Kingston has made a logical move in introducing a cheaper, more affordable HyperX SSD. Building on the promise of the original, the refreshed HyperX 3K offers PC enthusiasts all of the same performance at a lower price point.

TRIM Performance: While SSDs offer many benefits, there are some downsides to using flash memory. One of the biggest issues people run into is performance degradation. Over time, an SSD will run out of fresh blocks and will have to write over data the file system has marked as deleted.

Available in 90GB; 120GB; 240GB and 480GB capacities; SandForce SF-2281 processor with DuraClass; DuraWrite and RAISE technologies; Excellent sequential read and write speeds; SATA 6Gb/s interface; Synchronous 3000 P/E cycle NAND flash; Supports SMART; TRIM and Garbage Collection; Available as...

Not as fast when writing incompressible data

The HyperX 3K series is the enthusiast and gamers choice when it comes to Kingston. The drive is offered in four sizes ranging from 90GB to 480GB. Driven by the SATA III protocol and controlled by the ever popular SandForce SF-2281 read and write times are pretty impressive.

Kingston has realized tremendous success with their original HyperX line of premium SSDs for enthusiasts. With the SSD market becoming more value-driven, Kingston has responded with a new HyperX 3K model. Today we will look at the performance of the newest member of the Kingston family.

Where once the SSD was the preserve of enthusiasts with deep pockets, these days there are so many drives to choose from that the struggle to get them out to the market at a competitive price has become especially cut throat.

A good-looking and reasonable-value drive, but there are cheaper and quicker rivals

This is the Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB is truly the real deal. With the price lowered and no sacrificed performance, what more can you ask

The SSD market is changing rapidly for enthusiasts. Low prices for 120GB models and the introduction of RAID 0 TRIM for Intel Z77 based systems means it's now possible to spend roughly $200 and get 1000MB/s sequential read and write performance.

Is forking out the premium for an SSD worth it? Generally we'd say it depends on your needs, but the Kingston Hyper X is really worth the spend. The packaging and presentation makes you feel like you spent your money wisely, and the increase in performance is really worth it.

October 21, 2012 by Lawrence Lee Product Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" SSD Manufacturer Kingston Technology Street Price US$100 A year ago, a decent 120GB solid state drive cost around US$200 , about twice what you would pay today.