The prices of SSDs (solid-state drives) have been plummeting in recent years. These super-fast and compact storage devices are a world away from the clunky old hard drives many of us grew up with. SSDs are silent and offer an efficient way of storing data inside a computer or as an external storage device.
The Kingston XS1000 is one of the new generations of external SSDs aimed at the consumer market. With a sensible price and a convenient size, the Kingston XS1000 SSD is ideal for backing up a computer, storing vast amounts of photos and videos and general-purpose data backup.
In terms of performance, the XS1000 offers maximum quoted data transfer speeds of 1,050 MB/s read and 1,000 MB/s write, placing it in the mid-performance range for an external SSD. The XS1000 uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 interface (10 Gbps) and is available in 1TB or 2TB capacities.
At roughly half the size of many external SSDs, the XS1000 is small enough to put in a ticket stub pocket and is conveniently sized to take almost anywhere, which gives it added flexibility.
One small caveat is the XS1000 doesn’t include encryption or a PIN or password lock, so this isn’t a drive for putting sensitive information on if there’s any chance of it being lost. Fortunately, there are many other options from Kingston and other brands if you need hardware encryption or restricted password access for a portable data drive.
To put the Kingston XS1000 through its paces, I first formatted it for Apple APFS disk partitioning and then tested it using Black Magic Disk Speed Test using my Apple Mac Mini M2 Pro with a certified USB 3.2 cable.
The results from my test were very pleasing. No drive of any type will ever achieve its maximum theoretical data transfer speeds, but I logged scores of 92405 MB/s for writing and a slightly faster 922.5 MB/s for reading. Those figures make the XS1000 ideal for most uses except, perhaps, 12K video at a 60Hz refresh rate.
I also tried the drive using a selection of different files with various sizes to see how the SSD dealt with large amounts of data. The good news is the plastic casing of the XS1000 stayed cool, even when transferring large amounts of data. Speeds remained consistent and I didn’t encounter any other issues.
Because the external SSD market is very competitive, there are many different products to choose from, but not many are the super compact size of the Kingston XS1000. For instance, there’s the excellent Samsung T7 or the San Disk Extreme Pro that I have used for some time. That said, I have heard reports of issues with some San Disk Extreme Pro versions, so maybe check that out.
Verdict: The Kingston XS1000 SSD is a neat and compact external storage device at a sensible price. It balances price, power and performance in a sweet triangle and is ideal for everyday use. It has its limitations concerning security, but for home backups, accessing files on the move and general data transfer, the XS1000 is a good bet. It’s convenient if you have an Apple MacBook. Apple is very stingy with the storage on its laptops, so the XS1000 is an affordable way of adding more space for you to use on the move and for keeping a backup.
Pricing & Availability: The Kingston XS1000 SSD is available now on Amazon UK and costs £69.41 for 1TB and £115.68 for 2TB. For prices in other markets, check on Amazon or with local Kingston resellers.
More info: www.kingston.com
Tech Specs:
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2.
- Controller: SMI 2320.
- NAND: 3D NAND.
- Capacities: 1TB, 2 TB.
- Casing: Plastic.
- Sequential Read/Write: up to 1,050/1,000MB/s.
- Accessories: 12-inch/30cm Type-C to Type-A cable.
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