[Review] 2x SSDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB 2280 PCIe 3.0 NX Series for NAS DiskStation DS918+ – AliExpress

I got two SSDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB 2280 PCIe 3.0 NX Series from AliExpress KingSpec Official Store. A principle, I planned to use them on my Synology 4 Bay on the DiskStation DS918 +, which I already showed here in Skooter Blog.

Motivation

Currently, my Synology 4 Bay on the DiskStation DS918 + is equipped with four HDDs – two 8TB and two 4TB – com RAID SHR, totaling 24TB of storage. This gives me a large capacity to store backups, photos and videos, which I can access from various TV Boxes scattered around the house, plus CD images, which I access with the MiSTer FPGA.

However, access through HDDs is not the fastest, and my NAS was being underutilized. Happily, the NAS has two slots for M.2 SSDs, that can be used as a cache. This ensures that the most used sectors/files of the SHR RAID are quickly accessible from the SSD cache. Furthermore, the cache can be used for reading, since SSDs are used in RAID 1, ensuring redundancy in case of failure in one of them.

With the price of M.2 SSDs falling, especially the chinese, I decided to do this upgrade in my on. I didn't need the fastest or most reliable SSDs on the market, because any SSD performance is already much better than any HDD. Furthermore, how would it be just to caching, reliability was not such an essential factor, as there was no risk of data loss.

Choice of SDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB 2280 PCIe 3.0 NX Series

After reviewing various brands and models of SSD available on AliExpress, the SDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB 2280 PCIe 3.0 NX Series seemed to be good value for money, costing R $ 209,52 each one, with free shipping. They promise a read rate of up to 3400 MB/s and write 3000 MB/s. It may not be the best by today's standards., but it's not the worst either. It, As I mentioned, when used as cache and in RAID 1, it almost doubles the reading speed, which is quite satisfying.

Unboxing and installation

The SSDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB 2280 PCIe 3.0 NX Series arrived without taxes. Both were in their respective boxes and came with a fixing screw., that I didn't need to use, as the DS918+ has its own attachment system that requires no tools.

I installed the SSDs in the DS918+, configured them to act as cache in RAID 1 and they started working right away. Soon, they were full and throttling my NAS, always with high accuracy rates in the readings.

Check out the photos and video of the unboxing, installation and testing of SSDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB 2280 PCIe 3.0 NX Series:

The Defect and the RMA

The installation of the SSDs was carried out in 31/08/2022, the day they arrived. Unfortunately, just after 18 days of use, one of the SSDs failed. NAS reported multiple read/write errors and shut down drive, emitting a beep that woke me up at dawn. I tried to reactivate it, but the problem reoccurred two days later, as seen in the screenshots below:

Contact the store via AliExpress chat. Service was quite slow, taking about 10 days of exchanging messages to send me an address in China and ask me to return the defective SSD. I explained that shipping from Brazil was extremely expensive, costing more than half the price of the product. They suggested sending it by certified mail., It's cheaper, and was told that I could dispose of the packaging to make it easier.

Packed the defective SSD with a cardboard plate on each side, I put it in an envelope. At Correios it is important not to say that there is an SSD inside. Said it was just papers and stickers, and so allowed the post.

I sent the SSD in 14/10. Almost two months later, in 07/12, I was told that the store had received the SSD and that I should contact them after a week or two to have them send me a new one. I contacted after the deadline and, in 07/01/2023, they sent me a link to an ad on AliExpress for $0.10, entitled “Additional Pay on Your Order”. Apparently, the goal was just to generate a shipping label by the system. I paid the 10 cents in 08/01 and, in 23/01, I got a new SSD, of the same model and capacity. Check out the photos and video of the unboxing:

I can conclude that the RMA works, although it is a bit slow and required international registered mail to compensate.

A New Use for the Temporarily Unpaired SSD

With the removal of one of the SSDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB, the NAS started to operate with only one, allowing use as a read-only cache, as writing could result in data loss in case of SSD failure.

However, in just over two weeks of use, I realized that 512GB was not enough for my use, according to the analysis carried out by the NAS itself. The ideal would be at least 1TB, so I decided to get a pair of SSSDs NVMe Western Digital 1TB WD Blue SN570 Gen3 x4 PCIe 8GB/s M.2 2280 WDS100T3B0C in US Amazon, with redirection to Brazil by Fishisfast. But that's a topic for another article, for the time being, i have only the unboxing to show.

As I had an empty m.2 slot on my motherboard, I ended up installing the remaining KingSpec SSD into it, for use as a cache of my HDDs through PrimoCache. Despite having the operating system, programs and documents on an SSD, My Photos, videos and many other data are still on HDD. In this way, SSD caching via PrimoCache was very useful.

