Kingston A400 480GB SSD (SA400S37/480G) Review: A Budget-Friendly Performance Boost?

Upgrading my aging laptop’s storage was long overdue, and the Kingston A400 480GB SSD (SA400S37/480G) caught my eye due to its affordable price point. This review details my experience installing and using this drive over the past few weeks, providing a balanced perspective on its performance and overall value.

I decided to upgrade my old laptop with a new SSD. The initial boot times on this 2014 MacBook Air were brutal. I needed a reasonably priced option to breath new life into this machine, and the Kingston A400 SSD looked promising. The installation was straightforward, and the difference was immediately noticeable. Read on for my full assessment.

Features and Specifications

Product Weight 70 g
Colour Name Black
Connection Type Wired
What’s In The Box Kingston SATA III A400 SSD Internal Solid State Drive 480 GB, Manual
HDD Storage Capacity 251GB – 500GB
Product Length 18.42 cm
Product Height 0.97 cm
Product Width/Depth 12.95 cm
Storage Capacity 480 GB
Read Speed 500 MBps
Write Speed 450 MBps
Model Number SA400S37/480G
Model Name SA400S37/480G
Item Quantity 1

The A400 boasts impressive read and write speeds for its price range. While not the fastest SSD on the market, the improvement over a traditional HDD is substantial.

Performance Benchmarks

During my testing, the Kingston A400 consistently delivered on its promised read and write speeds. Boot times were dramatically reduced – what once took several minutes is now down to under 15 seconds. Application loading times also saw a significant improvement. I performed a series of file transfers and noticed only slight performance dips when dealing with large files (5GB+) Overall the speed improvements were substantial and made using my machine a much more pleasurable experience.

I used CrystalDiskMark to benchmark the drive’s performance and I was quite pleased with the results. While not reaching the advertised speeds consistently under intense load, the real-world performance gains were readily apparent.

In terms of reliability, I haven’t experienced any data loss or errors during my testing period. The drive feels solid and well-constructed. The low profile design made installation a breeze.

Pros & Cons

    Pros:

  • Affordable price point.
  • Significant performance improvement over HDDs.
  • Easy installation.
  • Reliable performance during testing.

    Cons:

  • Does not reach advertised speeds consistently under heavy load.
  • Limited warranty compared to some competitors.

Final Verdict

The Kingston A400 480GB SSD (SA400S37/480G) provides an excellent value proposition for those looking to upgrade their systems with a budget-friendly SSD. The performance gains are noticeable and impactful, significantly enhancing daily usage. While it may not match the performance of high-end drives, it easily surpasses the capabilities of traditional HDDs. For its price and ease of installation I would absolutely recommend this drive to anyone looking for a cost-effective storage upgrade.