Kingston XS1000 vs Samsung 990 PRO

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation)

Kingston XS1000USB 3.2 Gen 2; USB Type-C on the drive

Samsung 990 PROPCIe 4.0 x4; NVMe

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification

Check the exact configuration and source conditions for your use.

Form factor

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Kingston XS1000Portable

Samsung 990 PROM.2 2280

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · External USB portable SSD in a pocket-sized enclosure.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification

Check the exact configuration and source conditions for your use.

Drive management software

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Kingston XS1000Kingston SSD Manager (SSD Life Remaining indicator)

Samsung 990 PROSamsung Magician

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · The data sheet names Kingston SSD Manager as the tool that shows SSD Life Remaining for the warranty; check current software support for external drives.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · UK feature inventory lists drive-health checks, benchmarks, firmware updates and encrypted-drive tools. Check the current software version and host support.

Check the software, operating-system and licence requirements. An available feature does not establish a measured speed improvement or support on every host.

Rated performance and conditions

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation)

Kingston XS1000Up to 1,050 MB/s read; up to 1,000 MB/s write

Samsung 990 PROUp to 7450 MB/s sequential read; up to 6900 MB/s cached sequential write

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Kingston: based on internal testing; speed may vary due to host hardware, software and usage. A USB 3.2 Gen 2 host device is required for optimal speeds. No sustained-write figure is published.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Samsung IOmeter 1.1.0 claims on a Ryzen 7 5800X / X570 / Windows 10 test system. Writes use Intelligent TurboWrite; speed varies with workload, firmware and system.

Manufacturer peak claims depend on cache state, host and workload. Queue depth and test systems must match before performance can be compared; these figures do not establish a faster everyday drive.

Rated sequential read

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Kingston XS10001050 MB/s

Samsung 990 PRO7450 MB/s

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Samsung IOmeter 1.1.0 claims on a Ryzen 7 5800X / X570 / Windows 10 test system. Writes use Intelligent TurboWrite; speed varies with workload, firmware and system.

Manufacturer peak claims depend on cache state, host and workload. Queue depth and test systems must match before performance can be compared; these figures do not establish a faster everyday drive.

Rated sequential write

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Kingston XS10001000 MB/s

Samsung 990 PRO6900 MB/s

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Samsung IOmeter 1.1.0 claims on a Ryzen 7 5800X / X570 / Windows 10 test system. Writes use Intelligent TurboWrite; speed varies with workload, firmware and system.

Manufacturer peak claims depend on cache state, host and workload. Queue depth and test systems must match before performance can be compared; these figures do not establish a faster everyday drive.

Show 6 more verified differences

Warranty terms and endurance if applicable

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation)

Kingston XS10005-year limited warranty with free technical support, or until the SSD Life Remaining wear indicator in Kingston SSD Manager reaches its endurance limit; no TBW figure stated

Samsung 990 PRO5 years or 1200 TB written, whichever comes first; limited-warranty terms apply

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Kingston: limited warranty based on 5 years or 'SSD Life Remaining' (a new drive shows 100; a drive at its program/erase endurance limit shows 1). Full terms at Kingston.com/wa.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification

Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications Samsung internal SSD — current warranty eligibility and model limits

Check the exact configuration and source conditions for your use.

Earlier USB support

Kingston XS1000USB 3.2 Gen 1

Samsung 990 PROPCIe Gen 3

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Kingston advertises backwards compatibility to USB 3.2 Gen 1; its rated speeds need a USB 3.2 Gen 2 host device ('USB 3.2 Gen 2 host device required for optimal speeds').

Kingston XS1000 external SSD — official UK product page (Black and 2TB selected; colour selector maps part numbers)

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Backward compatibility. Suitable NVMe host, lane allocation and physical clearance remain required; Gen 4 headline speeds are not promised on Gen 3.

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Check the exact configuration and source conditions for your use.

Operating temperature

Kingston XS10000–40 °C

Samsung 990 PRO0–70 °C

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer operating range; not a measured temperature under a particular workload.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Measured through S.M.A.R.T. temperature, with proper airflow recommended. This is not a cooling test.

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Check the exact configuration and source conditions for your use.

Storage temperature

Kingston XS1000−20–85 °C

Samsung 990 PRO−40–85 °C

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Non-operating range, distinct from operation.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Non-operating range from the technical table; kept separate from operating temperature.

