Lexar NM990 2TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD Review (2026)
The Lexar NM990 2TB is the sweet spot of the brand's budget PCIe 5.0 line, pairing a DRAM-less Maxio MAP1806A controller with Longsys TLC for 14,000 MB/s reads and a stronger 10,000 MB/s write speed.
Controller & Memory
The Lexar NM990 is the brand's value PCIe 5.0 drive, built to bring Gen5 sequential read speeds down to a much lower price point than DRAM-equipped flagships. The 2 TB model reviewed here is the sweet spot of the NM990 range, which runs from 1 TB to 4 TB, and it pairs Maxio's MAP1806A 8-channel controller with Longsys 3D TLC NAND. The defining design choice is that the NM990 is a DRAM-less drive: instead of a dedicated DRAM cache it uses HMB (Host Memory Buffer), borrowing a small slice of system memory to manage the flash translation layer, which keeps cost and power draw down at the expense of some sustained random performance.
The 2 TB is the capacity most buyers should pick because it balances price, capacity and write speed. Lexar rates every NM990 capacity at up to 14,000 MB/s sequential read, but the write rating scales with capacity: the 2 TB reaches 10,000 MB/s, comfortably ahead of the 1 TB's 7,500 MB/s and a little behind the 4 TB's 11,000 MB/s. That scaling reflects the DRAM-less design, where more NAND die in parallel at larger capacities lift the write speed. The 2 TB carries a 1,200 TBW endurance rating, a five-year warranty and the full 14,000 MB/s read figure, so it gives you the best of the platform without stepping up to the 4 TB's price.
As a budget Gen5 part the NM990 competes less with DRAM flagships like Lexar's own NM1090 Pro and more with other value PCIe 5.0 and high-end PCIe 4.0 drives, where it trades a DRAM cache and peak write speed for a low Gen5 sticker price. The drive ships in a standard M.2 2280 form factor with a heatsink included, a thoughtful touch for a Gen5 part given how hot the platform runs. For a buyer who wants PCIe 5.0 read bandwidth plus a usable capacity on a budget, the NM990 2 TB is the model to pick.
Storage Comparisons:
NM990 Performance & Benchmarks
Lexar rates the NM990 2 TB at up to 14,000 MB/s sequential read and 10,000 MB/s sequential write, the strongest balance of read and write in the NM990 family. The read speed matches far more expensive Gen5 flagships, so for game loads, large file reads and DirectStorage-enabled asset streaming the drive feels genuinely fast, while the 10,000 MB/s write figure is a clear step up from the 1 TB's 7,500 MB/s thanks to more NAND die in parallel. Every NM990 capacity shares the 14,000 MB/s read rating, while write scales from 7,500 MB/s on the 1 TB up to 11,000 MB/s on the 4 TB, placing the 2 TB in the middle.
Lexar NM990 2 TB vs M.2 5.0 peers
Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 5.0 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.
- Corsair MP700 Pro XT 1 TB: 14,900 MB/s read, 14,200 MB/s write
- Corsair MP700 Pro XT 2 TB: 14,900 MB/s read, 14,500 MB/s write
- Corsair MP700 Pro XT 4 TB: 14,900 MB/s read, 14,400 MB/s write
- Crucial T710 1 TB: 14,900 MB/s read, 13,800 MB/s write
- Lexar NM990 2 TB (this drive): 14,000 MB/s read, 10,000 MB/s write
Because the NM990 is DRAM-less and relies on HMB, sustained random performance under heavy mixed workloads is lower than on DRAM-equipped drives, though for everyday desktop use and gaming the difference is rarely noticeable. The drive does not publish prominent random IOPS figures, which itself signals the value positioning. The Maxio MAP1806A is an 8-channel PCIe 5.0 controller, so the sequential throughput is real rather than aspirational, and the included heatsink helps it hold speed under load. For a budget Gen5 boot, game and media drive where reads dominate, the NM990 2 TB delivers the best value in the range.
Lexar NM990 vs Competitors
See how the NM990 stacks up against other M.2 5.0 drives in our database:
Compare with rival drives:
Endurance, TBW & Warranty
Lexar backs the NM990 with a five-year limited warranty, and the 2 TB model carries a 1,200 TBW (terabytes written) endurance rating. That is solid coverage for a budget Gen5 drive: 1,200 TBW works out to roughly 658 GB of writes every single day for five years, which comfortably exceeds a typical 20 to 50 GB daily consumer workload, so for ordinary gaming and desktop use the NAND outlasts the warranty term by decades. The five-year term is the binding limit, and it is generous for a value Gen5 drive where three-year cover is common. As an established brand Lexar offers a global support and RMA network, which is reassuring on a budget drive, so keep your proof of purchase. The DRAM-less design means heavy sustained-write workloads are not this drive's strength, but endurance itself is not a realistic concern within the five-year window.
Lexar NM990 2 TB Specifications
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 2 TB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 5.0 |
| Controller [?] | MaxioTech MAP1806A 8 Channel |
| Memory type [?] | Longsys TLC |
| DRAM [?] | HMB (no DRAM) |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 14000 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 10000 |
| Read IOPS [?] | n/a |
| Write IOPS [?] | n/a |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 1200 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | 2000000 |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 5 |
Verdict: Is the NM990 Worth It in 2026?
The Lexar NM990 2 TB is the model most buyers in this lineup should pick. It pairs the budget Maxio MAP1806A plus Longsys TLC platform with a practical 2 TB capacity, the full 14,000 MB/s read speed, a stronger 10,000 MB/s write figure, a 1,200 TBW rating, a five-year warranty and an included heatsink, all at a low Gen5 price. Its strengths are value, capacity and Gen5 read throughput. Its weaknesses are the DRAM-less HMB design and the absence of prominent random IOPS figures. It suits a budget-conscious buyer who wants PCIe 5.0 read bandwidth plus a usable capacity; skip it if you need sustained random performance or a DRAM cache, in which case a DRAM-equipped Gen5 drive like Lexar's own NM1090 Pro is the better fit.
+ Pros
- Budget PCIe 5.0 with 14,000 MB/s reads
- 10,000 MB/s write, the best balance in the NM990 family
- 2 TB sweet-spot capacity
- Maxio MAP1806A 8-channel Gen5 controller
- Heatsink included
- 5-year warranty
- Cons
- DRAM-less HMB design limits sustained random performance
- Random IOPS figures not prominently published
- Needs a PCIe 5.0 platform to justify the read speed
- Lower write speed than DRAM-equipped Gen5 flagships
Buy this or similar SSD Storage:
Video Review
Lexar NM1090 Pro 2TB | 6 Reasons NOT to Buy 🚫💾
