Table of Contents
Kingston Technology: Pioneers in Data Storage Solutions
Kingston Technology, founded in 1987 by John Tu and David Sun, has grown to become a global leader in memory products and technology solutions. The company was established in response to a severe shortage of surface mount memory chips, and its innovative approach to designing Single In-Line Memory Modules (SIMMs) using readily available components set the stage for its future success.
From its humble beginnings, Kingston has significantly evolved, expanding its product line to include a wide range of storage and memory solutions. The company is known for its commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, which has allowed it to remain at the forefront of the technology industry for over three decades.
Importance in Data Storage
Kingston’s contributions to data storage and memory technology have been substantial. The company is renowned for its high-quality products, including DRAM modules, USB flash drives, and solid-state drives (SSDs). Kingston’s dedication to innovation and quality has made it a trusted name in the industry, serving a wide range of customers from individual consumers to large enterprises.
Key Developments
Memory Modules: Kingston is the largest independent manufacturer of DRAM memory modules. Its products are used in desktops, laptops, servers, and other devices, ensuring reliable performance and stability.
Flash Memory: Kingston’s flash memory products, including USB drives and SD cards, are known for their durability and speed. These products are essential for data transfer and storage in various devices, from cameras to smartphones.
Solid-State Drives (SSDs): Kingston’s SSDs, like the XS2000, offer high-speed data transfer and robust storage solutions. These drives are crucial for businesses that require fast and reliable access to large amounts of data.
Impact on the Industry
Kingston’s innovations have helped shape the data storage industry. By continuously improving the performance and reliability of its products, Kingston has enabled businesses and consumers to manage their data more efficiently. The company’s focus on quality and customer satisfaction has earned it numerous awards and recognitions over the years.
History and Evolution
Since its founding, Kingston has achieved numerous milestones. In 1992, the company was ranked as the fastest-growing privately held company in America by Inc. magazine. In 1994, Kingston became the first company to obtain ISO 9000 certification on its first assessment attempt. In 1995, Kingston opened an office in Munich, Germany, to provide technical support and marketing capabilities to its European distributors and customers.
In 1996, SoftBank Corporation of Japan acquired 80% of Kingston for a total of $1.8 billion, allowing the company to further expand its operations and production capabilities. Over the years, Kingston has continued to innovate and launch products that set new industry standards, such as the first 1TB USB flash drive in 2013 and the first 2TB USB flash drive in 2017.
Kingston Technology’s role in the development of data storage solutions cannot be overstated. Its products have set industry standards for performance and reliability, making it a cornerstone in the world of memory and storage technology. As businesses and individuals continue to generate and rely on vast amounts of data, Kingston’s innovations will remain vital in ensuring that this data is stored securely and accessed quickly.
The Kingston XS2000 is a portable solid-state drive that connects via USB Type-C. Small enough to fit in your pocket, this drive demonstrated excellent performance in our tests, coming close to Kingston’s 2,000MB/s read and write claims. It even has a mild IP55 rating for water and dust protection and includes a rubberized sleeve.
The lack of encryption and other security features are its biggest drawbacks. As long as you don’t need them, the XS2000 is an excellent high-performance portable drive, especially for the price.
Kingston XS2000 Specifications
Kingston offers the XS2000 in three capacities: 500GB for $99.99, 1TB for $159.99, and 2TB for $284.99 . It’s less expensive than both the WD My Passport NVMe and the SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 Portable SSD . We’ll be using both drives for comparisons in upcoming benchmarks.
The XS2000 is based on 3D TLC NAND flash memory and uses an SMI 2320 controller. Kingston’s 2,000MB/s read and write numbers are truly impressive, and near the limit of what its USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps) interface can handle. So to get the most out of this drive, your computer must have that port. (A Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port will also do.) Using a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) or Gen 2 (10Gbps) port will dramatically limit the drive’s capabilities.
The XS2000 has no special features other than its ruggedness. Unlike the aforementioned SanDisk drive, it lacks encryption and security features and doesn’t come with any drive management software. So, it’s strictly a storage drive.
