPS | Up to 350,000 IOPS | Up to 375,000 IOPS |
| Maximum Random Write Speed | Up to 220,000 IOPS | Up to 275,000 IOPS | Up to 300,000 IOPS |
| Total Bytes Written | 600 TB | 600 TB | 600 TB |
| Mean Time Between Failures | 2,000,000 hours | 2,000,000 hours | 2,000,000 hours |
| Power Consumption | .0032W Idle .08W Avg 1.7W (MAX) Read 4.5W (MAX) Write | .003W Idle .2W Avg 2.1W (MAX) Read 7W (MAX) Write | .003W Idle .2W Avg 2.1W (MAX) Read 7W (MAX) Write |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C |
| Operating Vibration | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) |
| Non-Operating Vibration | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
2 TB KC2000 SSD vs. 2 TB KC2500 SSD
| 2 TB KC2000 SSD | 2 TB KC2500 SSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 11 g | 11 g |
| Dimensions | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm | 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes | NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes |
| NAND | 96-layer 3D TLC | 96-layer 3D TLC |
| Encryption | XTS-AES 256-bit | XTS-AES 256-bit |
| Maximum Sequential Read Speed | Up to 3,200 MB/s | Up to 3,500 MB/s |
| Maximum Sequential Write Speed | Up to 2,200 MB/s | Up to 2,900 MB/s |
| Maximum Random Read Speed | Up to 250,000 IOPS | Up to 375,000 IOPS |
| Maximum Random Write Speed | Up to 250,000 IOPS | Up to 300,000 IOPS |
| Total Bytes Written | 1200 TB | 1200 TB |
| Mean Time Between Failures | 2,000,000 hours | 2,000,000 hours |
| Power Consumption | .003W Idle .2W Avg 2.1W (MAX) Read 7W (MAX) Write | .003W Idle .2W Avg 2.1W (MAX) Read 7W (MAX) Write |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C |
| Operating Vibration | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) | 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz) |
| Non-Operating Vibration | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) | 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz) |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
Capacity Options
The Kingston A2000 comes in three capacity options: 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB.
The Kingston KC2000 and Kingston KC2500 are available in four capacities: 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB.
You can check out the model numbers for each below:
A2000 NVMe PCIe SSD:
- 250 GB: SA2000M8/250G
- 500 GB: SA2000M8/500G
- 1TB: SA2000M8/1000G
KC2000 NVMe PCIe SSD:
- 250 GB: SKC2000M8/250G
- 500 GB: SKC2000M8/500G
- 1TB: SKC2000M8/1000G
- 2TB: SKC2000M8/2000G
KC2500 NVMe PCIe SSD:
- 250 GB: SKC2500M8/250G
- 500 GB: SKC2500M8/500G
- 1TB: SKC2500M8/100G
- 2TB: SKC2500M8/2000G
Weight
In terms of weight, the A2000 is lighter than the other two drives in this versus guide.
When comparing similar capacity options, the KC2000 and KC2500 are identical in mass.
You can find the weight specifications below:
- 250 GB A2000 SSD: 6.6 g
- 500 GB A2000 SSD: 6.8 g
- 1TB A2000 SSD: 6.6 g
- 250 GB KC2000 SSD: 8 g
- 500 GB KC2000 SSD: 10 g
- 1TB KC2000 SSD: 10 g
- 2TB KC2000 SSD: 11 g
- 250 GB KC2500 SSD: 8 g
- 500 GB KC2500 SSD: 10 g
- 1TB KC2500 SSD: 10 g
- 2TB KC2500 SSD: 11 g
Dimensions
The Kingston NVMe PCIe SSDs have the same measurements at 80 mm x 22 mm x 3.5 mm.
Form Factor
All three internal solid state drives also utilize M.2 2280 as the form factor.
Interface
Furthermore, the SSDs use the same NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4 Lanes interface.
NAND
The Kingston A2000 NVMe PCIe SSD uses 3D for NAND. Both the Kingston KC2000 SSD and Kingston KC2500 SSD use 96-layer 3D TLC.
Encryption
All the SSDs utilize XTS-AES 256-bit for encryption.
Maximum Sequential Read Speed
When comparing the same capacity options, the KC2500 provides the fastest maximum read speed with KC2000 being the second fastest and A2000 being the slowest.
You can find the max sequential read speed specs below:
- 250 GB A2000: Up to 2,000 MB/s
- 500 GB A2000: Up to 2,200 MB/s
- 1TB A2000: Up to 2,200 MB/s
- 250 GB KC2000: Up to 3,000 MB/s
- 500 GB KC2000: Up to 3,000 MB/s
- 1TB KC2000: Up to 3,200 MB/s
- 2TB KC2000: Up to 3,200 MB/s
- 250 GB KC2500: Up to 3,500 MB/s
- 500 GB KC2500: Up to 3,500 MB/s
- 1TB KC2500: Up to 3,500 MB/s
- 2TB KC2500: Up to 3,500 MB/s
Maximum Sequential Write Speed
The Kingston KC2500 is also faster than the Kingston A2000 and Kingston KC2000 in maximum sequential write speed.
The 250 GB and 500 GB versions of A2000 and KC2000 have identical sequential write speeds although the 1 TB version of the A2000 is slower than the 1 TB KC2000.
