Lexar NM790 2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280

The Lexar NM790 hits 7400 MB/s reads and 6500 MB/s writes, putting it in the top tier of PCIe 4.0 drives. Its 1500 TBW endurance beats pricier flagships like the Samsung 990 Pro and WD SN850X. Prices swing wildly from USD 330 to USD 476 in the US, so shop around, Best Buy has the best deal we're seeing. If you're a gamer, PS5 owner, or general user, this is an easy buy. Heavy sustained-write workloads might prefer a DRAM-cached drive.

The headline numbers are 7400 MB/s sequential reads and 6500 MB/s writes. In our database, that puts this drive in the top tier for speed, around the 90th percentile. For real-world use, that means a 100GB game install transfers in roughly 15 seconds if the source drive can keep up. Game load times will feel snappy, though the difference between this and a mid-tier PCIe 4.0 drive is honestly smaller than the spec sheet suggests. Most games don't saturate 7400 MB/s, so you're buying headroom more than a night-and-day experience.

Random performance is where this drive really shines. 1000K random read IOPS and 900K random write IOPS put it in the 93rd percentile for random operations. That's the metric that matters for boot times, app launches, and general snappiness. A DRAM-less drive hitting these numbers is genuinely impressive, and it's a testament to how far HMB has come. The trade-off is that under sustained heavy writes, like copying a full 2TB drive, the lack of DRAM can cause write speeds to dip more than a cached drive. For most people, that scenario is rare enough not to matter.

The Samsung 9100 PRO is the obvious heavyweight here. It's a PCIe 5.0 drive, so it'll smoke the NM790 on paper with reads up to 14,800 MB/s. But you'll pay a serious premium for that, and you'll need a PCIe 5.0 motherboard to even use it. For most people, the NM790's 7400 MB/s is already more than enough, and the money saved buys you a bigger capacity or a nice dinner. The WD Black SN850X is a closer fight. It has a DRAM cache, slightly better sustained write performance, and WD's software suite. But it's typically more expensive, and the NM790 actually beats it on endurance.

The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 and Micron T710 are both solid alternatives in the same performance class. The Kingston tends to run hot and thirsty, which matters in laptops. The Micron is a great drive but harder to find at retail and often priced higher. The Crucial T500 is probably the closest competitor in terms of value. It has a DRAM cache and similar speeds, but its endurance rating is lower at 1200 TBW for the 2TB model. If you're doing heavy write workloads, the NM790's 1500 TBW gives it an edge. If you want the absolute best sustained write performance, the SN850X or T500 might be worth the extra cash.

Pricing is all over the place depending on where you shop. In the US, we're seeing listings from USD 330 to USD 476, which is a USD 146 spread for the exact same drive. That's wild. The best US deal in our database is at Best Buy, so if you're stateside, that's where you should start. In Canada, the spread is even wider, from CAD 450 to CAD 726. That's a CAD 276 gap, and Memory Express has the lowest CAD price we're tracking. European buyers see EUR 384 to EUR 418, which is tighter but still worth checking before you click buy.

At the low end of those ranges, this drive is a steal. You're getting flagship-tier performance for what used to be mid-range money. At the high end, you're creeping into territory where the Samsung 990 Pro and WD Black SN850X start looking competitive, and those drives have DRAM caches and stronger brand recognition. The affordability percentile sits at 29th, which means this isn't the cheapest 2TB PCIe 4.0 drive out there. But when you factor in the endurance rating and the 5-year warranty, the total cost of ownership looks better than the sticker price suggests.

The Lexar NM790 is one of those drives that makes you wonder why you'd spend more on a flagship. On paper it hits 7400 MB/s reads and 6500 MB/s writes, which puts it right up there with the best PCIe 4.0 drives on the market. And it does it without a DRAM cache, which is honestly a bit of a flex. Most DRAM-less drives top out well below this, but Lexar leaned on HMB (Host Memory Buffer) tech to close the gap. The result is a drive that feels premium in daily use but doesn't carry a premium price tag.

Who's this for? Gamers, creators, and anyone stuffing a PS5 or laptop with more storage. The PS5 compatibility is a big deal since Sony requires at least 5500 MB/s reads for the expansion slot, and this thing nearly doubles that. Laptop users get a drive that sips power compared to power-hungry flagships, which matters when you're on battery. Desktop folks get a fast, cool-running drive that won't thermal throttle during long transfers.

The interesting bit is the endurance rating. 1500 TBW on a 2TB drive is well above what most competitors offer at this price point. Samsung's 990 Pro 2TB is rated for 1200 TBW, and the WD Black SN850X 2TB sits at 1200 TBW too. Lexar is quietly giving you more write headroom, and that's the kind of thing that matters if you're constantly moving large files or recording gameplay. The 5-year warranty backs it up, so Lexar seems confident in the silicon.

If you're doing heavy video editing, running a database server, or regularly moving multi-hundred-gigabyte files, the DRAM-less design might frustrate you. Sustained write performance can dip once the HMB cache is overwhelmed, and that's exactly the scenario where a DRAM-cached drive like the WD Black SN850X or Crucial T500 holds its speed better. The NM790 is a fantastic drive for bursts, but it's not built for marathon write sessions.

Portable users should also look elsewhere. Our scoring puts the portable use case at just 20.4 out of 100, which is rough. If you're building an external enclosure or need a drive that'll bounce between machines, something with lower power draw and better thermal characteristics under sustained load would serve you better. And if you're on a strict budget, the 29th percentile affordability score means there are cheaper 2TB PCIe 4.0 drives out there. They won't match the NM790's endurance or top-end speed, but they'll save you real money if you're just storing games and media.

For gamers and PS5 owners, this is an easy recommendation. The speed is there, the endurance is there, and the price at the low end of the range is hard to beat. You won't notice the lack of DRAM in game loads or level transitions, and the PS5 compatibility is plug-and-play. If you're building a gaming PC or upgrading console storage, grab the NM790 at the best price you can find and don't look back.

For creators doing heavy video editing or anyone who regularly moves massive files, the DRAM-less design gives me slight pause. The NM790 will handle bursts beautifully, but sustained writes over long periods can dip. If that's your workflow, the WD Black SN850X or Crucial T500 with their DRAM caches might be worth the premium. For everyone else, the NM790 is a fantastic balance of speed, endurance, and price.