Kingston XS1000 SSD Review

The Kingston XS1000 is a tiny and lightweight SSD drive built for portability. It uses USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface to deliver high performance in a compact size.

The XS1000 offers high-speed storage options of up to 2TB for offloading res images, videos and documents. The drive is future-proofed to keep up with storage demands and is compatible with most devices out of the box.

It functions just like a hard drive but stores data using NAND flash technology and connects via USB Type-C, allowing users to access their data anywhere on a PC or mobile device.

There are four different versions available in different storage capacities of 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. With a total weight of just 28.7 grams, it is the lightest, portable SSD drives we’ve reviewed.  The XS1000 is rated for temps between 0 to 40 deg Celsius and is backed by a 5-year warranty. Thanks to Kingston for sending us this review unit.

Highlights

• Speeds up to 1,050MB/s read, 1,000MB/s write
• Capacities up to 2TB
• Compact, pocket-sized form factor

Specifications

View full specifications here.

Unboxing

The Kingston XS1000 comes in the Kingston-branded, paper cardboard packaging. The SSD is protected inside in a container to keep the drive safe during shipping. The drive casing is made of metal and plastic elements and has a semi-gloss black finish. It comes with a Type-C to Type-A cable.

The XS1000 measures 69.54 x 32.58 x 13.5mm in size, weighs 28.7 grams and is very compact and pocket-friendly. The front side of the drive has the USB-C port and an activity indicator LED.

Performance

Our review unit is the 2TB version. On paper, performance should be 1,050MB/s in sequential reading and 1,000MB MB/s in writing when connected via USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. The Kingston XS1000 is also backward compatible with last-gen USB Type-C but will only operate at last-gen speeds.

Once the drive is formatted, we are left with 1.86TB of free space. During tests, the Kingston XS1000 performed well for its class. Transferring files, videos and large documents is quick with this portable SSD.

During everyday use, the speeds are in the range of 200-300 MB/s, depending a mix of different file sizes. In CrystalDiskMark, the XS1000 comes out with 1,060 MB/s and 981 MB/s in sequential reading and writing respectively.

Conclusion

The Kingston XS1000 works as a decent portable storage solution for everyday users to quickly transfer and store files, photos, videos and documents for on-the-go productivity and is a better value product than the XS2000 for it’s intended purpose. The new Kingston XS1000 SSD is currently available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities and is backed by a limited five-year warranty