Lexar NM790

Introduction

If you're a gamer looking to supercharge your rig, a content creator drowning in project files, or a PlayStation 5 owner tired of juggling game installs, the Lexar NM790 deserves your attention. This PCIe Gen 4 NVMe M.2 SSD positions itself squarely in the sweet spot between budget drives that sacrifice performance and flagship models that drain your wallet. What makes it particularly intriguing is its use of newer Chinese YMTC flash technology paired with the capable Maxio controller, delivering speeds that compete with drives costing significantly more. Whether you're building a new system, upgrading an aging laptop, or expanding your console's storage capacity, the NM790 promises compelling bang-for-buck without the usual compromises you'd expect at this price point.

Product Overview

The Lexar NM790 follows the standard M.2 2280 form factor, making it compatible with the vast majority of modern motherboards and laptops. It connects via a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface and supports the NVMe 2.0 protocol, giving it access to substantial bandwidth for data transfer. Under the hood, you'll find the Maxio MAP1602 controller, a DRAM-less design that relies on Host Memory Buffer technology to borrow a small amount of your system RAM for caching operations. While purists might balk at the absence of onboard DRAM, this controller pairs it with 232-layer YMTC TLC NAND flash, a newer technology that helps offset the lack of dedicated cache.

The controller itself is a four-channel design built on a 12nm process, capable of pushing the 2400 MT/s bus speed that unlocks PCIe 4.0's full potential. This is notably faster than many competing budget drives that run their buses at 1600 MT/s to save costs. The NM790 ships in four capacities: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB, with the larger sizes being particularly noteworthy since the drive maintains a single-sided layout even at 4TB. That's genuinely impressive when many competitors require double-sided configurations at higher capacities, and it opens up compatibility with slim laptops and the PlayStation 5's tight internal clearances.

Performance & Real World Speed

Lexar claims the NM790 reaches up to 7,400 MB/s for sequential reads and up to 6,500 MB/s for sequential writes at the 1TB capacity and above, while the 512GB model manages up to 7,200 MB/s read and 4,400 MB/s write. Random performance is rated at up to 1,000K IOPS for reads and 900K IOPS for writes at the higher capacities. These are impressive numbers on paper, placing the drive in the same performance tier as respected options like the Western Digital SN850X or Samsung 980 Pro.

In practical terms, what does this mean for your daily computing? If you're upgrading from a SATA SSD that maxes out around 550 MB/s, you're looking at roughly 13 times faster sequential speeds. Your Windows boot process that used to take 30 seconds might drop to 15. Loading into a game like Cyberpunk 2077 or Starfield could shave off 20-30 seconds compared to older drives. When you're transferring that 50GB video project to edit on another machine, you're moving it in under a minute instead of several.

For gaming specifically, the NM790 performs admirably in DirectStorage-ready titles where the API can bypass CPU bottlenecks and stream assets directly to your GPU. While real-world differences between fast PCIe 4.0 drives in gaming are often measured in single-digit seconds, having that headroom matters for future titles designed around faster storage. Content creators working with 4K or even 8K footage will appreciate the drive's sustained write performance when capturing or exporting large projects, though you should be aware that like most DRAM-less drives, performance can dip once you exceed the SLC cache buffer during massive sustained writes.

Thermal Management

PCIe Gen 4 drives generate more heat than their Gen 3 predecessors, and the NM790 is no exception. During heavy workloads, you can expect the controller and NAND to climb well above 50°C, and without adequate cooling, thermal throttling becomes a real concern. The drive ships without any pre-installed heatsink, just a thin label covering the components. This means you'll need to rely on whatever cooling solution your motherboard or laptop provides, or add an aftermarket heatsink if installing in a PlayStation 5.

Most modern motherboards include M.2 heatsinks, either integrated into the board or as separate aluminum pieces that clamp over the drive. These are generally adequate for keeping the NM790 running at full speed during typical use. Gaming sessions, productivity work, and even moderately heavy file transfers won't typically cause problems if you have decent case airflow. However, if you're planning to use the drive for sustained write-intensive workloads like video rendering or constant game recording, you'll want to ensure proper cooling to avoid performance degradation.

For PlayStation 5 installations, Sony requires any internal expansion drive to include a heatsink that keeps total height under 11.25mm. The NM790's single-sided design is helpful here since it leaves room for various aftermarket cooling solutions. Budget heatsinks from brands like ELECGEAR or MHQJRH work fine, though if you want premium peace of mind, options from Sabrent or even EK Water Blocks offer superior thermal performance. Just remember that without any heatsink at all, the PS5's thermal environment will quickly push this drive into throttling territory, killing performance and potentially reducing the drive's lifespan.

Compatibility

PC Compatibility

The Lexar NM790 works with virtually any modern desktop or laptop that has an M.2 slot supporting PCIe NVMe drives. Your motherboard needs an M.2 slot configured as Key M with PCIe lanes available. Most boards from the past five years easily qualify, whether you're running AMD Ryzen on AM4 or AM5, Intel's 10th generation and newer Core processors, or even recent Apple Silicon machines via adapter cards. The drive is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0 slots, though you'll obviously be limited to Gen 3 speeds in that scenario.

