Revised Study of Kioxia Exceria Plus G2 (2TB): Compact Design and Convex Performance

The Kioxia Exceria Plus G2, a compact external solid-state drive (SSD), has caught the attention of consumers, despite not being officially available in the U.S. This drive, a product of Kioxia—a major player in cutting-edge solid-state storage—boasts a sleek design and impressive features, but its performance varies in different tests.

With dimensions of 72 x 40 x 11.8 mm and a weight of just 42 grams, the Kioxia Exceria Plus G2 is smaller than many competing drives. It offers a sequential read speed of up to 1,050 MB/s and a sequential write speed of up to 1,000 MB/s, making it a 10 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen2) SSD.

In the real-world file transfer test using DiskBench, the Kioxia Exceria G2 beat out the SK hynix Beetle X31 and Seagate's Ultra-Compact SSD, showcasing its practical performance. However, in the small file performance test, it lagged behind the SK hynix Beetle X31 and Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD, but managed to outperform many other drives.

In the sustained write performance test, the Kioxia drive performed admirably, managing to write for close to 12 minutes at above 1,000 MB/s. Unfortunately, in the PCMark 10 test, the Kioxia drive landed last among recently retested drives, with a score of 974.

The Kioxia Exceria Plus G2 features 256-bit AES hardware encryption, providing an added layer of security. However, the software for password-protecting the drive is not included on the drive itself.

In terms of pricing, the 2TB model of the Kioxia Exceria Plus G2 was selling for £149 in the U.K. when the article was written, with the 1TB version going for £93 and the 512GB capacity for £65. In Germany, the initial prices for the 2TB version were around €308, but current offers show prices near €100 for 1TB models, indicating a significant price decrease since its release.

However, in the U.S., the Kioxia Exceria Plus G2 can be found for sale via third-party sellers or on eBay, but not at competitive prices. This price disparity may influence the drive's standout factor.

In the best-case synthetic scenario using CrystalDiskMark, the Kioxia drive edged out three other drives but was slightly behind SK hynix and Crucial's competitors. The drive also comes with USB-C and USB-A cables, and sports a solid, small metal shell.

Kioxia, a spin-off from Toshiba in 2019 and renamed as a combination of the Japanese word for 'memory' and the Greek word for 'value', continues to make strides in the solid-state storage market. The Kioxia Exceria Plus G2's 10 Gbps performance is solid, though not class-leading.

If the Kioxia Exceria Plus G2 costs less than competing drives like the SK hynix Beetle X31 or Crucial's X9 where you live, it's easy to recommend. However, its performance in some tests leaves room for improvement.

Revised Study of Kioxia Exceria Plus G2 (2TB): Compact Design and Convex Performance