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation)

Check the exact configuration and source conditions for your use.

Enclosure dimensions

Kingston XS100069.54 × 32.58 × 13.5 mm

Samsung 990 PRO80 × 22 × 2.3 mm

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Data sheet order; Kingston does not label the axes.

Samsung 990 PRO

Samsung lists these as maximum dimensions. This version has no factory heatsink. · Manufacturer specification

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation)

A size or weight trade-off; it does not establish the better product.

Weight

Kingston XS100028.7 g

Samsung 990 PRO9 g

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer weight; Kingston does not say whether it varies by capacity.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · UK 2 TB page states maximum 9.0 g. This is an upper bound, not measured sample weight or packaged weight.

Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page

A size or weight trade-off; it does not establish the better product.

Missing or non-comparable evidence (34)

Factory heatsink

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRONo

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · This BW gallery and 2.3 mm bare-board specification show no factory heatsink. A heat-spreader label is not the taller CW heatsink. Host cooling may still be needed.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

DRAM cache present

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROYes

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · The 2 TB technical column includes 2 GB LPDDR4. Having DRAM is not a measured performance result.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Cache arrangement

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO2 GB LPDDR4 DRAM

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · 2 TB technical column: 2 GB LPDDR4 DRAM. Separate from the variable Intelligent TurboWrite write buffer.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

DRAM cache capacity

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO2 GB

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · LPDDR4 cache on the 2 TB configuration.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Controller

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROSamsung in-house controller

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · The manufacturer identifies only its own controller here. Samsung does not give a codename, process node or stepping.

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

NAND type

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROSamsung V-NAND TLC

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Kingston lists 3D NAND without stating the cell type · Manufacturer specification

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Encryption

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROAES-256; TCG Opal 2.0; IEEE 1667

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Kingston does not state this for this model. · Manufacturer specification · The XS1000 data sheet lists no hardware encryption or password protection.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Data-security features. Support does not mean encryption is enabled by default or that a particular host policy, OS or security certification is satisfied.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Included cloning software

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRONot verified

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Samsung does not state this for this model. · Manufacturer specification · Samsung does not list a bundled migration tool for this model. Health, firmware and optimization functions alone do not confirm migration support.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Write-buffer technology

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROIntelligent TurboWrite

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer write caching is active for peak write claims and operates only within a specific transfer size. Samsung does not list the buffer capacity or post-cache write speed for this 2 TB model.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Rated random read

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO1400000 IOPS

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer up-to claim, QD32 / 16 threads; not a single-thread desktop result. IOmeter 1.1.0 on Ryzen 5800X / X570 Taichi, 32 GB DDR4-3600, Windows 10 Pro, secondary drive. Firmware, host and workload affect results.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Rated random write

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO1550000 IOPS

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer up-to claim, QD32 / 16 threads with Intelligent TurboWrite active. Same disclosed IOmeter/Ryzen/X570 secondary-drive setup; not a post-cache sustained result.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Rated random read, QD1

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO22000 IOPS

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer up-to claim at QD1 / one thread on the disclosed IOmeter 1.1.0 Ryzen/X570 secondary-drive setup. Separate from QD32 headline figures.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Rated random write, QD1

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO80000 IOPS

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer up-to claim at QD1 / one thread, with Intelligent TurboWrite active on the disclosed secondary-drive test setup.

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Published endurance rating (TBW)

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO1200 TB

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Kingston does not state this for this model. · Manufacturer specification · The data sheet ties the warranty to the SSD Life Remaining wear indicator and publishes no TBW figure.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Terabytes written within the limited-warranty conditions. This is not predicted drive lifespan.

Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications Samsung internal SSD — current warranty eligibility and model limits

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Casing material

Kingston XS1000Metal and plastic

Samsung 990 PRONot verified

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation)

Samsung 990 PRO

No source recorded for this side.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Compatibility

Kingston XS1000Windows 11 and 10, macOS 10.15.x or later, Linux 4.4.x or later, ChromeOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS 13 or later

Samsung 990 PRONot verified

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Kingston: compatibility may vary and largely depends on the host software and hardware. The UK product page also says it is compatible with the latest iOS devices, Android platforms and gaming consoles, under the same compatibility footnote.

