Kingston KC3000 4096GB — M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
4096GBPCIe 4.0 x4 NVMeUp to 7,000 MB/s read3.2PBW
Kingston KC3000 4096GB is a M.2 2280 NVMe internal SSD on PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe, rated up to 7,000 MB/s read and 7,000 MB/s write, built for high-end desktops, workstations and laptops that need top PCIe 4.0 performance with a DRAM cache.
An M.2 NVMe SSD talks to the processor over PCIe lanes instead of the old SATA bus, which is why its sequential speed is several times higher than any 2.5-inch drive. The practical gains are shorter boot and load times, faster copies of large project folders and snappier work with big files — provided the slot in your machine supports the right length, key and PCIe generation.
Installation takes a few minutes: power down, unplug, fit the drive into the M.2 slot at a slight angle, press it flat and secure it with the slot's screw or latch, then clone your old system or install Windows fresh. Windows detects NVMe drives natively, disables defragmentation for SSDs automatically and uses TRIM to keep write speed steady. Keep 10–15% of the capacity free and make sure the slot gets some airflow — NVMe drives throttle when they run hot under long transfers.
Before you order: Double-sided drive, 3.5 mm thick. Most desktops are fine; some thin laptops only accept single-sided M.2 drives — check before ordering.
What's in the Box
- Kingston KC3000 4096GB M.2 2280 SSD with graphene aluminium heat spreader
- Acronis cloning software (download, per Kingston)
What It Means in Practice
- Fits an M.2 slot with M-key and 2280 (80 mm) mounting point; check your motherboard or laptop manual for the supported lengths.
- Full speed needs a PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot; in an older PCIe slot it still works, at that slot's lower speed.
- Boot drive use requires UEFI with NVMe boot support — practically every PC from 2016 onwards.
- 4096GB formatted shows slightly less in Windows (decimal vs binary units) — this is normal for every drive.
- Under sustained writes this capacity can draw up to 10.2 W — give it airflow or a motherboard M.2 heatsink in a desktop.
What Will Not Work
- SATA-only M.2 slots (B-key or "M.2 SATA" sockets on some older laptops) — this is an NVMe drive and will not be detected there.
- Systems without an M.2 slot, unless you add a PCIe-to-M.2 adapter card.
- Old BIOS-only (non-UEFI) systems may see it as a data drive but cannot boot from it.
- Thin laptops whose M.2 slot has no clearance for components on the underside of the drive.
Key Features
Phison E18 + DRAM
Eight-channel controller with DRAM cache — consistent speed under heavy, mixed workloads.
Up to 7,000 MB/s
Top-tier PCIe 4.0 sequential read; 7,000 MB/s write at 4096GB.
Graphene heat spreader
Low-profile graphene aluminium label spreads heat without adding height.
Endurance
Rated 3.2PBW and 2,000,000 h MTBF for workstation-grade use.
Technical Specifications
| Identification |
| Part Number |
SKC3000D/4096G |
| EAN / GTIN |
0740617324297 |
| Brand |
Kingston |
| Model |
Kingston KC3000 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD 4096GB (double-sided) |
| Performance |
| Sequential read |
Up to 7,000 MB/s |
| Sequential write |
Up to 7,000 MB/s |
| Random 4K read |
Up to 1,000,000 IOPS |
| Random 4K write |
Up to 1,000,000 IOPS |
| Interface & Form Factor |
| Capacity |
4096GB |
| Interface |
PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe |
| Form factor |
M.2 2280 |
| Layout |
Double-sided |
| Heat spreader |
Low-profile graphene aluminium |
| Endurance & Components |
| Endurance (TBW) |
3.2PBW |
| MTBF |
2,000,000 hours |
| NAND |
3D TLC |
| Cache |
DRAM cache |
| Controller |
Phison E18 |
| Physical & Environment |
| Dimensions |
80 x 22 x 3.5 mm |
| Weight |
9.7 g |
| Operating temperature |
0 to 70 °C |
| Power |
50 mW idle, 0.36 W average, 2.7 W max read, 10.2 W max write |
| Warranty |
| Warranty |
1-Year Warranty (Singular) |
| Manufacturer Term |
Limited 5-year warranty with free technical support per Kingston (5 years or "Percentage Used" reaching 100 in Kingston SSD Manager) — claims handled through Singular |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will it work in a PCIe 3.0 slot?
Yes. NVMe is backward compatible: in an older slot it runs at that slot's maximum, so you lose top sequential speed but keep the much lower access times compared with SATA.
Can I move my existing Windows installation onto it?
Yes. Kingston includes Acronis cloning software with the KC3000; connect the new drive in a free M.2 slot (or an M.2 NVMe USB adapter) and clone, then swap.
Singular Expert Insight · Buyer's Guide
The KC3000 is one of the few PCIe 4.0 drives that combine a DRAM cache, a proven Phison E18 controller and a stated endurance rating at every capacity. It stays fast when the workload gets heavy — compiling, editing, virtual machines — where DRAM-less drives slow down. Browse our
internal SSD range to compare capacities and interfaces side by side.
✓ Buy it if you want sustained PCIe 4.0 performance for workstation, creative or gaming use.
✕ Skip it if your system has only PCIe 3.0 and you will not upgrade — a cheaper Gen3/Gen4 drive gives the same real-world result there.
→ Also consider the KC3000 2048GB for a single-drive build on a smaller budget, or the FURY Renegade G5 4TB/8TB for PCIe 5.0 systems.
Not sure it fits? Send us the exact model of your laptop, PC or motherboard and we will check the drive bay or M.2 slot before you order.