The Kingston XS1000 isn’t great for large volumes of data
26/9/2023
Translation: Elicia Payne
A whole lot of emptiness. The Kingston XS1000 is pretty darn small and lightweight. Unfortunately, the latter also applies to SLC mode.
I feel like I’m holding a slightly oversized USB stick. Kingston’s new external SSD is the smallest model I’ve come across so far. Fortunately, the XS1000’s performance isn’t small – at least as long as you don’t want to transfer more than 150 gigabytes (GB) of data at once.
The Kingston XS1000 in greater detail
The XS1000 Pro is available with a storage capacity of 1 or 2 terabytes. At 69.5 × 32.5 × 13.5 millimetres, it’s more compact than the recently tested X9 Pro by Crucial. The SSD is light as a feather and weighs only 29 grammes.
This newbie seems to have a lot of space inside despite its compact mass. At least, that’s what it sounds like when I tap it with my fingernails. That’s probably due to the fact that the manufacturer probably does little for cooling, as the test below shows. The black metal case isn’t IP-certified either. So even a possible downpour could damage it.
The SSD is connected via USB-C on the device side. A USB-C to USB-A cable is included. If you want to connect it to a PC or notebook via USB-C, you have to get an adapter for USB-C or a new cable.
Source: Kevin Hofer
Silicon Motion’s SM2320 is used as the controller. The same is also found in the Crucial X9 Pro which has a single-chip controller. This eliminates the need for a bridge chip to translate from the SATA/NVMe to the USB protocol. External SSDs are lighter and more compact.
Kingston relies on TLC for the 3D NAND memory. NAND is a non-volatile memory technology that doesn’t require power to store data. TLC stands for Triple Level Cell. This means 3 bits are allocated per memory cell. I’ve not been able to find out exactly which TLC memory it is. I suspect that it’s one with 176 layers. The SSD also offers a five-year manufacturer warranty. However, a data encryption standard is missing.
When it comes to data transfer, Kingston claims the full theoretical bandwidth of USB 3.2 Gen2, with 1050 megabytes per second (MB/s) for reading. When writing, it’s 1000 MB/s. USB 3.2 Gen2 is widely used and compatible with Thunderbolt 3 or 4.
Sequential writing- and read speed in ATTO Disk Benchmark
Sequentially stored data is saved in contiguous blocks. Thanks to sequential reading and writing, you can estimate how fast the SSD is when accessing large multimedia files, transcoding videos or watching movies. Manufacturers like to quote sequential speeds, as they offer the highest values.
I run all the tests on my test system, which includes the following components:
In the visualisation below, you can see how it fares in comparison to portable SSDs I’ve already tested. For the sake of clarity, I haven’t integrated all the results into the visualisation. You can see the maximum measured results.
With a maximum speed of 982 MB/s, the XS1000 Pro doesn’t manage to hit the stated maximum read speed of 1050 MB/s. In benchmark tests, very few internal or external SSDs achieve the speeds officially given in the specs. These being theoretical figures, which are only reached under optimal conditions. Measured against the other SSDs, the difference between its promised and actual performance is about the same. When it comes to write speed, it’s a little further off, reaching 872 MB/s instead of the 1000 MB/s outlined in the specs. The portable SSD doesn’t reach its full read- and write speed until the file size is around 256 KB.
Compared to the SSDs with USB 3.2 Gen2x2, such as the X10 Pro or the SanDisk Extreme V2 the XS1000 Pro only manages about half the speed. In reading, it’s more or less on par with the competition of the same standard. However the writing speed is the lowest.
Random access and more sequential speed
While the MB/s value is key for sequential read or write, it’s the IOPS values for random write. The higher the IOPS values, the faster the SSD. The shorter the response times, the faster the SSD reacts. Random read and writes refer to data that isn’t stored in contiguous memory cells; they’re randomly distributed on the SSD.
Anvil’s Storage Utilities delivers a different picture than the ATTO Disk Benchmark. While the XS1000 was still in last place for writing compared to the direct competition, it’s now in first. But it has to compensate with a penultimate position in reading. Overall, the difference to the SanDisk Extreme Portable and the Crucial X9 is small.
File transfer
To test the SSD’s performance in real-world scenarios, I copy various files from the system drive to the XS1000.
First up is a 101-GB folder with MP4 videos, RAW photos and a Premiere Pro project. A total of 60 files. It takes the XS1000 Pro 155 seconds. The speed averages 700 MB/s, a rate the SSD sustains throughout the transfer. This puts it in second place behind the X9 Pro among external SSDs with USB 3.2 Gen2.
When I’m not using the external drive, the software Crystal Disk Info displays a reading of 36 degrees Celsius. While I’m transferring the 101 GB folder, the temperature rises to 49 degrees Celsius. That’s nine degrees more than the X9 Pro. At the time of the measurement, the temperature in my office was 22 degrees, which is four degrees cooler than the temperature measured with the X9. The temperatures are even more extreme after twenty minutes of use; the SSD went up to 78 degrees Celsius. This temperature also transfers to the casing, which makes the SSD unpleasant to touch.
Source: Kevin Hofer
I also test how much data it takes for the SSD to start slowing down. To do this, I copy the 101 GB file folder to the SSD several times. As it turns out, the so-called SLC mode is exhausted after 150 GB of transferred files. In single-level cell mode, the memory blocks are written with 1 bit. This way writing is faster than in TLC mode. When the transfer is finished, the SSD shovels the data into the TLC memory so that SLC mode is available again.
When SLC mode is exhausted, the data transfer speed is only 170 MB/s instead of 700 MB/s. The XS1000 needs a few minutes after the transfer to move the data from SLC to TLC memory. During this time, only the slower TLC mode is available.
For my second test, I copy an almost-10-GB folder containing MTS, MP4, MP3, MOV and JPEG files and another Premiere project. A total of 100 files. It turns out the XS1000 is only a second slower than the X9 Pro. Averaging 680 MB/s, the transfer speed isn’t as fast as it is in the first test. This is probably because the folder contains more files, which means more random access than sequential.
The same is even more apparent during my final test. At almost 4 GB, the folder contains more than 160 photos in RAW format. This time, the XS1000 Pro is on par with the X9, only taking five seconds to transfer all the files. However, due to sequential writing, the average transfer speed is «only» around 620 MB/s.
The X9 Pro only slows down once the data transfer reaches 90 per cent complete. At that point, the writing speed is 90 MB/s on average.
If I move files around on the SSD, the speed is significantly lower. When I measure it, it’s around 400 MB/s on average.
Verdict: fast, robust and attractively priced
The Kingston XS1000 offers a lot of storage for relatively little money in a compact guise. Compared to the competition from SanDisk or Crucial, the Kingston costs 30 and 50 francs/euro less, respectively. It’s neither dust- nor splash-proof, and there’s no encryption standard.
Compared to the competition, you’ll also have to cut back on the transfer of large data volumes of 150 GB and more. Anywhere above this data volume the XS1000 starts to slow down massively. With the X9, Extreme Portable or the T7 however, I couldn’t tell. Plus, there’s nothing to keep it cool. The XS1000 gets darn hot during long data transfers – externally too.
If you regularly transfer more than 150 GB of data at once, the XS1000 probably isn’t for you. I also wouldn’t recommend it on the road, despite its compactness, due to the lack of certification – at least out in the country. The X9, Extreme Portable or the T7 Shield are better suited for that. However, if you’re on a budget and looking for the smallest external SSD possible, I can recommend the XS1000.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
