Kingston hyperx predator m.2 review

Kingston has been a leading manufacturer of external storage drives and SSDs for many years. A few months ago, it launched its new Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 solid state hard drive . with PCI Express format and M.2 base connectivity that is offering such good performance with its small size.

This series of solid state drives offers great benefits for professional users and gamers looking for the latest in the latest, offering excellent read and write rates. Do you want to know more about this excellent SSD? Read on for our review!

We appreciate the trust and the transfer of the product for its analysis to the Kingston team:

Technical characteristics

KINGSTON HYPERX PREDATOR M.2 FEATURES
Format	PCI Express Gen2 x 4
SATA interface	SATA 6Gb / s SATA 3Gb / s SATA 1.5Gb / s
Capacities	240 GB and 480 GB.
Controller	Marvell 88SS9293 NAND Flash memory.
Writing / Reading rates.	Read speed 1400MB / s. Write speed 1000 MB / s. Random Read (4KB) 130, 000 IOPS. Random Write (4KB) 118, 000 IOPS.
Temperature	Temperature 0 ° C ~ 70 ° C (in operation).
Warranty	3 years.
Dimensions and weight	180.98 x 120.96 x 21.59 mm and 68 grams
Useful life	1, 000, 000 hours.
Additional features	This version incorporates a PCI Express x4 card.
Price	240GB: € 267 approx. 480GB: € 518 approx.

Kingston HyperX Predator M.2

We find a high-end presentation with a cardboard box with compact dimensions and predominantly black and red. On the cover we have a full-color image of the product and the model we have for analysis is the 480 GB one. Once we open it, it is perfectly protected with protectors and a plastic bag that houses the Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 (HHHL). The bundle is made up of:

Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 480GB. Sticker. Quick Guide. Back plate for PCIe and low profile.

Kingston HyperX Predator M.2. with 80 mm format.

The Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 is an SSD disk that its connection medium is made through the PCI-Express 2.0 x4 interface. It integrates the Marvell 88SS9183 controller, 8 chips of NAND flash "Toshiba A19 Toggle" manufactured in 19nm that promises read / write speeds of 1400 and 1000 MB / s and 4K random read and write of up to 130, 000 and 78, 000 IOPS.

Two 1600MHz DDR3 RAM memory chips are included, a total of 1GB for controller cache management and excellent low voltage. I would like to clarify that the M.2 interface is causing very good feelings among the most pioneers of domestic technology, offering excellent read and write quotas than the standardized SATA III interface. This model uses the standard size of 110/800 mm. Also remember that the first boards to incorporate it are the Z97 and X99 architecture baseboards.

HHHL card with “thermal pad” to improve heat transfer of the m.2 unit

Kingston incorporates a PCI Express x4 adapter (HHHL; Half height, half length) in case our motherboard does not have M.2 connectivity. This is not necessary for any type of extra energy as in other competing models. About the cooling of the kit is quite simple and helps to sufficiently dissipate the storage device. What does offer a plus in both refrigeration and aesthetics is the rear backplate that also allows us to improve the aesthetics of our team.

Installation detail on an X99 motherboard with M.2 support.

On its longevity Kingston promises us to support up to 415 TB the 240 GB drive and the 480 GB drive up to 882TB, that is, many years of disk. Regarding the guarantee, I must emphasize that Kingston offers 3 years with excellent support.

Test and performance equipment

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel i7-5820k
Base plate:	Asus X99 Deluxe
Memory:	16 GB DDR4
Heatsink	Stock sink.
HDD	480GB Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 SSD
Graphic card	Asus GTX 780 Direct CU II.
Power supply	Antec High Current Pro 850W

For testing we will use the native controller of the z97 chipset on a high performance board: Asus Z97 Sabertooth Mark 2. that is within the reach of any pocket.

Our tests will be performed with the following performance software.

Crystal Disk Mark. AS SSD Benchmark 1.7.4 ATTO Disk Benchmark

Final words and conclusion

The Kingston HyperX Predator 480GB with M.2 format. It has left us a great taste in the mouth. First for its excellent components: Marvell 88SS9183 and 8 controller 19nm “Toshiba A19 Toggle” NAND chips with 1.4GB and 1GB read and write rates respectively.

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From our performance tests (see images above) we have been able to verify that the promised speeds are true and it is a real blast to see the entire team fly in such a reduced format. To me this M.2 format. I really like it for compact equipment and for its bandwidth, but if we are going to mount it on a board with 2 or 3 graphics, it is possible that the temperatures reached by the SSD become very high and we have to make an improvement in the cooling with heatsinks and superior airflow. However, this kit includes an HHHL format that is a PCI Express x4 board that allows us to connect the disk as a conventional card without the need for power.

Currently we can find the 240GB drive for a price of 267 euros and the 480GB one for an amount of more than 500 euros. Without a doubt it is not within everyone's reach (almost 1 euro per GB).

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ READING AND WRITING RATES.	- HEATS UP AS ALL M.2.
+ GOOD CONTROLLER AND MEMORY.	- VERY HIGH PRICE.
+ M.2 CONNECTION.
+ PERFORMANCE TESTS.
+ LONGEVITY.
+ GUARANTEE.