Before we continue, here are the full specifications of the unit. The standard five-year warranty is notable.
| Easy to use | USB 3.2 Gen 2 × 2 |
| Connector | USB Type-C |
| Speed | 2,000 MB/s read and write |
| Capabilities | 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 0.53 by 1.28 by 2.74 inches |
| Weight | 1 ounce (28.9 grams) |
| Case material | Metal and plastic |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 40 degrees C |
| Storage temperature | -20 to 85 degrees C |
| Warranty and Support | 5-year limited warranty with free technical support. |
| Operating system support | Windows 8.1/10, Mac OS (v.10.14.x+), Linux (v.2.6.x+), Chrome OS |
Design and construction Kingston XS2000
The XS2000 is compact for a portable SSD at just 0.53 by 1.28 by 2.74 inches. That’s wider and thicker than a large USB flash drive, like Kingston’s Maximum Data Traveler , if not quite as long. It’s also smaller than the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2, though it lacks a stylus loop.
The metal and plastic exteriors are rigid and won’t flex. The drive has an IP55 rating, meaning it’s protected against dust and water splashes, but not submerged in water. Conveniently, Kingston includes a rubber boot for protection against bumps and drops.
The included 12-inch USB Type-C cable is quite long and plugs in at one end. There is a status light next to the connector.
The capacity of the unit is indicated on the bottom label.
The XS2000’s simple design doesn’t warrant much more description. I suppose Kingston could spruce things up by offering it in different colors, but that’s hardly a complaint. Let’s move on to the tests.
Kingston XS2000 Performance
We started by comparing our 2000TB XS1 to Blackmagic’s popular disk speed test. It maxed out at 1,609MB/s read and 1,691MB/s write—not too far off the 2MB/s and 1,754MB/s of the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V1,556, but far better than the 893MB/s and 878MB/s it saw from the WD My Passport NVMe SSD.
Our next and final test is IOMeter. The XS2000 managed the closest to its rated numbers in the most demanding four-threaded 2MB sequential scenario, recording 1,987MB/s read and 1,792MB/s write. These numbers are slightly lower than the 1,990MB/s read and 1,980MB/s write we saw from the Extreme Portable Pro SSD V2, though there would be little practical difference in real-world applications. By contrast, it handily outperformed the My Passport NVMe SSD, which hit 992MB/s read and 940MB/s write.
In the four-thread 4K random tests, we saw the XS2000 hit a respectable 63,614 write IOPS, though its 2 IOPS read leaves something to be desired; the Extreme Pro Portable SSD V30,723 hit 39,793 write IOPS but 17,616 read IOPS. My Passport NVMe SSD hit 5,093 write IOPS and 7,353 read IOPS.
| IOMeter (1 thread) | |
| Exam | Result |
| 2MB sequential write | 1,283MB / s |
| 2MB sequential read | 1,430MB / s |
| 2MB Random Write | 1,193 MB / |
| 2MB Random Read | 1,305MB / s |
| 4K Random Write | 19,777 IOPS |
| 4K Random Read | 4,590 IOPS |
| IOMeter (4 threads) | |
| 2MB sequential write | 1,792MB / s |
| 2MB sequential read | 1,987MB / s |
| 2MB Random Write | 1,620MB / s |
| 2MB Random Read | 1,822MB / s |
| 4K Random Write | 63,614 IOPS |
| 4K Random Read | 14,182 IOPS |
Conclusion
Kingston’s XS2000 proves that it’s possible to achieve excellent performance without spending more on a Thunderbolt NVMe drive. It takes full advantage of a highly compatible USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C interface, reaching reasonably close to Kingston’s rated maximums of 2,000MB/s read and write in our tests.
Its performance is slightly behind the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2, but ahead of other drives like the WD My Passport NVMe SSD. We also like this drive’s rugged design and included rubber sleeve. Beyond that, the XS2000 is purely a storage drive, without any encryption or security features. But its price reflects that; at just $160 for the 1TB drive we tested, it’s an admirable value for someone looking for a high-performance drive in a compact package.