After about 5 months of use, the SSD M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB continues to work well in this task. The performance gain is significant, but it is worth noting that PrimoCache is aggressive in reads and writes, having reached more than 32TB. As a result, CrystalDiskInfo reports a remaining lifetime of 74% for SSD. We'll see how long it lasts.…

Tracing

The package tracking information with both SSDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB are no longer available in the AliExpress system, but they are still available in the Correios system:

PRIME EXPRESS

Object delivered to recipient
By the Distribution Unit, [REMOVED]
31/08/2022 16:58

Object out for delivery to the recipient
[REMOVED]
31/08/2022 10:19

Object in transit - please wait
of Treatment Unit, INDAIATUBA - SP
for Distribution Unit, [REMOVED]
30/08/2022 14:00

Object in transit - please wait
of Treatment Unit, CURITIBA - PR
for Treatment Unit, INDAIATUBA - SP
29/08/2022 09:28

Customs inspection completed
CURITIBA - PR
29/08/2022 09:26

Object received by Correios do Brasil
CURITIBA - PR
26/08/2022 20:51

This is the tracking information from the certified mail I sent returning the defective SSD:

REGISTERED EXPORT

object in transit - please wait
of Operating Unit, SAO PAULO - SP
to country,
21/10/2022 07:59

Object forwarded for export customs inspection
SÃO PAULO - SP
18/10/2022 23:28

Object posted
[REMOVED]
14/10/2022 12:46

Tracking of the SSD sent in the warranty exchange is still available on the AliExpress website:

2023-01-23 16:52
GMT-3
Delivered
[REMOVED]Package delivered

2023-01-23 09:29
GMT-3
Out for delivery
[REMOVED]Out for delivery

2023-01-23 01:00
GMT-3
[INDAIATUBA,SP]Departed from destination country/region sorting center

2023-01-20 08:34
GMT-3
[CURITIBA,PR]Departed from destination country/region sorting center

2023-01-20 08:34
GMT-3
Clearing Customs
Import customs clearance complete

2023-01-20 06:34
GMT-3
[CURITIBA,PR]Received by local delivery company

2023-01-19 12:08
GMT-3
Arrived at linehaul office

2023-01-18 18:53
GMT+8
Departed from departure country/region

2023-01-17 18:00
GMT+8
Leaving from departure country/region

2023-01-16 00:00
GMT+8
Export customs clearance started

2023-01-16 00:00
GMT+8
Export customs clearance complete

2023-01-15 19:05
GMT+8
Arrived at departure transport hub

2023-01-15 13:51
GMT + 8
[Shatian Town]Departed from sorting center

2023-01-15 11:49
GMT + 8
[Shatian Town]Processing at sorting center

2023-01-15 11:49
GMT+8
Departed from warehouse

2023-01-14 19:56
GMT+8
Received by warehouse

2023-01-14 18:03
GMT+8
Arrived at warehouse

2023-01-14 04:49
GMT + 8
[Fenggang Town]Departed from sorting center

2023-01-14 03:03
GMT + 8
[Fenggang Town]Processing at sorting center

2023-01-13 19:46
GMT+8
Received by logistics company

It is also available on the Post Office website.:

PACKET STANDARD IMPORT

Object delivered to recipient
By the Distribution Unit, [REMOVED]
23/01/2023 16:52

Object out for delivery to the recipient
[REMOVED]
23/01/2023 09:29

Object in transit - please wait
of Treatment Unit, INDAIATUBA - SP
for Distribution Unit, [REMOVED]
23/01/2023 01:00

Object in transit - please wait
Integrated Logistics Unit, CURITIBA - PR
for Treatment Unit, INDAIATUBA - SP
20/01/2023 08:34

Customs inspection completed
CURITIBA - PR
20/01/2023 08:34

Object received by Correios do Brasil
CURITIBA - PR
20/01/2023 06:34

posted object
CHINA

Table-Summary

This is the table-summary of purchase:

Final Considerations

One of the SSDs M.2 NVME KingSpec 512GB 2280 PCIe 3.0 NX Series it is being used as a cache for my HDDs through PrimoCache and it is doing its job well. The other, who replaced what was defective, is kept unused, since at the moment I don't need it. It is important to mention that KingSpec's warranty, although it took a little time, it worked in the end.

As for the possibility of buying again, maybe I'll consider, but only if the price is significantly lower than that of better known brands, like Sandisk or Western Digital, that offer warranty in Brazil. Unfortunately, these brands tend to be more expensive on AliExpress, what can make the call option on the US Amazon and redirect with Fishisfast be more advantageous. However, for less demanding applications, KingSpec SSDs are still good options.

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