Crucial P3 Plus 2TB vs Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB

CrucialP3 Plus 2TB2000 GB · 5000 MB/s · 4200 MB/s · 440 TBWLeads on Sequential write
KioxiaExceria Plus G3 2TB2000 GB · 5000 MB/s · 3900 MB/s · 1200 TBWLeads on Endurance
In short

Crucial P3 Plus 2TB is at least the equal of the other on every measure that decides this, and ahead on at least one.

SpecificationCrucialP3 Plus 2TBKioxiaExceria Plus G3 2TB
Capacity (GB)20002000
Sequential read (MB/s)50005000
Sequential write (MB/s)4200better3900
Current best price$396.00betterat Amazon.ca · captured 2026-09-13$572.00at Amazon.ca · captured 2026-09-09
Price per TB$198.00better$286.00
Endurance (TBW)4401200better
Warranty (years)55
DRAM cacheNoNo
NAND typeqlctlc
ControllerPhison E21TPhison PS5021-E21T

How these two compare

Sequential throughput

Crucial P3 Plus 2TB states 5000 MB/s read and 4200 MB/s write; Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB states 5000 MB/s read and 3900 MB/s write, both over PCIe. Sequential numbers like these describe large sustained transfers; the responsiveness you notice day to day tracks random access more closely than the peak figures do.

Price

Crucial P3 Plus 2TB is $396.00 ($198.00 per TB); Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB is $572.00 ($286.00 per TB).

Endurance

Crucial P3 Plus 2TB is rated for 440 TBW and Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB for 1200 TBW — the total the maker warrants you can write over the drive's life. A typical desktop writes only a few terabytes a year, so either rating is many years of headroom; the figure matters mainly as a relative signal of how hard each is built to be driven.

DRAM cache

On the cache question: Crucial P3 Plus 2TB is DRAM-less, and Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB is DRAM-less. The DRAM keeps the flash-translation table close, sparing a lookup on nearly every access; a drive without it leans on host memory or its own flash, which usually shows as slower sustained random writes rather than in the headline sequential numbers.

NAND, controller and warranty

On the flash itself: Crucial P3 Plus 2TB uses QLC, and Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB uses TLC. NAND tiers count bits per cell — more bits pack more capacity into the same silicon but shorten write endurance and slow sustained writes, which is why QLC sits below TLC on lasting performance even when the sequential numbers match. Controller: Crucial P3 Plus 2TB uses the Phison E21T and Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB uses the Phison PS5021-E21T. The controller runs wear-levelling, error correction and the mapping table, so it shapes sustained and random behaviour as much as the flash does — though the model name alone predicts little without testing. Crucial P3 Plus 2TB carries a 5-year warranty and Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB carries a 5-year warranty — the length the maker will stand behind the drive, and usually a proxy for the endurance it is rated to.

Which to buy

Against the other, Crucial P3 Plus 2TB is even or ahead on every tracked measure and behind on none, which is the one case where the choice needs no compromise.

Common questions about this pair

Which is faster, Crucial P3 Plus 2TB or Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB?
Crucial P3 Plus 2TB states 5000 MB/s read and 4200 MB/s write; Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB states 5000 MB/s read and 3900 MB/s write, both over PCIe. Sequential numbers like these describe large sustained transfers; the responsiveness you notice day to day tracks random access more closely than the peak figures do.
Which costs less per terabyte, Crucial P3 Plus 2TB or Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB?
Crucial P3 Plus 2TB is $396.00 ($198.00 per TB); Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB is $572.00 ($286.00 per TB).
Should you buy Crucial P3 Plus 2TB or Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2TB?
Against the other, Crucial P3 Plus 2TB is even or ahead on every tracked measure and behind on none, which is the one case where the choice needs no compromise.
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