Kingston 960GB A400 SATA3 2.5" Internal SSD SA400S37/960G - HDD Replacement for Increase Performance
Bottom line: The Kingston 960GB A400 SATA3 2.5" Internal SSD SA400S37/960G ($129.99 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06): Up to 500MB/s read and 450MB/s write saturates the SATA III interface; main trade-off: SATA III caps throughput far below any NVMe M.2 drive.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
Complete build that uses this part: Best Parts for a Dual RTX 3060 24GB Local-LLM Build in 2026 (Storage (alternative)) — see the full parts list for the rest of the build.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Up to 500MB/s read and 450MB/s write saturates the SATA III interface
- ✓ 960GB holds Windows, apps, and a game library on one drive
- ✓ Standard 2.5-inch SATA form factor drops into most laptops and desktops
- ✓ 3-year limited warranty included from Kingston
Cons
- ✗ SATA III caps throughput far below any NVMe M.2 drive
- ✗ 500MB/s read is sequential; small random writes will be slower
- ✗ Kingston does not publish TBW endurance for the A400 line
- ✗ No M.2 or mSATA option - 2.5-inch bay or adapter required
Manufacturer description
Fast start up, loading and file transfers More reliable and durable than a hard drive Multiple capacities with space for applications or a hard drive replacement
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored Kingston 960GB A400 SATA3 2.5" Internal SSD SA400S37/960G using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the ssds & storage category. Kingston's ssds & storage lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for ssds & storage of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast is the Kingston A400 960GB?
Kingston rates the A400 at up to 500MB/s sequential read and 450MB/s sequential write, which is effectively the ceiling of the SATA III interface. Kingston describes this as roughly 10x faster than a traditional mechanical hard drive.
Will this SSD fit my laptop?
The A400 is a standard 2.5-inch SATA drive, the same form factor used by most laptop and desktop hard drives. If your machine has a 2.5-inch drive bay and a SATA connector, it fits. Ultrabooks that only accept M.2 sticks will not.
Is 960GB enough space?
960GB is enough for a Windows install, a full productivity and creative application suite, and a meaningful game library on the same drive, which is why Kingston positions it as a full hard-drive replacement rather than a boot-only volume.
How reliable is the A400 compared to a hard drive?
The A400 is built on Flash memory with no moving parts, so there is no head, platter, or motor to fail from shock or vibration. Kingston states it is less likely to fail than a mechanical hard drive and that it runs cooler.
What warranty does the Kingston A400 come with?
It carries a 3-year limited warranty from Kingston. Check the product listing for current regional warranty terms and support details before purchase.
Key Features
- Fast start up, loading and file transfers
- More reliable and durable than a hard drive
- Multiple capacities with space for applications or a hard drive replacement
Full Specifications
| Size | 960 GB |
|---|---|
| Brand | Kingston |
| Color | Black |
| Model | SA400S37/960G |
| Warranty | Limited 3 Year |
| UnitCount | 1 |
| ReleaseDate | 2018-02-26T00:00:01Z |
| Manufacturer | Kingston Digital, Inc. |
| IsAdultProduct | false |
| ItemPartNumber | SA400S37/960G |
Ready to buy?
Kingston 960GB A400 SATA3 2.5" Internal SSD SA400S37/960G - HDD Replacement for Increase Performance is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Read our analysis
SpecPicks coverage that features this SSDs & Storage.
Related SSDs & Storage
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Qwen3.6-27B vs Coder-Next: Which Local Coding Model Wins?
- Raspberry Pi 5 Kit: What's Actually Worth Buying in 2025
- Best 27-inch 1440p Monitor for Ryzen 7 5800X Esports Builds (2026)
- Build a Silent Pi 4 NVMe Homelab: Cooling, VESA, SSD Boot
- Ryzen 7 5700X vs Intel Core i7-9700K: Best Budget Gaming CPU in 2026
- Reviving the LAN Party in 2026: Arcade Sticks, Classic Consoles, and Local Multiplayer
- RTX 5090 vs. M5 Max 128GB for Agentic Dev (2026)
- Windows XP Gaming ISO: A Modern Hardware Setup Guide
- Best Mini PC for Local LLMs in 2026: Ryzen AI Halo vs a DIY 3060 Box
- Sound BlasterX G6 on a Retro Windows XP Rig: USB Audio for Period-Correct Builds
- Prime Intellect Raises $130M to Help Enterprises Build Their Own AI Agents
- GTX 1050 Ti 4GB vs Raspberry Pi 4 8GB for Qwen3 1.7B Local Inference
- Ryzen 5 5600G vs Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 7 5800X for 1080p Gaming in 2026
- Best IDE-to-USB Adapter for Retro PC Data Recovery: FIDECO vs Unitek vs Vantec
- Horse Riding Game Controller for PC/Mac: Buy or Build
- RTX 4090 AI Server vs AMD Instinct: 2025 Guide
- Best Wheel and Controller for Truck and Farm Sims in 2026
- RTX 3060 12GB Local LLM Guide: Which Models Actually Fit (2026)
- Build Your Own Air Quality Monitor: Skip the $300+ Price Tag
- Ryzen AI Max+ 'Gorgon Halo' 192GB vs RTX 3060 12GB for Local LLMs
- SteamDSXL Yay or Nay? Dual-Screen Steam Deck Dock Review
- RTX 3060 12GB vs Arc B580 for 1080p Gaming: Which Wins?
- RTX 3060 12GB vs RTX 3090 for Local LLMs (2026)
- Raspberry Pi OS Moves to Linux 6.18 LTS — Real Performance Gains
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090