INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    PCI Express Gen5 solid state drives represent the latest step in consumer storage performance, pushing sequential transfer speeds into territory that was once reserved for enterprise hardware. Early Gen5 SSDs arrived with controllers that prioritized raw speed above all else, often resulting in substantial power consumption and thermal output that required large heatsinks or even active cooling solutions to maintain peak performance. As the technology matured, newer controller generations focused on improving efficiency alongside throughput, delivering comparable or higher speeds while generating less heat and placing less strain on system cooling. This evolution has helped make Gen5 storage a more practical option for enthusiasts, content creators, and professionals seeking faster data access without the compromises that accompanied first-generation designs. One such example is the KIOXIA EXCERIA G3 4TB, a high-capacity Gen5 NVMe SSD that brings KIOXIA's latest storage technologies into the increasingly competitive enthusiast SSD market.

    KIOXIA is a world leader in memory solutions, dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). In April 2017, its predecessor Toshiba Memory was spun off from Toshiba Corporation, the company that invented NAND flash memory in 1987. KIOXIA is committed to uplifting the world with "memory" by offering products, services and systems that create choice for customers and memory-based value for society. KIOXIA's innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH™, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, data centers and generative AI systems.

    The EXCERIA G3 is currently available in three capacities (1/2/4TB) and is based on the DRAM-less PS5031-E31 (E31T) NAND flash controller by PHISON which KIOXIA has paired with their very own BiCS8 218-layer 3D QLC NAND flash. The PS5031-E31 (E31T) is a single core, quad-channel PCIe Gen5x4 NVMe 2.0 NAND controller (16 CEs) based on TSMC’s 7nm process technology and packs several features including PHISON's 7th generation LDPC ECC & RAID ECC engine with end-to-end data path protection, thermal monitoring, L1.2 low power state and host memory buffer (HMB) architecture support (uses a fraction of your PC's system memory to cache mapping tables). It also fully supports the ASPM/APST low-power consumption mechanisms, real time AES 256-bit encryption, hardware SHA384512 and RSA4096, TCG OPAL 2.01, Pyrite 2.01, Toggle 5.1 and ONFi 5.1. As for warranty KIOXIA covers the entire EXCERIA G3 line with a 5-year limited warranty and for endurance they report an MTTF of 1.5 million hours for all models and a TBW of 600 for the 1TB capacity, 1200 for the 2TB capacity and 2400 for the 4TB capacity.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KIOXIA uses the same box lately at the front of which we see a large product picture under their logo and over the drive capacity and speed.

 

 

Form factor, warranty, type of flash, warning labels and a sticker with the serial numbers and barcodes are all at the rear.

 

 

Just the EXCERIA G3 4TB and a quick start guide are in the box.

 

 

THE EXCERIA G3 4TB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The EXCERIA G3 4TB is a single sided M2 2280 Gen5 SSD.

 

 

KIOXIA equips the EXCERIA G3 4TB with a copper sticker.

 

 

Underneath that sticker we find the PS5031-E31 NAND flash controller by PHISON together with two BiCS8 218-layer 3D QLC NAND flash modules by KIOXIA.

 

 

On the opposite side there's just a sticker with the capacity of the drive, several warning stickers and its serial number and barcode.

 

 

The PS5031-E31 (E31T) NAND flash controller by PHISON does well when it comes to temperatures (still, not great).

 

 

SSD UTILITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SSD Utility by KIOXIA allows you to monitor and even tweak your drive so I do recommend using it.

The summary page showcases the current drive health, temperature and allocated capacity.

 

 

You can check online for possible firmware updates from the corresponding tab.

 

 

SMART details are also available for people who may want to dive more into the drive.

 

 

Several details about the drive are also available via the software.

 

 

Finally, you can use the SSD utility software to format and/or secure erase the drive.

 

 

TEST BED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   I've been using pretty much the same testing methodology for PCIe 3.0 Gen3 and PCIe 4.0 Gen4 SSDs for far too many years now, so I decided to "tweak" it for PCIe 5.0 Gen5 models. Needless to say, Gen5 M.2 NVMe SSDs will be tested using one of my latest test rigs (Intel Core Ultra 285K / ASRock Z890 Taichi Lite) and unlike with both Gen3 and Gen4 SSDs I will not be using the SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association) 12 hour IOMeter benchmark since it proved to be rather heavy for early Gen5 SSDs (temperature issues). Instead, I decided to use the latest versions of 3D Mark, AIDA64, AS SSD, ATTO, Crystal Disk Mark, HD Tune Pro, HD Tach RW, Performance Test, IOMeter (4k Random Writes / 4k Random Reads – since September 2024 / SNIA Mixed) and Sandra Titanium for performance measuring and ForSpoken for all of you who might be wondering just how well Gen5 SSDs do in regard to Microsoft's DirectStorage API/Technology. Each test will be run a total of 5 times after which the average number will be recorded in each chart.

 

 

TEST RESULTS - AIDA64 / ATTO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS - HD TUNE PRO / HD TACH RW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS - AS SSD / CRYSTAL DISK MARK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS - SANDRA TITANIUM / IOMETER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS - PERFORMANCE TEST / 3D MARK / FORSPOKEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    KIOXIA has assembled a well-rounded Gen5 SSD in the EXCERIA G3 4TB, pairing trusted BiCS8 flash memory with an efficient PHISON NAND flash controller to deliver the speed expected from a modern PCIe 5.0 drive. Performance remains competitive across a wide range of workloads, durability ratings are reassuring for long-term use, and thermal management is sufficiently controlled to avoid severe throttling in typical desktop environments. The compromises stem primarily from its DRAM-less design, which uses system memory to compensate for the lack of dedicated cache and may affect demanding write-heavy workloads. Also, although 4TB remains generous by mainstream standards, power users working with large media libraries or extensive gaming collections may still find themselves wanting more. Combined with today's elevated SSD pricing, these factors somewhat temper an otherwise capable storage solution.

    At the time of my review the EXCERIA G3 4TB Gen5 M.2 SSD by KIOXIA is not really available, neither in the USA or the EU and so I can’t really comment on price. KIOXIA has also not provided an MSRP for the drive but according to the philosophy surrounding it (DRAM less, QLC 3D NAND flash) I expect it to retail around USD550/550Euros (realistically speaking - with the current state of the market of course this would be an appealing price tag). Price aside the EXCERIA G3 4TB by KIOXIA delivers as advertised, yes, it’s far from the fastest Gen5 M.2 SSD out there today but thanks to its durability, capacity and features it’s definitely worth the Golden Award.

PROS

- Quality
- Overall Performance
- Endurance (1.5 Million Hours MTTF / 2400TBW)
- 5 Year Limited Warranty
- SSD Utility

CONS

- Controller Temperatures
- 4TB Max Capacity (For Some)