Lexar NM610 250GB NVMe SSD Review (2026)
The Lexar NM610 250GB is an entry-level PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD designed as a drop-in upgrade from SATA, offering 2,100 MB/s reads at a budget price point.
Controller & Memory
The NM610 250GB uses the Silicon Motion SM2263XT controller paired with Intel 64-layer 3D TLC NAND. The SM2263XT is a proven budget controller used across many value-oriented NVMe drives. This is a DRAM-less design that relies on SLC caching and the NVMe Host Memory Buffer to maintain performance without dedicated DRAM. The drive is a single-sided M.2 2280 module, compatible with virtually any system that accepts M.2 NVMe SSDs.
The 250GB capacity sits at the bottom of the NM610 range, which also includes 500GB and 1TB variants. All three capacities share the same rated 2,100 MB/s read and 1,600 MB/s write speeds, though the 250GB model has a smaller SLC cache and less parallelism from fewer NAND dies. The 125 TBW endurance translates to roughly 68 GB of writes per day over the three-year warranty.
Direct competitors include the Kingston A2000 250GB, WD Blue SN550 250GB, and Crucial P1 250GB. The NM610 is positioned as a cost-first option — it undercuts many rivals on price but carries only a three-year warranty compared to the five-year coverage on some competing drives.
Storage Comparisons:
NM610 Performance & Benchmarks
Lexar rates the NM610 250GB at up to 2,100 MB/s sequential reads and 1,600 MB/s sequential writes, with 188,000 read IOPS and 156,000 write IOPS. These are the same rated speeds across all three NM610 capacities, which is unusual — most SSD lines scale writes upward with capacity.
Lexar NM610 250 GB vs M.2 3.0 x 4 peers
Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 3.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.
- ADATA SX 8800 Pro 512 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
- ADATA SX 8800 Pro 1 TB: 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
- ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G RGB 256 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 3,000 MB/s write
- ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G RGB 512 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 3,000 MB/s write
- Lexar NM610 250 GB (this drive): 2,100 MB/s read, 1,600 MB/s write
Independent reviewers testing the 1TB model found real-world CrystalDiskMark results close to rated specs for sequential reads, though the NM610 lagged behind pricier NVMe drives in PCMark storage benchmarks. The 250GB model, with fewer NAND packages, is likely to show slightly lower sustained write performance once the SLC cache fills. For boot times, application launches, and general desktop responsiveness, the NM610 is a substantial upgrade over any SATA SSD. For heavy sustained writes or professional content creation, the gap to higher-tier drives becomes visible.
Lexar NM610 vs Competitors
See how the NM610 stacks up against other M.2 3.0 x 4 drives in our database:
Compare with rival drives:
Endurance, TBW & Warranty
The Lexar NM610 250GB carries a 125 TBW endurance rating with a three-year limited warranty. At a typical consumer workload of 20 to 40 GB per day, the endurance ceiling would take roughly 8 to 17 years to reach — well beyond the warranty period. The MTBF is rated at 1.5 million hours. The three-year warranty is shorter than the five-year coverage Lexar offers on the newer NM620, which is worth considering if warranty length is a priority.
Lexar NM610 250 GB Specifications
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 250 GB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller [?] | Silicon Motion SM2263XT |
| Memory type [?] | Intel TLC |
| DRAM [?] | HMB |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 2100 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 1600 |
| Read IOPS [?] | 188000 |
| Write IOPS [?] | 156000 |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 125 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | 1.5 |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 3 |
Verdict: Is the NM610 Worth It in 2026?
The Lexar NM610 250GB is a straightforward budget NVMe upgrade from SATA storage. It delivers the expected PCIe 3.0 entry-level performance without surprises. Buyers who plan to keep the drive beyond three years or want longer warranty coverage should step up to the Lexar NM620, which adds two more years of coverage and higher sequential speeds at a modest price increase. For a spare boot drive or a tight-budget build, the NM610 250GB does the job without unnecessary cost.
+ Pros
- 2,100 MB/s reads — roughly 4x faster than SATA SSDs
- Single-sided M.2 2280 fits any compatible system
- Intel 64-layer 3D TLC for reliable flash
- Low power draw suits laptop upgrades
- NVMe 1.3 support with HMB
- Cons
- Only three-year warranty
- 1,600 MB/s writes — modest for NVMe
- 125 TBW endurance is low for TLC
- No included heatsink or management software
Buy this or similar SSD Storage:
Video Review
Lexar NM610 NVME M.2 SSD 250GB Unboxing and speed test