You can find the max sequential write speed specifications below:
- 250 GB Kingston A2000 SSD: Up to 1,100 MB/s
- 500 GB Kingston A2000 SSD: Up to 2,000 MB/s
- 1TB Kingston A2000 SSD: Up to 2,000 MB/s
- 250 GB Kingston KC2000 SSD: Up to 1,100 MB/s
- 500 GB Kingston KC2000 SSD: Up to 2,000 MB/s
- 1TB Kingston KC2000 SSD: Up to 2,200 MB/s
- 2TB Kingston KC2000 SSD: Up to 2,200 MB/s
- 250 GB Kingston KC2500 SSD: Up to 1,200 MB/s
- 500 GB Kingston KC2500 SSD: Up to 2,500 MB/s
- 1TB Kingston KC2500 SSD: Up to 2,900 MB/s
- 2TB Kingston KC2500 SSD: Up to 2,900 MB/s
Maximum Random Read Speed
The KC2500 is also the best performing solid state drive at maximum random read speed.
The KC2000 is the second best while A2000 is the worst.
You can find the max random read speeds below:
- 250 GB A2000 SSD: Up to 150,000 IOPS
- 500 GB A2000 SSD: Up to 180,000 IOPS
- 1TB A2000 SSD: Up to 250,000 IOPS
- 250 GB KC2000 SSD: Up to 350,000 IOPS
- 500 GB KC2000 SSD: Up to 350,000 IOPS
- 1TB KC2000 SSD: Up to 350,000 IOPS
- 2TB KC2000 SSD: Up to 250,000 IOPS
- 250 GB KC2500 SSD: Up to 375,000 IOPS
- 500 GB KC2500 SSD: Up to 375,000 IOPS
- 1TB KC2500 SSD: Up to 375,000 IOPS
- 2TB KC2500 SSD: Up to 375,000 IOPS
Maximum Random Write Speed
The story is the same when it comes to the maximum random write speed with the KC2500 being the fastest, followed by KC2000 and then the A2000.
You can take a look at the max random write speed specs below:
- 250 GB A2000 SSD: Up to 180,000 IOPS
- 500 GB A2000 SSD: Up to 200,000 IOPS
- 1TB A2000 SSD: Up to 220,000 IOPS
- 250 GB KC2000 SSD: Up to 200,000 IOPS
- 500 GB KC2000 SSD: Up to 250,000 IOPS
- 1TB KC2000 SSD: Up to 275,000 IOPS
- 2TB KC2000 SSD: Up to 250,000 IOPS
- 250 GB KC2500 SSD: Up to 300,000 IOPS
- 500 GB KC2500 SSD: Up to 300,000 IOPS
- 1TB KC2500 SSD: Up to 300,000 IOPS
- 2TB KC2500 SSD: Up to 300,000 IOPS
Total Bytes Written
Total Bytes Written (or TBW) is a measurement of durability as it indicates how much data can be written on a SSD during the drive’s lifespan.
When comparing identical capacities, the 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB versions of the A2000, KC2000 and KC2500 have the same TBW.
The 2 TB capacities of the KC2000 and KC2500 are also equal.
You can check out the full breakdown below:
- 250 GB A2000 SSD: 150 TB
- 500 GB A2000 SSD: 300 TB
- 1TB A2000 SSD: 600 TB
- 250 GB KC2000 SSD: 150 TB
- 500 GB KC2000 SSD: 300 TB
- 1TB KC2000 SSD: 600 TB
- 2TB KC2000 SSD: 1200 TB
- 250 GB KC2500 SSD: 150 TB
- 500 GB KC2500 SSD: 300 TB
- 1TB KC2500 SSD: 600 TB
- 2TB KC2500 SSD: 1200 TB
Mean Time Between Failures
Another measurement for durability is Mean Time Between Failures (or MTBF), which estimates the amount of hours that a solid state drive should remain functional between two hardware failures.
The Kingston A2000, Kingston KC2000 and Kingston KC2500 have the same MTBF at 2,000,000 hours.
Power Consumption
The KC2000 and KC2500 have identical power consumption. The A2000 uses a little bit more energy while idle but a lot less power when in use.
You can take a look at the power consumption stats below:
Kingston A2000 NVMe PCIe SSD:
- .0032W Idle
- .08W Avg
- 1.7W (MAX) Read
- 4.5W (MAX) Write
Kingston KC2000 NVMe PCIe SSD and Kingston KC2500 NVMe PCIe SSD:
- .003W Idle
- .2W Avg
- 2.1W (MAX) Read
- 7W (MAX) Write
Storage Temperature
All three of the SSDs have the same storage temperature range of -40°C to 85°C.
Operating Temperature
The operating temperature range are also identical across the products at 0°C to 70°C.
Operating Vibration
The Kingston A2000, Kingston KC2000 and Kingston KC2500 have the same operating vibration at 2.17 G Peak (7-800Hz).
Non-Operating Vibration
The non-operating vibration are also identical at 20 G Peak (20-1000Hz).
Warranty
The Kingston A2000 NVMe PCIe SSD, Kingston KC2000 NVMe PCIe SSD and Kingston KC2500 NVMe PCIe SSD each come with a 5-year limited warranty in addition to free technical support.
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