# Lexar NM790 1TB: Full Speed, DRAM-less Efficiency (2026)

The Lexar NM790 1TB reaches this drive's full 6,500 MB/s write ceiling and is rated by independent reviewers among the best DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 drives available.

Quick answer: The Lexar NM790 1TB makes sense for buyers who want genuinely class-leading PCIe 4.0 performance for a primary drive, laptop upgrade, or PS5 storage expansion without paying DRAM-equipped flagship prices. There's little reason to skip it unless you specifically need more capacity, in which case the 2 TB or 4 TB NM790 offers the same performance profile with more room. Compared to QLC alternatives like Lexar's own NQ790 or NQ710, the NM790's TLC NAND holds its performance and endurance more consistently under sustained load. Overall, independent reviewers rate this as one of the strongest values in PCIe 4.0 storage, and 1 TB is the capacity where it fully delivers.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 1 TB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Maxio MAP1602 |
| Memory type | YMTC 232-L TLC |
| DRAM cache | No |
| Sequential read | 7400 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 6500 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 1000000 |
| Random write IOPS | 900000 |
| Endurance | 1000 TBW |
| MTBF | 1500000 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

The 1 TB Lexar NM790 is rated for up to 7,400 MB/s sequential reads and 6,500 MB/s sequential writes, with up to 1,000,000 IOPS on random reads and 900,000 IOPS on random writes, the line's full-speed figures. Tom's Hardware found the NM790 rivals even high-end PCIe 4.0 drives despite being DRAM-less, delivering good-to-great sustained performance with notably better power efficiency than many DRAM-equipped competitors.

Like any TLC drive, the NM790 leans on SLC caching for its peak write speed; the 1 TB model's cache is larger than the 512 GB's, so it holds its peak write speed over a bigger share of any large transfer before settling to a lower but still solid TLC-native write speed, rather than collapsing sharply the way a QLC drive would. For everyday use, booting Windows, loading games, general file work, and even serious content creation, the 1 TB NM790 performs confidently. PCWorld separately noted the DRAM-less design costs it a bit on random-write performance specifically, though not enough to matter for typical users.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Lexar rates the 1 TB NM790 at 1,000 TBW and backs it with a 5-year limited warranty, strong figures for a DRAM-less drive at this capacity. At a realistic 20-30 GB per day write workload, 1,000 TBW works out to roughly 91-137 years before the drive reaches its rated endurance limit, far beyond the warranty period and the practical lifespan of the rest of the PC around it. Lexar also lists a 1,500,000-hour MTBF figure, though that's a population-level statistical average across many drives rather than a promise about any single unit's lifespan. Warranty service runs through Lexar's regional RMA process, so keep your purchase receipt on hand.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- Full 7,400/6,500 MB/s read/write speeds
- 1,000 TBW endurance and a 5-year warranty
- Rivals DRAM-equipped drives despite being DRAM-less
- Single-sided M.2 2280 fits laptops and PS5
- Rated fastest DRAM-less SSD by PCWorld at review time
**Cons:**

- No DRAM cache impacts random writes slightly
- Runs behind Lexar's premium NM1090 Pro on peak numbers
- 1TB capacity fills up fast for large modern game libraries
- No included heatsink on the base version


## Verdict

The Lexar NM790 1TB makes sense for buyers who want genuinely class-leading PCIe 4.0 performance for a primary drive, laptop upgrade, or PS5 storage expansion without paying DRAM-equipped flagship prices. There's little reason to skip it unless you specifically need more capacity, in which case the 2 TB or 4 TB NM790 offers the same performance profile with more room. Compared to QLC alternatives like Lexar's own NQ790 or NQ710, the NM790's TLC NAND holds its performance and endurance more consistently under sustained load. Overall, independent reviewers rate this as one of the strongest values in PCIe 4.0 storage, and 1 TB is the capacity where it fully delivers.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Lexar NM790 1TB good for gaming?

Yes, very. Its 7,400 MB/s read speed and 1,000,000 random-read IOPS put it among the fastest PCIe 4.0 drives for game load times, rivaling much pricier DRAM-equipped options. 1 TB fits a reasonable modern game library, though heavy collectors may want the 2 TB or 4 TB NM790 for more room. For a gaming or PS5 upgrade drive, the 1 TB NM790 is a genuinely strong pick rather than just a budget compromise.

### Is the Lexar NM790 1TB compatible with the PS5?

Yes. It meets Sony's published PS5 M.2 SSD requirements: PCIe 4.0 NVMe interface, sequential read speed above the 5,500 MB/s minimum (this drive is rated at 7,400 MB/s), and a single-sided design that fits within Sony's size limits. The NM790 is widely used and recommended as a PS5 upgrade drive by independent reviewers, and its efficient, cool-running design suits the PS5's compact M.2 slot well.

### Does the Lexar NM790 have a DRAM cache?

No, the 1 TB NM790 is a DRAM-less design. Instead of an onboard DRAM chip, the Maxio MAP1602 controller uses Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology, borrowing a slice of the host system's RAM to store its mapping tables. Despite lacking dedicated DRAM, independent reviewers have found the NM790 performs close to DRAM-equipped drives, with only a modest random-write penalty that rarely affects typical use.

### What is the TBW endurance of the 1TB NM790?

The 1 TB model is rated at 1,000 TBW; the 512 GB version is rated at 500 TBW, the 2 TB at 1,500 TBW, and the 4 TB at 3,000 TBW, scaling roughly linearly with capacity. At a typical desktop or laptop workload of 20-30 GB written per day, 1,000 TBW would take roughly 91 to 137 years to reach, comfortably beyond any realistic ownership period.

### Is the 1TB NM790 slower than the 512GB version?

No, it's faster on writes. The 512 GB model's write speed is reduced to 4,400 MB/s due to having fewer NAND dies for parallel writes, while the 1 TB model reaches the line's full 6,500 MB/s write rating. Read speed is the same 7,400 MB/s on both. This makes 1 TB the smallest capacity that delivers the NM790's full advertised performance.

### Does the Lexar NM790 need a heatsink?

Not strictly, though one can help. The NM790's DRAM-less design and efficient controller mean it runs cooler than many DRAM-equipped PCIe 4.0 rivals, and Tom's Hardware specifically praised its power efficiency. A motherboard M.2 heatsink or PS5 heat spreader can still help during longer sustained-write sessions, but it isn't a strict requirement for typical desktop, laptop, or PS5 use at this capacity.

### How does the Lexar NM790 compare to the Lexar NQ790?

The NM790 uses TLC NAND while the NQ790 uses QLC, making the NM790 faster and more consistent on sustained writes and higher-endurance at the same capacity. Both share a similar PCIe 4.0 platform and read-speed ceiling, but reviewers consistently rate the NM790 as the stronger overall performer. The NQ790 remains a reasonable budget pick for buyers who mostly do reads and light writes, but the NM790 is the better choice when sustained write performance and endurance matter.

---

Last updated: 2026-08-29. Source: https://ssdrive.net/lexar-nm790-1-tb