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD — official UK product page (Black and 2TB selected; colour selector maps part numbers)

Samsung 990 PRO

No source recorded for this side.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Device sleep support

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROYes

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer lists device sleep as supported. Host and operating-system support remain necessary; this is not a measured sleep-power result.

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Drop resistance

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRONot verified

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Kingston does not state this for this model. · Manufacturer specification · The XS1000 data sheet publishes no drop, water or dust rating.

Samsung 990 PRO

No source recorded for this side.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Garbage collection

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROYes

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Listed as an internal drive function; Samsung gives no measured benefit.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Non-condensing humidity range

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO5–95%

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer specifies non-condensing conditions. This environmental range is not waterproofing or an IP rating.

Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Included cables

Kingston XS1000USB Type-C (drive) to USB Type-A (host) cable, 12 in; USB Type-A to USB Type-C adapter

Samsung 990 PRONot verified

Sources

Kingston XS1000

Manufacturer specification · Kingston's 'Includes' list. For Android/iOS/iPadOS devices an additional OTG cable, not supplied by Kingston, may be required.

Samsung 990 PRO

No source recorded for this side.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Installation kit included

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRONo

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · The UK Accessories table lists no installation kit. Check the host supplies the required mounting hardware.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Manufacturer MTBF rating

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO1,500,000 hours

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Statistical manufacturer rating, not the lifespan or guaranteed operating time of an individual drive.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

NVMe interface protocol version

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO2.0

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Published power conditions

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO55 mW idle; 5.8 W active read; 5.1 W active write; 5 mW L1.2

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · 2 TB datasheet column; idle requires APST on, active values are average read/write under the disclosed IOmeter/Ryzen/X570 test. These power states are not a constant everyday load.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Non-operating shock rating

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO1500 G; 0.5 ms; three axes

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer non-operating test rating. No installed-PC durability or drop-test result is implied.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

S.M.A.R.T. support

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROYes

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Drive monitoring support. Health reporting is not a prediction of remaining life.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Supply voltage

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO3.3 V ±5%

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer allowable supply voltage. Check a compatible M.2 NVMe host; this is not a voltage setting recommendation.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Published system-level power

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO5.5 W average; 8.5 W maximum in burst mode

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · The UK page labels these as system-level average and burst figures and says hardware/configuration affect them. The datasheet separately reports active-read/write and idle states. The two sets use different conditions and are not a constant everyday load.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Advertised thermal design

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRONickel-coated controller; heat-spreader label; Dynamic Thermal Guard

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · UK feature block describes these thermal measures. Samsung gives no measured temperatures.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

TRIM support

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROYes

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · TRIM support requires operating-system support. Not every enclosure or host supports it.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Non-operating vibration rating

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRO20 G; 20–2000 Hz

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer rating retains the stated frequency range; it is not interchangeable with tests using other protocols.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

Manufacturer application scope

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PROClient PCs and PlayStation 5

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer-listed application class. The host needs compatible NVMe support, correct installation and cooling.

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

World Wide Name support

Kingston XS1000Not verified

Samsung 990 PRONo

Sources

Kingston XS1000

No source recorded for this side.

Samsung 990 PRO

Manufacturer specification · The UK specification lists WWN as not supported. This does not mean ordinary NVMe operation or drive identification is unsupported.

First product manufacturer source Second product manufacturer source

Evidence is missing or conflicting on at least one side. This is not a verified difference.

3 shared fields have the same recorded value.

WHAT EACH CHOICE ASKS OF YOU

What it brings and what to check

Kingston XS1000

What it brings

At 69.54 × 32.58 × 13.5 mm and 28.7 g, it is small and light for a 2 TB portable drive.
Manufacturer source Manufacturer source
Kingston lists support for Windows 11 and 10, macOS 10.15.x or later, Linux 4.4.x or later, ChromeOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS 13 or later, and includes a USB-C to USB-A cable plus a USB-A to USB-C adapter.
Manufacturer source
The limited warranty runs 5 years with free technical support, ending earlier only if the SSD Life Remaining wear indicator reaches its endurance limit.
Manufacturer source Manufacturer source