From a BIOS perspective, any system manufactured after 2015 should have native NVMe boot support. Windows 10 and 11 both include NVMe drivers out of the box, as do all modern Linux distributions. macOS supports NVMe drives natively as well, though you may need specific formatting for Hackintosh builds. Power requirements are minimal at roughly 5-6W under load, so even laptops with modest power budgets handle the drive without issue.

Console Compatibility

PlayStation 5 Internal Expansion: The Lexar NM790 meets Sony's requirements for internal PS5 storage expansion. It's a PCIe 4.0 drive that achieves the minimum 5,500 MB/s read speed Sony mandates, and with its 7,400 MB/s rating, it exceeds that threshold comfortably. The M.2 2280 form factor fits the PS5's expansion slot, and crucially, the drive's single-sided design makes it easy to fit various aftermarket heatsinks while staying under Sony's 11.25mm total height restriction. You absolutely must add a heatsink before installation, as the PS5 will not provide adequate cooling otherwise, and Sony's software checks for excessive temperatures. Once properly cooled and installed, the drive functions identically to the console's internal SSD, letting you store and play PS5 games directly from the expansion without any performance penalty.

Xbox Series X/S Internal Expansion: This drive is not compatible with Xbox Series X or Series S internal storage expansion. Microsoft uses a proprietary format requiring official Seagate Storage Expansion Cards that connect via a custom external port. Standard M.2 NVMe drives like the NM790 physically cannot be installed inside Xbox consoles. You could potentially use this drive externally with an M.2 to USB enclosure to store Xbox One generation games, but Xbox Series X|S optimized titles cannot be played from external USB storage regardless of speed.

Strengths & Weaknesses

The Lexar NM790 brings impressive sequential performance to the table, regularly challenging drives priced significantly higher. When Tom's Hardware tested the 4TB model, it traded blows with premium options in most workloads, demonstrating that Lexar's combination of the Maxio controller and YMTC flash can genuinely deliver on the promised speeds. The drive handles sustained writes reasonably well for a DRAM-less design, maintaining respectable performance even after filling the SLC cache during heavy copy operations. This makes it suitable not just for gaming but also for content creation tasks where you're frequently moving large video files.

Endurance ratings are solid across the lineup, offering 1,000TB of writes per terabyte of capacity and backed by a five-year warranty. This puts it on par with mainstream competitors and well above what you'd see from QLC-based budget drives. The drive's power efficiency stands out as another strength; during idle and light workloads, it sips power more conservatively than many competitors, making it an excellent choice for laptops where battery life matters. The 4TB model deserves special mention as it delivers this capacity in a single-sided form factor using TLC rather than the QLC some competitors resort to at high capacities.

On the weakness side, the DRAM-less architecture does show its limitations in scenarios involving tons of small random writes, where drives with dedicated cache can maintain more consistent performance. While the Maxio controller's Host Memory Buffer implementation helps, you'll notice the gap if you're doing something like compiling massive code projects or running database servers. The drive also relies on relatively new YMTC flash technology, which while performing well, doesn't have the long-term reliability track record of Samsung or Micron NAND. There's also the political elephant in the room regarding Chinese-made components, which has caused availability headaches and may continue to do so depending on trade relations.

Price-wise, the drive positions itself aggressively, particularly at the 4TB capacity where it significantly undercuts alternatives like the Samsung 990 Pro or Western Digital SN850X. However, at the smaller 512GB and 1TB capacities, pricing isn't quite as compelling since budget options like the Silicon Power UD90 or TeamGroup MP44L offer similar performance for slightly less. The lack of any proprietary software for monitoring drive health or managing firmware updates is a minor inconvenience, though free tools like CrystalDiskInfo fill the gap adequately.

Verdict: Should You Buy It?

Buy this if:

• You're upgrading from a SATA SSD or older PCIe Gen 3 drive and want substantial real-world performance gains without paying flagship prices

• You need 2TB or especially 4TB of fast NVMe storage where the price-per-gigabyte value becomes exceptional compared to Samsung or Western Digital alternatives

• You're expanding PlayStation 5 internal storage and want a single-sided drive that leaves room for various heatsink options while delivering speeds well above Sony's minimums

• You prioritize power efficiency for laptop use where battery life matters and the drive's lower power consumption provides tangible benefits over competitors

• You're building or upgrading a desktop gaming PC and want performance competitive with drives costing 30-50% more

Skip this if:

• You need absolute maximum sustained performance for professional workloads involving constant heavy writes where drives with DRAM cache maintain more consistent speeds

• You're uncomfortable with newer YMTC flash technology that lacks the long-term reliability track record of established manufacturers like Samsung, Micron, or Western Digital

• You already own a comparable PCIe 4.0 drive like the Samsung 980 Pro or WD SN850X where the upgrade would provide minimal practical benefit

• You can find competing drives like the Kingston NV2 or Silicon Power UD90 at significantly better prices for the 512GB or 1TB capacities

• You require Xbox Series X/S internal expansion which demands proprietary Seagate Storage Expansion Cards rather than standard M.2 drives