# Lexar NM710 1TB Review — the Budget Range's Sweet Spot (2026)

The Lexar NM710 1TB keeps the full 4,500 MB/s write speed and doubles endurance to 600 TBW, making it the sensible pick of Lexar's budget PCIe 4.0 range.

Quick answer: Buy the Lexar NM710 1TB when the budget sets the ceiling but the drive should not feel like a compromise: it is the cheapest sane way to get full-speed PCIe 4.0 reads, real 4,500 MB/s writes, and a 5-year warranty into a build. Skip it for sustained professional write loads, or as a PS5 upgrade — 5,000 MB/s reads sit just under Sony's 5,500 MB/s recommendation, and DRAM-less designs are the wrong tool for scratch-disk duty. The step-up option inside the family is the NM790 1TB, with 7,400 MB/s reads and 1,000 TBW for somewhat more money; the Kingston NV2 and WD Blue SN580 play the same budget game with their own trade-offs. Within its class, the NM710 1TB is the balanced pick.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 1 TB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Maxio MAP1602A 4 Channel |
| Memory type | Micron 176-L TLC |
| DRAM cache | No |
| Sequential read | 5000 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 4500 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS |  |
| Random write IOPS |  |
| Endurance | 600 TBW |
| MTBF | 1500000 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

Lexar rates the 1TB NM710 at 5,000 MB/s sequential reads and 4,500 MB/s writes over PCIe 4.0 x4, and notably publishes no random IOPS figures for this model — TechPowerUp's database lists them as officially unknown. What is documented comes from TechPowerUp's full 1TB review, which found the drive delivering its rated sequential speeds and behaving the way a MAP1602 DRAM-less design should: strong burst transfers, ordinary deep-queue random performance.

In use, the numbers translate simply. Boot times, application launches, and level loads feel identical to pricier Gen4 drives, because read latency at these speeds stopped being the bottleneck years ago. The 4,500 MB/s write rating holds for typical transfers, with the dynamic pSLC cache absorbing game installs and file copies before throughput settles to native TLC rates on very large sustained copies. As a DRAM-less HMB design, heavy random write sessions are where it trails DRAM-equipped drives — a non-issue for boot-and-games duty. Against any SATA drive, including fast ones, it is not a contest: this is a full generational jump at budget money.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Lexar backs the NM710 1TB with a 5-year limited warranty rated to 600 TBW, whichever arrives first. At a modest 20 GB of writes per day, that endurance budget stretches past eight decades, so within a realistic ownership window the TBW ceiling is effectively unreachable. The rated MTBF is 1.5 million hours — a fleet-level reliability statistic, not a promise about any individual stick. The same 5-year terms apply across the whole NM710 range, from the 300 TBW of the 512 GB model up through the 2 TB, which is unusually generous coverage for the budget tier where 3-year warranties remain common. Warranty claims run through Lexar directly in most regions, so keeping proof of purchase is worthwhile.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 5,000 MB/s reads and 4,500 MB/s writes
- 600 TBW endurance with 5-year warranty
- DRAM-less HMB design stays cool and efficient
- Full write speed, unlike the 512 GB model
**Cons:**

- No DRAM cache on the PCB
- Reads trail mainstream rivals at 5,000 MB/s
- Random IOPS ratings unpublished by Lexar
- Just misses Sony's 5,500 MB/s PS5 guidance


## Verdict

Buy the Lexar NM710 1TB when the budget sets the ceiling but the drive should not feel like a compromise: it is the cheapest sane way to get full-speed PCIe 4.0 reads, real 4,500 MB/s writes, and a 5-year warranty into a build. Skip it for sustained professional write loads, or as a PS5 upgrade — 5,000 MB/s reads sit just under Sony's 5,500 MB/s recommendation, and DRAM-less designs are the wrong tool for scratch-disk duty. The step-up option inside the family is the NM790 1TB, with 7,400 MB/s reads and 1,000 TBW for somewhat more money; the Kingston NV2 and WD Blue SN580 play the same budget game with their own trade-offs. Within its class, the NM710 1TB is the balanced pick.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Lexar NM710 1TB compatible with the PS5?

It can be installed, but it is not a recommended match. Sony's guidance calls for a PCIe 4.0 drive reading at 5,500 MB/s or faster with a heatsink fitted within the 11.25 mm height limit, and the NM710 tops out at 5,000 MB/s — close, but under the bar. A 1 TB capacity is also the bare minimum for a modern console library. For a PS5 upgrade, a faster 1 TB or larger drive such as Lexar's own NM790 is the better route.

### Is the Lexar NM710 1TB good for gaming?

For a budget gaming PC, yes — it is exactly the audience this drive is built for. The 5,000 MB/s read rating loads operating systems and game levels with no perceptible penalty versus pricier Gen4 drives, and DirectStorage titles benefit from the full PCIe 4.0 link. The 4,500 MB/s write speed makes game installs and updates quick too. The constraints are the DRAM-less design, which matters not at all in games, and the fact that heavier professional workloads would be happier on a DRAM-equipped alternative.

### Does the Lexar NM710 1TB have a DRAM cache?

No — the NM710 ships without a DRAM chip. The Maxio MAP1602 controller uses Host Memory Buffer to borrow a slice of system memory for the flash translation tables, and a dynamic pseudo-SLC cache carved from the NAND soaks up write bursts. For boot duty, office work, and gaming, responsiveness is nearly indistinguishable from DRAM-equipped drives. The gap appears in sustained mixed write sessions and heavy random workloads, which is precisely where DRAM-equipped designs keep their composure and this one does not.

### What is the TBW endurance of the Lexar NM710 1TB?

The 1 TB model is rated at 600 TBW, backed by a 5-year limited warranty that ends at whichever limit arrives first. That is double the 300 TBW of the 512 GB model, and it works out to more than eight decades of use at a modest 20 GB written per day. Realistically, a boot-and-games workload writes a small fraction of that figure, so the 5-year warranty term is the limit that matters in practice, not the endurance ceiling.

### How does the 1 TB NM710 compare to the 512 GB model?

Sequential reads are identical at 5,000 MB/s, but the 1 TB model wins everywhere else that matters. Writes jump from 2,600 to 4,500 MB/s — a 73 percent increase — and endurance doubles from 300 to 600 TBW under the same 5-year warranty. Larger capacities also sustain performance better once the pseudo-SLC cache fills during long transfers. The 512 GB exists purely for the tightest budgets; if the purchase can stretch, the 1 TB model is the smarter long-term choice.

### Lexar NM710 1TB or Lexar NM790 1TB — which is better?

The NM790 1TB is the faster drive on every figure: 7,400 MB/s reads versus 5,000, 6,500 MB/s writes versus 4,500, and 1,000 TBW endurance versus 600, with the same 5-year warranty on both. The NM710's only advantages are a lower price and the same frugal DRAM-less efficiency. If the two cost within a reasonable margin of each other, the NM790 is worth it — the extra speed and endurance are real, not marketing. Choose the NM710 only when the budget is fixed and something has to give.

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Last updated: 2026-09-05. Source: https://ssdrive.net/lexar-nm710-1-tb