What to check

Rated speeds need a USB 3.2 Gen 2 host, and Kingston publishes no sustained-write figure.
Manufacturer source
The data sheet lists no hardware encryption, password protection, drop rating or water/dust rating, and gives no TBW figure.
Manufacturer source
The operating range is 0–40 °C, and Android, iOS or iPadOS devices may need an extra OTG cable that Kingston does not supply.
Manufacturer source

Samsung 990 PRO

What it brings

Rated up to 7,450 MB/s sequential read and 6,900 MB/s sequential write over PCIe 4.0 x4, with up to 1.4 million random read and 1.55 million random write IOPS.
Manufacturer source
TLC V-NAND with a 2 GB LPDDR4 DRAM cache, plus a five-year warranty covering up to 1,200 TB written.
Manufacturer source Manufacturer source

What to check

No factory heatsink, so plan for motherboard or case cooling. Peak write speed relies on the TurboWrite cache, and Samsung does not list a post-cache write speed for this model.
Manufacturer source Manufacturer source
It also works in PCIe 3.0 slots, but its rated speeds need a PCIe 4.0 x4 slot.
Manufacturer source

COMPARE THE DETAILS

Full specifications

How we verify

Differences only

49 of 49 specifications Sources in each row

Source-backed specifications for Kingston XS1000 and Samsung 990 PRO
Specification	Kingston XS1000	Samsung 990 PRO

Capacity Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Listed capacity; Kingston notes some of it is used for formatting and other functions and is not available for data storage. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Decimal capacity; usable formatted space is lower. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	2000 GB	2000 GB
SSD / HDD Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	SSD	SSD
Interface and versionDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Kingston lists USB 3.2 Gen 2; the included cable is USB Type-C at the drive end and USB Type-A at the host end, with a USB Type-A to USB Type-C adapter. Kingston does not state a link rate in Gbps on the data sheet. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	USB 3.2 Gen 2; USB Type-C on the drive	PCIe 4.0 x4; NVMe
Earlier USB supportDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Kingston advertises backwards compatibility to USB 3.2 Gen 1; its rated speeds need a USB 3.2 Gen 2 host device ('USB 3.2 Gen 2 host device required for optimal speeds'). Kingston XS1000 external SSD — official UK product page (Black and 2TB selected; colour selector maps part numbers) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Backward compatibility. Suitable NVMe host, lane allocation and physical clearance remain required; Gen 4 headline speeds are not promised on Gen 3. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	USB 3.2 Gen 1	PCIe Gen 3
Form factorDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · External USB portable SSD in a pocket-sized enclosure. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Portable	M.2 2280
Enclosure dimensionsDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Data sheet order; Kingston does not label the axes. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation) Samsung 990 PRO Samsung lists these as maximum dimensions. This version has no factory heatsink. · Manufacturer specification Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	69.54 × 32.58 × 13.5 mm	80 × 22 × 2.3 mm
WeightDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer weight; Kingston does not say whether it varies by capacity. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · UK 2 TB page states maximum 9.0 g. This is an upper bound, not measured sample weight or packaged weight. Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	28.7 g	9 g
Factory heatsink Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · This BW gallery and 2.3 mm bare-board specification show no factory heatsink. A heat-spreader label is not the taller CW heatsink. Host cooling may still be needed. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	Not provided	No
Advertised thermal design Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · UK feature block describes these thermal measures. Samsung gives no measured temperatures. Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	Not provided	Nickel-coated controller; heat-spreader label; Dynamic Thermal Guard

