Both Kingston A2000 and Crucial P2 come in the budget NVMe SSD segment. These M.2 SSDs are highly popular among the average users. The prices are also somewhat similar though the P2 is always going to be a little bit pricier than the A2000.
Considering a buyer’s mindset, I wrote this blog. Before starting, I want to tell you that the Crucial P2 is a DRAM-less SSD that uses HMB for cache purposes. However, the Kingston A2000 comes with a DRAM buffer and that is the thing that makes the A4000 the winner. But, the Crucial P2 is not very behind in the race. It’s a tough competitor to the A4000 and that’s why I am here to help you make the right decision.
Let’s get started.
Read Also: Kingston A2000 vs Crucial P2: The Best Pick
Kingston A2000 vs Crucial P2: The Best Pick?
No doubt, both the brands Kingston and Crucial are loved by buyers because they deliver quality products. Here, we intend to find the best NVMe SSD to invest in. Hence, I have covered all the features of both SSDs. Insist you to go through each of them to understand the actual differences.
1. Storage Space
Currently, you will find 250GB/500GB/1TB storage variants for Kingston A2000 NVMe SSDs. Whereas, for Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs you will find 250GB/500GB/1TB/2TB variants.
Crucial P2 includes a 2TB variant which is one of the best storage variants for NVMe SSDs. Mainly, preferred by professionals, gamers, and multitaskers. As discussed earlier, decide your actual purpose before investing in any of the NVMe SSD.
2. Sequential Read/Write Speed (Theoretical)
Note: The stated speed may differ (Increase or Decrease) depending on Operating System, processor, RAM, etc. These are actually the values given by the company. You can skip to heading 5 if you want to see the actual benchmark scores.
Read/Write Speed of Kingston A2000 NVMe SSD
| Variant | Sequential Read Speed | Sequential Write Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 250 GB | 2,100 MB/s | 1,100 MB/s |
| 500 GB | 2,200 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s |
| 1 TB | 2,200 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s |
Read/Write Speed of Crucial P2 NVMe SSD
| Variant | Sequential Read Speed | Sequential Write Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 250 GB | 2,100 MB/s | 1,150 MB/s |
| 500 GB | 2,300 MB/s | 940 MB/s |
| 1 TB | 2,400 MB/s | 1,800 MB/s |
| 2 TB | 2,400 MB/s | 1,900 MB/s |
These are the theoretical sequential read/write speeds of both these SSDs. The companies claim that their products can deliver this speed. By looking at these results, we can see that in terms of read speed, Crucial P2 is the winner but in terms of write speed, the A2000 is better.
But, we will come to the actual benchmark scores later and see how well these SSDs can perform in real-time applications.
4. Input/Output Operations Per Second (4KB Random )
Random IOPS R/W Speed of Kingston A2000 (Theoretical)
| Variant | Read IOPS | Write IOPS |
|---|---|---|
| 250 GB | 150,000 | 180,000 |
| 500 GB | 180,000 | 200,000 |
| 1 TB | 250,000 | 220,000 |
Random IOPS R/W Speed of Crucial P2 (Theoretical)
| Variant | Read IOPS | Write IOPS |
|---|---|---|
| 250 GB | 210,000 | 355,000 |
| 500 GB | 210,000 | 500,000 |
| 1 TB | 390,000 | 500,000 |
| 2 TB | 430,000 | 500,000 |
The Random IOPS R/W speed of both NVMe SSDs is comparatively the same. Here, you can find Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs with better IOPS write speed for each variant. However, Kingston A2000 NVMe SSDs also deliver good IOPS Read/Write speed. Moreover, the stated data may differ depending on the Operating System and its Processor.
Don’t be confused, both of the NVMe SSDs deliver good IOPS R/W speed. Keep reading to understand more about Kingston A2000 and Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs.
5. Benchmark Scores
The benchmarks are done using DiskBench Software. the system was having an Intel i7 8th Gen processor with 8 GB 3200MHz RAM. The tests are showing results for the latest firmware version.
Kingston A2000 (1TB) Benchmark Scores
| Sequential Read | Sequential Write | Random 4K Read | Random 4K Write |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,870 MB/s (Avg) | 1,980 MB/s (Avg) | 65 MB/s (Avg) | 159 MB/s (Avg) |
Crucial P2 (1TB) Benchmark Scores
| Sequential Read | Sequential Write | Random 4K Read | Random 4K Write |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,354 MB/s (Avg) | 1,647 MB/s (Avg) | 54 MB/s (Avg) | 167 MB/s (Avg) |
With these benchmark scores of both SSD’s 1TB versions, we can say that the A2000 is having great offerings for us. This is probably happening because of its onboard DRAM memory. The Crucial P2 performed better in random 4K writing tasks. In all other domains, the A2000 is a clear winner.
6. SSD Endurance Terabytes Written TBW
TBW (Terabytes Written) is what you have to consider along with price and Read/Write speed for an SSD. The actual Lifespan of a Solid-State Drive depends on its TBW. More, Terabytes Written indicates, long durability. Check out the TBW for each variant of Kingston A2000 NVMe SSDs and Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs.
