Kingston XS1000 Review: A Tiny SSD That’s Big On Value
Neither the fastest nor most feature-packed SSD, but a good choice if you want something small, speedy, and reliable
Pros
- Incredibly compact
- Good all-round performance
- Very cheap
Cons
- Rival drives are faster on random read/write speeds
- No USB Type-C to Type-C cable
- No encryption or security
The new wave of portable USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 external hard drives promises incredible levels of performance, with sequential read and write speeds approaching and even exceeding 2,000MB/sec. The only problem is that many desktop and laptop PCs, and even Macs, are limited to 1,000MB/sec USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity. The same goes for a wide range of other devices, including Chromebooks, Steam Decks, Android tablets, iPads, and the PS5.
This is where drives such as the Kingston XS1000 come into their own, promising fast enough performance to use all the bandwidth of USB 3.2 Gen 2, but at a lower price point than the super swift 2×2 drives.
Better still, this unit is tough and tiny, making it a great option for adding storage on a laptop or tablet, or anything else where size and weight might be an issue. I put it through our range of drive performance tests to see how it measures up.
Kingston XS1000 review: What do you get for the money?
Prices start at a reasonable $85 for the 1TB model and for that you’re getting an extremely compact portable SSD, measuring just 2.75 x 1.3 x 0.53in and weighing only 1oz. It’s encased within a tough metal and plastic shell, with a rounded head at one end and a flat panel housing the USB-C connector at the other.
Kingston doesn’t make any claims about shock or dust protection, but the casing is tight and feels solid. It will operate at temperatures between 32ºF and 104ºF, and survive down to -4ºF to 185ºF in storage. It comes with a USB-C to USB-A cable, which means you’ll need an adapter or spare USB-C to USB-C cable for any USB-C-only devices. It’s available in 1TB and 2TB capacities.
Kingston XS1000 review: How does it perform?
Kingston claims sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,050MB/sec, and in this regard it’s right on the money. Connecting over USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, I measured read and write speeds of 1,062.6MB/sec and 987.9MB/sec in CrystalDiskMark 8, with slightly slower speeds of 960.9MB/sec and 875.8MB/sec in AS SSD.
Our former favorite USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive, the now end-of-life Crucial X8, offers broadly similar speeds, at 1,062.7MB/sec (read) and 1,016.3MB/sec (write) in CrystalDiskMark and 959.1MB/sec and 930.6MB/sec in AS-SSD.
However, in our file transfer test, the Crucial X8 pulls ahead, with speeds of 889.4MB/sec and 608.9MB/sec, against 698.2MB/sec and 563.5MB/sec from the Kingston XS1000. Looking at tests in progress, this reflects the XS1000 taking slightly longer to hit its maximum speeds.
In the random 4K read/write tests, which reflect how drivers are used while running applications, the XS1000 falls behind the Crucial X8 over USB-C in both the CrystalDiskMark and AS SSD tests.
However, this is the one area where switching to a USB-C connection makes a tangible difference to performance, boosting read speeds in CrystalDiskMark from 158.8MB/sec to 214.3MB/sec, although with no significant change in AS SSD. Write speeds increased in CrystalDiskMark from 145MB/sec to 235.7MB/sec; again, there were barely any differences in AS SSD’s more granular random 4K test.
Either way, the Kingston XS1000 delivers good speeds considering its price point, even if other drives are slightly faster.
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Kingston XS1000 review: Are there any useful extras?
The XS1000 is something of a barebones drive, shipping without any drive management software or additional security features. You’re limited to the features built into Windows, or any you can add through a third-party disk management app.
What’s more, there’s no hardware-based encryption or password protection, so if you’re looking for extra security, you might want to invest in another drive.
Kingston XS1000 review: Should you buy it?
The Kingston XS1000 offers two big advantages: it’s cheap and it’s super compact. Provided you’re not inclined to lose tiny things, you’ll find it reliable and fast enough for simple backup and file transfer purposes.
Even better, it’s so diminutive that you’ll hardly notice it attached to a laptop, even if you’re on the move, or you can keep it in a pocket of a laptop case or backpack. If you’re after maximum security, ruggedization, or performance, there are better options out there; but for inexpensive, take-anywhere storage, the Kingston XS1000 is a great SSD.