Rated performance and conditionsDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Kingston: based on internal testing; speed may vary due to host hardware, software and usage. A USB 3.2 Gen 2 host device is required for optimal speeds. No sustained-write figure is published. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Samsung IOmeter 1.1.0 claims on a Ryzen 7 5800X / X570 / Windows 10 test system. Writes use Intelligent TurboWrite; speed varies with workload, firmware and system. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Up to 1,050 MB/s read; up to 1,000 MB/s write	Up to 7450 MB/s sequential read; up to 6900 MB/s cached sequential write
Rated sequential readDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Kingston: based on internal testing; speed may vary due to host hardware, software and usage. A USB 3.2 Gen 2 host device is required for optimal speeds. No sustained-write figure is published. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Samsung IOmeter 1.1.0 claims on a Ryzen 7 5800X / X570 / Windows 10 test system. Writes use Intelligent TurboWrite; speed varies with workload, firmware and system. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	1050 MB/s	7450 MB/s
Rated sequential writeDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Kingston: based on internal testing; speed may vary due to host hardware, software and usage. A USB 3.2 Gen 2 host device is required for optimal speeds. No sustained-write figure is published. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Samsung IOmeter 1.1.0 claims on a Ryzen 7 5800X / X570 / Windows 10 test system. Writes use Intelligent TurboWrite; speed varies with workload, firmware and system. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	1000 MB/s	6900 MB/s
Rated random read Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer up-to claim, QD32 / 16 threads; not a single-thread desktop result. IOmeter 1.1.0 on Ryzen 5800X / X570 Taichi, 32 GB DDR4-3600, Windows 10 Pro, secondary drive. Firmware, host and workload affect results. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	1400000 IOPS
Rated random write Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer up-to claim, QD32 / 16 threads with Intelligent TurboWrite active. Same disclosed IOmeter/Ryzen/X570 secondary-drive setup; not a post-cache sustained result. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	1550000 IOPS
Rated random read, QD1 Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer up-to claim at QD1 / one thread on the disclosed IOmeter 1.1.0 Ryzen/X570 secondary-drive setup. Separate from QD32 headline figures. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	22000 IOPS
Rated random write, QD1 Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer up-to claim at QD1 / one thread, with Intelligent TurboWrite active on the disclosed secondary-drive test setup. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	80000 IOPS

NAND type Sources Kingston XS1000 Kingston lists 3D NAND without stating the cell type · Manufacturer specification Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not listed by the manufacturer	Samsung V-NAND TLC
DRAM cache capacity Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · LPDDR4 cache on the 2 TB configuration. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	2 GB
Controller Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · The manufacturer identifies only its own controller here. Samsung does not give a codename, process node or stepping. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	Samsung in-house controller
DRAM cache present Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · The 2 TB technical column includes 2 GB LPDDR4. Having DRAM is not a measured performance result. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	Yes
Cache arrangement Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · 2 TB technical column: 2 GB LPDDR4 DRAM. Separate from the variable Intelligent TurboWrite write buffer. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	2 GB LPDDR4 DRAM
Write-buffer technology Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer write caching is active for peak write claims and operates only within a specific transfer size. Samsung does not list the buffer capacity or post-cache write speed for this 2 TB model. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	Intelligent TurboWrite

Warranty terms and endurance if applicableDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Kingston: limited warranty based on 5 years or 'SSD Life Remaining' (a new drive shows 100; a drive at its program/erase endurance limit shows 1). Full terms at Kingston.com/wa. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications Samsung internal SSD — current warranty eligibility and model limits	5-year limited warranty with free technical support, or until the SSD Life Remaining wear indicator in Kingston SSD Manager reaches its endurance limit; no TBW figure stated	5 years or 1200 TB written, whichever comes first; limited-warranty terms apply
Limited warranty time Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Maximum time term; coverage can end earlier when the SSD Life Remaining wear indicator reaches its endurance limit. Eligibility and full terms apply. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Coverage ends at the time limit or write threshold, whichever occurs first; full Samsung terms and eligibility apply. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications Samsung internal SSD — current warranty eligibility and model limits	5 years	5 years
Published endurance rating (TBW) Sources Kingston XS1000 Kingston does not state this for this model. · Manufacturer specification · The data sheet ties the warranty to the SSD Life Remaining wear indicator and publishes no TBW figure. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Terabytes written within the limited-warranty conditions. This is not predicted drive lifespan. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications Samsung internal SSD — current warranty eligibility and model limits	Not listed by the manufacturer	1200 TB
Manufacturer MTBF rating Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Statistical manufacturer rating, not the lifespan or guaranteed operating time of an individual drive. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	1,500,000 hours
Manufacturer application scope Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer-listed application class. The host needs compatible NVMe support, correct installation and cooling. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	Client PCs and PlayStation 5

