Kingston SSDNow V Series 40GB SSD Review

Packaging and Accessories

Before we begin we would like to note that we received the “Desktop Upgrade Kit” version of this drive. This version retails for a bit more than the bare bones version (about $12 extra) but the drive itself is the exact same; it’s just the accessories which accompany the drive which are different.


The box our SSDNow V 40GB came in was more a two part affair than a single homogenous package. In a nut shell the outer cardboard “box” is nothing more than two advertising sleeves, designed to get your attention and keep the internal plastic container from separating into its two parts (and scattering its precious cargo all over the place).


While the front is concerned more with advertising its contents (with its big “redhead” image and model number in bold lettering), the back does contain a short marketing blurb on what is included. Unfortunately there is no drive benchmark data included, so while the information should help first time buyers make an informed decision about the accessories, the same can not be said about the drive itself.


When you slip the main cardboard advertising sleeve off we see a fairly good layer of protection and it would take one heck of a series of unfortunate events for both to be damaged.


By slipping off this second cardboard sleeve we finally can get a good look at the main real internal protection scheme Kingston has gone with. For all intents and purposes this is a super-sized two piece plastic box, with a smaller “lid” on top and a deeper bottom half. The upper lid portion has the Kinston “redhead” logo embossed into its center and is very easy to pry off, as it has not been heat sealed.


While we cannot comment on the bare bones version, we can say that this is one big box for a little 2.5” form factor drive and the shear size of it does improve it survivability. Heck, for that matter positioning the drive in the center with the accessories around, and then placing a Styrofoam block underneath also improves the drive’s chances of surviving some pretty serious blunt force trauma. All in all, it is very impressive the level of protection Kingston has bestowed upon such a frugally priced drive.


Even more impressive was the accessories the Desktop Upgrade version comes with since literally everything here is tailor made to assure even older computer systems can use this product. Do you have an older PSU without the necessary SATA connectors? Well, Kingston provides you with a Molex to SATA adaptor. Need help setting the SSDNow up as a boot drive without loosing valuable information? A CD is included which contains not only instructions but a copy of Acronis True Image HD. There is also a short red SATA cable and two drive rails to convert this 2.5” form factor drive to fit into a standard 3.5” HDD mount.

In the past we have seen a few solid state drives come with an SATA cable or a 2.5 - to - 3.5 converter, but this is the first time we have seen such a cohesive set of accessories included. In all reality, for the small $12 price premium, we HIGHLY recommend the desktop upgrade version over the standard drive. Blood good job Kingston.