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HDTUNE
HD Tune is a Hard Disk Utility with many functions from error checking, health testing (S.M.A.R.T.), and of course benchmarking. To build upon our real world write test we also looked to see where the write speeds leveled off to by using HD Tune Pro. If SLC caching is being utilized, this test will show it.
Finally, as can be seen above, the Kingston SSDNow UV400 does indeed deploy SSD caching. The base write performance looks to be about 90MB/s after the write buffer is full. Therefore, if you plan on doing any large transfer over the buffer, such as in HD media editing or performing large game transfers often, this is not the drive for you.
REPORT ANALYSIS AND FINAL THOUGHTS
In testing, the Kingston SSDNow UV400 delivered respectable performance. It achieved 564MB/s read and 534MB/s in ATTO, nearly 80K IOPS read and 83K IOPS write in AS SSD and Anvil. In addition, QD1 4K random performance was decent with a read speed of about 33MB/s and write speed at 130MB/s. In PCMark Vantage it achieved a total score of 89K, which is very good, and in PCMark 8 it compared well with the rest of the competitors. It was even faster than most throughout the test.
Moving onto our real world file transfer and power testing we saw some not so thrilling results. the average transfer speed was a measly 151MB/s. This result places the Kingston SSDNow UV400 near the bottom of the pack, just ahead of the BX200. Idle power consumption was very high compared to most of the other SSDs we have tested in this category as well, thus making it a less desirable option for mobile device use. In terms of efficiency, its result mirrored its 30GB file transfer result, with it near the end of the pack. Finally, we ran HDTune to see just how low the base write speed was when the SLC cache was full. The result was in average of about 90MB/s, just as many of the other TLC SSDs out there, except for the Samsung 850 and Crucial MX300 which both utilize the latest 3D NAND.
FINAL THOUGHTS
At its current price points the Kingston SSDNow UV400 is a very cheap buy. The entry-level segment is cut throat and typically those with the lowest prices win. Kingston even has both a barebones and upgrade bundle option available for this SSD. For just a few dollars more the bundled option is quite the value considering you are getting an enclosure, SATA power and data cable, drive bay adapter w/ screws, as well as Acronis True Image HD. In addition to this, there will soon be a 960GB model available in August, so if you are looking for a new high capacity SSD, this one’s pricing just may be worth waiting for if you are trying to pinch every penny.
The Kingston SSDNow UV400 is much more reliable and durable than a HDD and delivers much greater performance. Utilizing one of these SSDs over a HDD is going to be day and night in most situations. Even the difference between this SSD and most of the top performing SSDs we have tested in the past will not be distinguishable in most daily tasks such as web browsing and office work. If you are in need of a cheap, entry-level SSD for OS use, we are sure the Kingston SSDNow UV400 will fit the bill. It is just up to you to decide if it is the right option for your needs. With a 3-year warranty and high endurance figures, one can buy this SSD in confidence.
Hi Sean.
Looking at HD Tune fast cache-seems to be about 36 GB.
30 GB file copy should have screamed along at 450+.
Perhaps drive hadn’t had enough time to clear/clean up cache???????????
Know smaller drives with 8 to 12 GB cache tend to really suffer…………….
“Because of this, Kingston has always had products to fulfill this market segment under their SSDNow series…”
Phrased another way, Kingston always strives to win the race to the bottom with their SSDNow series.
Thanks for the review.
Maybe it´s OK for a notebook, for my PC I need a bit more MB/s if writing big data