Drive management softwareDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · The data sheet names Kingston SSD Manager as the tool that shows SSD Life Remaining for the warranty; check current software support for external drives. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · UK feature inventory lists drive-health checks, benchmarks, firmware updates and encrypted-drive tools. Check the current software version and host support. Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	Kingston SSD Manager (SSD Life Remaining indicator)	Samsung Magician
Encryption Sources Kingston XS1000 Kingston does not state this for this model. · Manufacturer specification · The XS1000 data sheet lists no hardware encryption or password protection. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Data-security features. Support does not mean encryption is enabled by default or that a particular host policy, OS or security certification is satisfied. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not listed by the manufacturer	AES-256; TCG Opal 2.0; IEEE 1667
TRIM support Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · TRIM support requires operating-system support. Not every enclosure or host supports it. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	Yes
S.M.A.R.T. support Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Drive monitoring support. Health reporting is not a prediction of remaining life. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	Yes
Garbage collection Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Listed as an internal drive function; Samsung gives no measured benefit. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	Yes
Device sleep support Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer lists device sleep as supported. Host and operating-system support remain necessary; this is not a measured sleep-power result. Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	Not provided	Yes
World Wide Name support Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · The UK specification lists WWN as not supported. This does not mean ordinary NVMe operation or drive identification is unsupported. Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	Not provided	No
Installation kit included Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · The UK Accessories table lists no installation kit. Check the host supplies the required mounting hardware. Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	Not provided	No

Operating temperatureDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer operating range; not a measured temperature under a particular workload. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Measured through S.M.A.R.T. temperature, with proper airflow recommended. This is not a cooling test. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	0–40 °C	0–70 °C
Storage temperatureDifferent Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Non-operating range, distinct from operation. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Non-operating range from the technical table; kept separate from operating temperature. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	−20–85 °C	−40–85 °C
Published power conditions Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · 2 TB datasheet column; idle requires APST on, active values are average read/write under the disclosed IOmeter/Ryzen/X570 test. These power states are not a constant everyday load. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	55 mW idle; 5.8 W active read; 5.1 W active write; 5 mW L1.2
Non-operating shock rating Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer non-operating test rating. No installed-PC durability or drop-test result is implied. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	1500 G; 0.5 ms; three axes
Non-operating vibration rating Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer rating retains the stated frequency range; it is not interchangeable with tests using other protocols. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	20 G; 20–2000 Hz
Non-condensing humidity range Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer specifies non-condensing conditions. This environmental range is not waterproofing or an IP rating. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	5–95%
Supply voltage Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · Manufacturer allowable supply voltage. Check a compatible M.2 NVMe host; this is not a voltage setting recommendation. Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	Not provided	3.3 V ±5%
Published system-level power Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification · The UK page labels these as system-level average and burst figures and says hardware/configuration affect them. The datasheet separately reports active-read/write and idle states. The two sets use different conditions and are not a constant everyday load. Samsung 990 PRO — exact UK 2 TB product page	Not provided	5.5 W average; 8.5 W maximum in burst mode

Casing material Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (US, Kingston Technology Corporation) Samsung 990 PRO No source recorded.	Metal and plastic	Not provided
Included cables Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Kingston's 'Includes' list. For Android/iOS/iPadOS devices an additional OTG cable, not supplied by Kingston, may be required. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO No source recorded.	USB Type-C (drive) to USB Type-A (host) cable, 12 in; USB Type-A to USB Type-C adapter	Not provided
Compatibility Sources Kingston XS1000 Manufacturer specification · Kingston: compatibility may vary and largely depends on the host software and hardware. The UK product page also says it is compatible with the latest iOS devices, Android platforms and gaming consoles, under the same compatibility footnote. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe)Kingston XS1000 external SSD — official UK product page (Black and 2TB selected; colour selector maps part numbers) Samsung 990 PRO No source recorded.	Windows 11 and 10, macOS 10.15.x or later, Linux 4.4.x or later, ChromeOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS 13 or later	Not provided
NVMe interface protocol version Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Manufacturer specification Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	2.0

Show unverified (2)Not verified, not provided or conflicting for both products. Kept for completeness; never counted as a difference.

Specifications without verified values for either product
Drop resistance Sources Kingston XS1000 Kingston does not state this for this model. · Manufacturer specification · The XS1000 data sheet publishes no drop, water or dust rating. Kingston XS1000 external SSD data sheet (English, Kingston Technology Europe) Samsung 990 PRO No source recorded.	Not listed by the manufacturer	Not provided
Included cloning software Sources Kingston XS1000 No source recorded. Samsung 990 PRO Samsung does not state this for this model. · Manufacturer specification · Samsung does not list a bundled migration tool for this model. Health, firmware and optimization functions alone do not confirm migration support. Samsung 990 PRO — manufacturer specifications	Not provided	Not provided

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