Lexar NM1090 PRO

The Lexar NM1090 PRO is a 4TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD with blistering 13,000 MB/s read and write speeds. It's one of the fastest drives we've tested, ideal for AI workloads and heavy content creation. But it's expensive, runs hot, and has mediocre endurance, so most gamers and everyday users are better off with a cheaper Gen 4 drive.

The headline numbers are wild. 13,000 MB/s sequential read and write puts this drive in the 97th percentile for speed in our database. That's roughly double what a good Gen 4 drive like the Samsung 990 PRO manages. In practice, that means a 100GB game install transfers in seconds, not minutes. The 6nm controller helps keep thermals in check, which is a real concern with Gen 5 drives that can thermal throttle under sustained load.

Random performance is solid but not chart-topping, landing in the 79th percentile. That's still well above average and fine for everyday use, but if your workload is heavily random I/O dependent, there are drives that edge it out. The DRAM cache and SLC dynamic cache help smooth things out, and DirectStorage support means games can load assets directly from the drive without hammering the CPU. For gaming, this drive scored 83.7 out of 100 in our testing, which is strong. Console use is even better at 85.3, though you'd need a PS5-compatible enclosure to actually use it there.

The Samsung 990 PRO is the most obvious alternative. It's a Gen 4 drive, so it tops out around 7,450 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write, roughly half what the Lexar manages. But it's cheaper, has better endurance, and runs cooler. The Western Digital Black SN850X is another strong Gen 4 option with similar trade-offs. If you want to stay in the Gen 5 lane, the Micron T710 is worth a look, though it's harder to find at retail. The Seagate FireCuda 530R and Kingston Fury Renegade are both solid Gen 4 drives that cost less and still deliver great real-world performance for gaming and general use.

For most people, a good Gen 4 drive is the smarter buy. The NM1090 PRO only makes sense if you have a workload that can actually saturate a Gen 5 interface. AI training, large dataset processing, and high-bitrate video editing are the main use cases where you'll feel the difference.

At $730 USD, the NM1090 PRO is priced like a flagship, because it is one. You're paying a premium for Gen 5 speeds and 4TB of capacity. If you don't need the absolute fastest drive, the Western Digital Black SN850X or Samsung 990 PRO offer excellent Gen 4 performance for noticeably less money. But if you're building a workstation for AI model training or 8K video editing, the time saved on file transfers and project loads can justify the cost. Just know that endurance is not this drive's strong suit, so heavy write workloads might wear it out faster than some competitors.

The Lexar NM1090 PRO is a 4TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD that sits at the top of the current performance heap. It's aimed at people who want the absolute fastest storage money can buy, whether that's for AI workloads, 4K video editing, or just loading games before your coffee gets cold. With a 4.5-star rating from 90 reviews, buyers seem pretty happy with what they're getting.

Lexar quotes read speeds up to 14,000 MB/s and writes up to 13,000 MB/s, though our data shows a slightly more conservative 13,000 MB/s for both. Either way, this thing is in the 97th percentile for speed and feature set in our database. It's the kind of drive that makes Gen 4 drives look like they're standing still.

At around $730 USD for the 4TB model, this is not a casual purchase. But if you're building a high-end rig around an AMD Ryzen or Intel i9 and want zero storage bottlenecks, the NM1090 PRO is one of the few drives that can actually deliver on that promise.

Skip the NM1090 PRO if you're a casual gamer, a student, or anyone doing standard office work. You won't feel the difference between this and a $150 Gen 4 drive in everyday tasks. It's also a poor choice for laptops, scoring just 80.5 out of 100 for laptop use due to heat and power draw. If you need portable storage, look elsewhere entirely, this drive scored 22.7 out of 100 for portable use. And if you're doing heavy sustained writes, the 14th percentile endurance rating means you might want a drive rated for more write cycles, like the Samsung 990 PRO or WD Black SN850X.

Should you buy the Lexar NM1090 PRO? If you need the fastest 4TB NVMe drive on the market and money isn't the primary concern, yes. It's a beast for AI workloads, content creation, and anyone who wants their games to load before the loading screen tips even appear. The 4.5-star rating from 90 reviews backs that up.

But if you're just gaming or doing everyday productivity work, save your money. A Gen 4 drive like the Samsung 990 PRO or WD Black SN850X will feel nearly identical in day-to-day use and cost significantly less. The NM1090 PRO is a specialist's tool, and it's priced like one.