Kingston NV3 1TB vs Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB
Neither Kingston NV3 1TB nor Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB wins outright — each takes something the other gives up, so the pick is which of those you want.
| Specification | KingstonNV3 1TB | Western DigitalWD_BLACK SN850 1TB |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity (GB) | 1000 | 1000 |
| Sequential read (MB/s) | 6000 | 7000better |
| Sequential write (MB/s) | 4000 | 5300better |
| Current best price | £133.50betterat Amazon.co.uk · captured 2026-09-13 | £391.29at Amazon.co.uk · captured 2026-09-13 |
| Price per TB | £133.50better | £391.29 |
| Endurance (TBW) | 320 | 600better |
| Warranty (years) | 5 | 5 |
| DRAM cache | — | Yes |
| NAND type | — | tlc |
How these two compare
Sequential throughput
Kingston NV3 1TB states 6000 MB/s read and 4000 MB/s write; Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB states 7000 MB/s read and 5300 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
Kingston NV3 1TB is £133.50 (£133.50 per TB); Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB is £391.29 (£391.29 per TB).
Endurance
Kingston NV3 1TB is rated for 320 TBW and Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB for 600 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: the catalog does not state whether Kingston NV3 1TB carries a DRAM cache, and Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB carries a DRAM cache. 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 and warranty
On the flash itself: Kingston NV3 1TB's NAND is not stated, and Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB 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. Kingston NV3 1TB carries a 5-year warranty and Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB 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
It comes down to which you value more: Kingston NV3 1TB and Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB each lead the other somewhere the site tracks, and no single measure settles it. Read the sections above for which edge fits your use.
Common questions about this pair
- Which is faster, Kingston NV3 1TB or Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB?
- Kingston NV3 1TB states 6000 MB/s read and 4000 MB/s write; Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB states 7000 MB/s read and 5300 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, Kingston NV3 1TB or Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB?
- Kingston NV3 1TB is £133.50 (£133.50 per TB); Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB is £391.29 (£391.29 per TB).
- Should you buy Kingston NV3 1TB or Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB?
- It comes down to which you value more: Kingston NV3 1TB and Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 1TB each lead the other somewhere the site tracks, and no single measure settles it. Read the sections above for which edge fits your use.