Kioxia Exceria 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD review - Introduction

Kioxia Exceria NVMe 1TB SSD review
A mainstream NVMe 1.3 PCIe Gen 3.0 M.2 SSD from Kioxia, previously Toshiba memory

We test out the new mainstream NVMe M.2 SSD from Kioxia (formerly Toshiba memory). A very fast PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD might be hip and trendy, but for the vast majority of people a mainstream SSD at a good price with a proper warranty is plenty enough, so meet the Exceria NVMe 1TB SSD. Kioxia is offering the Exceria series that will become available as a quick upgrade solution in the form of a 2.5" SSD, then a mainstream solution in the Exceria range and then an enthusiast solution called Exceria Plus. We'll test all models in standalone reviews, but start with the mainstream Exceria.

Based on PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe 1.3 technology the Exceria 1TB model is sitting on front of us. Based on new 96-Layer 3D NAND, which is written as TLC (Triple level cell). For our tested 1TB variant, the manufacturer specifies a lifespan of 400 TBW  (total bytes written) and a proper 5 year warranty (whichever once comes first).

The specs overall are more than enough for your average end-user, but will this unit deliver what it claims? M2 is the interesting form factor, these small storage units are evolving from being "just as fast" as a regular SSD towards double, triple, quadruple, quintuple, sextuple, septuple and perhaps in the future even octuple that performance. It comes in a different package, M.2. Using the PCIe lanes interface it is so much more capable as it can deal with way more bandwidth using PCI-Express lanes. As such, M.2 solutions are intended for high-end and enthusiast-class motherboards and laptops.  These M.2 units use the NVMe 1.3 protocol and that means storage technology at millennium falcon hyper-fast speeds while remaining competitive in pricing. 

• Max Sequential Read - Up to 1700 MBps
• Max Sequential Write - Up to 1600 MBps
• 4KB Random Read - Up to 350,000 IOPS
• 4KB Random Write - Up to 400,000 IOPS
• Endurance (TBW) up to 400 TBW (1 TB model)

While the stability and safety of your data have become a number one priority for the manufacturers, the technology keeps advancing at as fast a pace as it does, the performance numbers a good SSD offers these days are simply breathtaking. 

Type	Solid State modules (SSM)
Form factor	M.2 2280
Controller	Toshiba/Kioxia
Interface	M.2/M-Key (PCIe 3.1a x4)
Read	1700MB/s
Write	1600 MB/s
IOPS 4K read/Write	350k/400k
Memory modules	3D-NAND TLC, 96 Layer (BiCS5)
TBW	0.4 PB
Reliability prediction	2.0 Mio. hours (MTBF)
Cache	1GB (DDR4), SLC-Cache
Protocol	NVMe 1.3c

The SSD is a Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe 1.3) M.2 form factor SSD, it has been fitted with new Vertically stacked NAND written as TLC. The performance numbers of a proper SATA3 SSD offers these days are simply excellent, but with the more niche NVMe SSDs you can easily quadruple performance, which offers serious numbers. The unit follows a smaller M.2 2280 form factor (8cm) so it will fit on most ATX motherboards capable of M.2 just fine. Next page and onwards into the review.