SSD, aka Solid State Drive has been regarded as the zenith for high speed storage. It has no moving parts due to it using chips, hence it’s lighter, speedier in terms of writing and reading data, and much more robust compared to the old, mechanical clunky hard disk drive. But even when it’s zipping data faster than you can even blink, there are still people out there who want to get the very highest speed that they can achieve.
One limitation for normal SSD are that they share the same interface as a normal mechanical hard disk would. Hence in theory their speed are limited to the speed of the SATA interface. While the SATA 3 interface can achieve a respectable 6Gb/s in theory, there are some that feel a faster speed can be achieved without this bandwith limitation.
One solution that is getting traction right now is to plug the SSD directly into the fast and speedy PCI-e lane. With the PCI-e lane going directly to the chipset without any obstacles in between, this has risen the bandwidth speed to 10Gb/s. Hence why a new generation of SSD interface has been born, the M.2. One of such is the Kingston HyperX Predator 480GB M.2 SSD.
What we have here is the kit, where with the M.2 SSD, you will also get a PCI-e X4 adapter, a half height case bracket, an Acronis True Image key, and a HyperX sticker decal. All these come in a small but safe packaged reinforced with tough foam.
The M.2 SSD itself is quite small, adhering to the standard size of 80mm x 22mm x 3.5mm. This means it’s just barely 1/3 the size of a normal SSD. Kingston has chosen to use a Marvell 88SS9293 controller chip. This latest chip from Marvell controls all the 480GB of Toshiba A19 NAND.
But wait! What if you don’t have an M.2 SSD interface on your motherboard? Well do not fear, as you can use the supplied PCI-e adapter card, which slots in to your PCI-e x4 slot. Don’t have an x4 slot? You can also plug this in your x16 PCI-e graphic card slot and it would still work.
In terms of appearance, there is nothing much to shout about. Kingston has decided to give the HyperX Predator an all-black look. The only thing NOT black on this M.2 SSD + adapter card is the HyperX logo in white, as well as the gold accent on all of the electrical connectors. Kind of low profile we must say.
Plugging in the card in our PCI-e x16 slot, it was quickly recognised by Windows. No drivers are needed, which did take us by surprise. On the box, Kingston boasted a read speed of 1400MB/s and a write speed of 1000MB/s as rated by ATTO benchmark. And benchmarking it, it does holds up to that. Although in our test, our average speed was a bit lower, around 1360MB/s read and 980MB/s write average over 10 runs. But the difference is negligible.
The 500GB space does gives you a lot of space to store your primary OS and games. The fact that it comes with a free Acronis True Image key, which would help you duplicate a drive to this one, and a three year warranty with free technical support does make the deal sweeter. The large storage space also appeals towards gamers who now have to contend with games that are really large in size. Honestly, other than the rather drab colour, we have no complaints about this SSD. A really good performance SSD that achieved what it promised.
VERDICT
Super Fast, With Large Space.
SPECS:
Form factor: M.2 2280
Interface: PCIe Gen 2.0 x4
Capacities: 480GB
Controller: Marvell 88SS9293
Power Consumption:
1.38W Idle / 1.4W Avg
1.99W (MAX) Read / 8.25W (MAX) Write
Dimensions: 80mm x 22mm x 3.5mm (M.2)
180.98mm x 120.96mm x 21.59mm (with HHHL adapter – standard bracket)
181.29mm x 80.14mm x 23.40mm (with HHHL adapter – low-profile bracket)