Kingston’s 8TB Fury Renegade SSD Delivers Unmatched Size, Speed, and Value

SSD prices are currently quite volatile. While they haven’t been hit as hard as memory prices, we’re still seeing regular increases across many SSDs. If the prices you see differ from what’s mentioned here, that’s likely the reason. To ensure you’re getting a good deal, consider using a price tracking tool.

I’ve put every combination of controller and NAND flash through its paces in the top-tier PCIe 5.0 SSDs, especially those aiming to match or surpass the performance of Sandisk’s WDSN8100. Surprisingly, I’ve found one SSD that manages to do just that, albeit in a rather unconventional way.

The latest Kingston Fury Renegade G5 drives, including this impressive 8 TB model, feature the same NAND flash and controller as the SN8100, all wrapped up in Kingston’s branding. To be honest, it performs exceptionally well, which isn’t shocking given that it’s built on the same hardware that propelled the SN8100 onto our best SSD list.

The SN8100’s performance is well-known, but we haven’t seen it in an 8 TB version until now, which is exactly what Kingston is offering. Whether it’s due to a lack of market demand from Sandisk, tariffs, or other factors, Kingston has taken that technology and pushed it to new heights, increasing capacity while excelling in some areas and falling short in others.

Unlike the Kioxia Exceria Plus G4, which uses the same 218-layer BiCS8 TLC NAND but a different controller, or the Acer Predator GM9000, which has the same Silicon Motion SM2508 controller but different NAND, the G5 confidently combines both. It’s essentially a clone of its SN8100 predecessor. The 218-layer BiCS8 NAND is the key player here, especially in terms of density.

**Capacity:** 8 TB
**Interface:** PCIe 5.0 x4
**Memory controller:** Silicon Motion SM2508
**Flash memory:** Kioxia 218-Layer BiCS8 TLC NAND
**Rated performance:** 14,800 MB/s sustained read, 14,000 MB/s sustained write
**Endurance:** 4800 TBW
**Warranty:** Five years
**Price:** £1,000

Developed by Kioxia and SanDisk, who have a long-standing partnership in memory development, the BiCS8 technology stands out due to its increased vertical layering density compared to BiCS6. This allows for more dies to fit into a single 3D package.

The efficiency, performance, latency, and maximum capacity all benefit from this technology, which also reduces the lateral size, making the die footprint smaller.

This means you can fit 4 TB of high-performance NAND into a single chip, stacking two side-by-side for a total of 8 TB without needing a dual-sided design. This gives the Kingston Fury Renegade G5 a unique edge, making it compatible with both consoles and PCs, all while being single-sided.

Don’t let marketing numbers mislead you. Comparing the 218-layer NAND to Micron’s 276-layer TLC or SK Hynix’s 238-layer isn’t a fair fight, and it shows in performance. Both of those technologies, when paired with the SM2508 8-channel controller, struggle, especially in random 4K performance.

Now, let’s dive into the benchmark results. The G5’s sequential performance is stellar, even surpassing the SN8100 with 14,830 MB/s read and 14,136 MB/s write speeds—100-200 MB/s higher than the SN8100. In comparison, the Crucial T710, which is currently a flagship SSD, falls short with 14.1 GB/s read and 13.2 GB/s write.

Tested: Kingston Fury Renegade G5 vs Crucial T710

Header Cell – Column 0	Kingston Fury Renegade G5	Crucial T710 2 TB
3DMark Storage – Index	5541	4,553
3DMark Storage – Bandwidth (MB/s)	937.26	771.23
3DMark Storage – Access time (µs)	32	39
CrystalDiskMark 7.0.0 – SEQ1M Q8T1 Read (MB/s)	14830	14145
CrystalDiskMark 7.0.0 – SEQ1M Q8T1 Write (MB/s)	14136	13181
RND4k Q1T1 Read (IOPS)	24660	25449
RND4K Q1T1 Write (IOPS)	82538	86534
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers – Total loading time (seconds)	6.626	6.834
Peak temperature (°C)	63	70

**PC Gamer test bench**
**CPU:** AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
**RAM:** 64 GB (2x32GB) Team Group T-Create Expert DDR5 @ 6000 C34
**GPU:** Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super
**Motherboard:** Asus ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi/NZXT N9 X870E
**CPU Cooler:** Asus ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme
**PSU:** 1200W NZXT C1200 (2024) 80+ Gold
**Chassis:** Geometric Future Model 5

Things get a bit more complex with random 4K performance, where the G5 achieves 101 MB/s read and 338 MB/s write. The read speed is average for this drive and comparable to the T710, but it doesn’t come close to the SN8100’s impressive 119 MB/s read speed.

Temperature management is another strong point; the G5 stays cool at 63 °C, while the T710 and SN8100 run hotter at 70 °C and 75 °C, respectively.

This all translates to fantastic game load times, with an average Final Fantasy score of 6.626 seconds, making it the second-fastest drive I’ve tested in that benchmark. However, it’s worth noting that FF XIV tends to favor larger capacity drives for loading.

✅ **You have a massive game library and a budget to match:** The G5 is cool, efficient, incredibly fast, and offers outstanding capacity—all on a single-sided drive. It excels in nearly every aspect, except for its price.

❌ **You want a cost-effective, well-rounded drive:** While the G5 is impressive, there are more affordable options available at lower capacities that won’t break the bank.

The G5 faces limitations in three main areas. First, its random 4K read performance lags behind the SN8100, likely a deliberate choice by Kingston for efficiency and compatibility. Second, there’s the issue of availability, and third, the price.

As of now, stock in the US is nearly nonexistent, and in the UK, it’s priced at £1,000. At £0.12 per GB, it’s not the most cost-effective option, but it does offer superior performance compared to other 8 TB SSDs.

On paper, the G5 is outstanding, smashing benchmarks thanks to its excellent controller and NAND flash combination. However, with such a massive capacity and corresponding price, it raises the question: do you really need 8 TB on a single drive? Would a 4 TB or even a 2 TB option suffice? You’d still get the same stellar hardware and performance, but at a much lower cost.

1. Best overall: WD_Black SN7100
2. Best budget: Biwin Black Opal NV7400
3. Best PCIe 5.0: WD_Black SN8100
4. Best budget PCIe 5.0: Crucial P510
5. Best 4 TB: TeamGroup MP44
6. Best 8 TB: WD_Black SN850X
7. Best M.2 2230: Lexar Play 2230
8. Best for PS5: Silicon Power XS70