Kingston A2000 TBW (Tera-bytes Written)
| 250 GB | 500 GB | 1 TB |
|---|---|---|
| 150 TBW | 350 TBW | 600 TBW |
Crucial P2 TBW (Tera-bytes Written)
| 250 GB | 500 GB | 1 TB | 2 TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 TBW | 300 TBW | 450 TBW | 600 TBW |
Comparing the 250GB variant, both the brands serve with the same TBW but considering the other variants Kingston A2000 NVMe SSDs are better than Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs. Though Kingston A2000 models do not include “2TB” Storage, still it gets you the same TBW of Crucial P2 “2TB” storage NVMe SSD.
7. Price Difference
Well, price is one of the main factors to be considered before investing in any product. Here, you can see the price for Kingston A2000 250GB is a bit affordable compared to Crucial P2 250GB. Now, if you just want to increase the R/W speed of your operating System then, 250GB is a good choice.
Now, comparing the price for other variants 500GB and 1TB it’s, comparatively the same. However, you will find the price for Kingston A2000 1TB is a bit pricey compared to Crucial P2 1TB storage but do consider the TBW (Terabytes Written).
8. Other Important Information
8.1 Bus Type/Form Factor
Both Crucial P2 and Kingston A2000 NVMe SSDs are based on PCIe 3.0 x4 interface and NVMe 1.3 Protocol. The Form factor of both is M.2 2280.
8.2 NAND Type
Kingston A2000 NVMe SSDs are based on 3D TLC NAND manufactured by Micron. Some variants may have 96 layers whereas some will have 64 layers.
The Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs are based on 3D TLC NAND manufactured by Micron. It consists of 96 layers of NAND.
8.3 Controller Type
Kingston A2000 NVMe SSDs include SMI SM2263 controller with two cores and 4-Channels.
Whereas, the Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs include the Phison E13T controller with single-core and 4-Channels.
The A2000’s controller is much more powerful than the P2. the SM2263 has two cores which makes it much capable. This might be the reason why the A2000 is beating the P2 everywhere.
8.4 DRAM
Kingston A2000 NVMe SSD is equipped with DDR4 (Dynamic RAM Solid State Drive) Cache. Whereas, the Crucial P2 NVMe SSD is a DRAM-Less SSD that uses the HMB for caching purposes. This is the main reason to go for the A2000 instead of P2.
Because of its onboard DRAM, the A2000 offers a much effective random read/write speed.
P2 has great sequential speed but it is lacking in random read/write. This might be happening because it is using the Host Memory Buffer.
What is the warranty period for these SSDs?
Both Kingston A2000 and Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs get you 5 Years of Warranty. A plus point for buyers.
Software for SSD Routine Health Check-up
Solid-State Drive brands include their SSD-based software for users, it helps them to have routine health check-ups for their SSDs, download the latest firmware updates, perform secure erase, fix minor bugs, gain SSDs details, boost up the R/W speed, delete temp files, and much more. Like other notable brands, Kingston and Crucial brands do have there on SSD Software, check out the download links given below.
What are my Views on both (Which one should you buy?)
Again, I would suggest you choose the Kingston A2000 over Crucial P2. There are two main reasons for the same. The first is that the A2000 has its own DRAM. Secondly, it has a powerful controller as compared to the P2.
Though the price is a bit higher for Kingston A2000 1TB variant, I would recommend the same. It gets you up to 2,200 MB/s Read and 2,000 MB/s Write Speed, along with 600 TBW. The Crucial P2 1TB variant serves up to 2,400 MB/s Read and 1,800 MB/s Write Speed, along with 450 TBW.
Hence, the lifespan of Kingston A2000 1TB storage is more compared to the Crucial P2 1TB. Not a massive price difference, investing in Kingston A2000 NVMe SSDs is a better choice.
Conclusion
I’m pretty sure that now you are aware of the better choice between Kingston A2000 and Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs. In case, if you have any other queries do let me know in the comment section. I’ll look into it.
My Favorite SSDs in 2021!
| Image | Model | Features and Specs | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Samsung 870 Evo | Capacity: 250GB – 4TB Interface: SATA Speed: 550/510 MB/s Endurance: 2,400 TBW | Check Price |
 | Crucial MX500 | Capacity: 250GB – 4TB Interface: SATA Speed: 560/530 MB/s Endurance: Up to 700 TBW | Check Price |
 | Samsung 970 Evo Plus | Capacity: 250GB – 2TB Interface: PCIe 3.0 Speed: 3500/2500 MB/s Endurance: 1200 TBW | Check Price! |
 | Crucial P5 | Capacity: 250GB – 2TB Interface: PCIe 3.0 Speed: 3400/3000 MB/s Endurance: 1200 TBW | Check Price! |
 | Kingston A2000 | Capacity: 250GB – 1TB Interface: PCIe 3.0 Speed: 2200/2000 MB/s Endurance: 600 TBW | Check Price! |