Nextorage NN4LE 1 TB: DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 with Kioxia BiCS6 NAND (2026)

Posted on June 13, 2026 by Raymond Chen

The Nextorage NN4LE 1 TB is a PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD from the G Series LE line, built on the Phison PS5027-E27T controller with Kioxia BiCS6 3D TLC NAND and a host-memory-buffer design, rated 7,400 MB/s reads and 6,100 MB/s writes with 600 TBW of endurance and a 5-year warranty.

Nextorage NN4LE 1 TB: DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 with Kioxia BiCS6 NAND

Controller & Memory

Nextorage is a Japanese storage company spun off from Sony's recording-media division in 2019, and the NN4LE is its G Series LE mainstream PCIe 4.0 line. It is the bare, no-heatsink version of the same drive Nextorage sells with a heatsink as the NEM-PAB. The controller is the Phison PS5027-E27T — a modern four-channel, DRAM-less Gen4 design that uses the host memory buffer instead of an on-board DRAM chip — paired with Kioxia's BiCS6 162-layer 3D TLC NAND.

That combination is one of the better DRAM-less Gen4 platforms available: the E27T reaches the full PCIe 4.0 sequential ceiling (around 7,400 MB/s) while staying efficient and cool, and Kioxia BiCS6 is fast, current TLC. At 1 TB the drive is the entry capacity of the line, with a smaller SLC write cache than the 2 TB and 4 TB models but the same peak read rating. The single-sided M.2 2280 layout suits laptops and compact desktops.

This is a PC PCIe 4.0 drive. Because the NN4LE ships bare, using it in a PlayStation 5 would require adding a separate heatsink; buyers wanting a drop-in PS5 drive should look at Nextorage's NEM-PA series, which is the same class of drive sold with a heatsink. On a Gen4 desktop or laptop, the NN4LE 1 TB is a capable, well-specified mainstream choice.

NN4LE Performance & Benchmarks

The NN4LE 1 TB is rated at 7,400 MB/s sequential reads and 6,100 MB/s sequential writes over PCIe 4.0 x4, with 1,000,000 random read IOPS and 850,000 random write IOPS. The reads sit at the top of what PCIe 4.0 delivers, and the random figures are competitive with the best DRAM-less Gen4 drives.

Performance comparison

Nextorage NN4LE 1 TB vs M.2 4.0 x 4 peers

Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.

  • Patriot Viper PV593 1 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
  • Patriot Viper PV593 2 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
  • Patriot Viper PV593 4 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
  • Patriot Viper PV573 2 TB: 14,000 MB/s read, 12,000 MB/s write
  • Nextorage NN4LE 1 TB (this drive): 7,400 MB/s read, 6,100 MB/s write

The DRAM-less HMB design keeps power and heat low, and the E27T is efficient enough that the bare NN4LE rarely needs more than basic airflow in a desktop. As the smallest capacity in the line, the 1 TB has the most modest SLC write cache, so the longest sustained writes will eventually drop to native TLC speed sooner than on the 2 TB or 4 TB. For gaming, content loading, and everyday desktop use, performance is strong and close to DRAM-equipped Gen4 drives in the tasks users actually notice.

Nextorage NN4LE vs Competitors

See how the NN4LE stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 drives in our database:

Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Nextorage covers the NN4LE with a 5-year warranty. The 1 TB model is rated for 600 TBW (terabytes written) and an MTBF of 1,500,000 hours, with coverage ending at whichever limit comes first: five years from purchase or 600 TBW of cumulative writes.

At a typical 30 GB of writes per day, reaching 600 TBW would take roughly 54 years, so the 5-year term is the binding limit for normal use. Even at a heavy 100 GB per day, the endurance rating spans about 16 years. For desktop and gaming workloads the TBW ceiling is not a practical concern; the warranty length is the limiting factor.

Nextorage NN4LE 1 TB Specifications

Category Value
Capacity [?] 1 TB
Interface [?] M.2 4.0 x 4
Controller [?] Phison PS5027-E27T
Memory type [?] Kioxia BiCS6 3D TLC
DRAM [?] No
Read speed (MB/s) [?] 7400
Write speed (MB/s) [?] 6100
Read IOPS [?] 1000000
Write IOPS [?] 850000
Endurance (TBW) [?] 600
MTBF (million hours) [?] 1500000
Warranty (years) [?] 5

Verdict: Is the NN4LE Worth It in 2026?

The Nextorage NN4LE 1 TB is a strong DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 drive: the efficient Phison E27T controller, current Kioxia BiCS6 TLC NAND, full 7,400 MB/s reads, and a 5-year warranty with 600 TBW endurance from a Sony-derived Japanese brand.

It fits a Gen4 desktop or laptop that wants a fast, cool-running mainstream NVMe drive at 1 TB. Buyers who want this drive in a PlayStation 5 should choose the heatsink-equipped NEM-PA version instead, and those wanting more capacity and a larger SLC cache should consider the 2 TB or 4 TB NN4LE.

+ Pros

  • Phison PS5027-E27T reaches the full 7,400 MB/s PCIe 4.0 read ceiling
  • Current Kioxia BiCS6 162-layer 3D TLC NAND
  • Efficient DRAM-less design runs cool with minimal airflow
  • High random read IOPS (1,000,000)
  • 5-year warranty with 600 TBW endurance
  • Single-sided M.2 2280 fits laptops and compact builds

- Cons

  • DRAM-less (HMB) — no dedicated DRAM cache
  • 1 TB has the smallest SLC write cache in the line
  • Ships bare — needs a separate heatsink for PlayStation 5 use
  • Lower write IOPS (850,000) than read
  • Limited Western retail availability

4.1 / 5 · 20 votes

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Video Review

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Frequently Asked Questions

The NN4LE uses the Phison PS5027-E27T, a four-channel, DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 controller, paired with Kioxia BiCS6 162-layer 3D TLC NAND. It uses the host memory buffer instead of an on-board DRAM chip. The E27T reaches the full PCIe 4.0 sequential ceiling of around 7,400 MB/s while remaining power-efficient.

Technically it is a compatible PCIe 4.0 drive, but the NN4LE ships bare with no heatsink, and the PS5 requires a heatsink for M.2 expansion drives. You would need to add a compatible heatsink. Nextorage sells the same class of drive with a heatsink as the NEM-PA series, which is the intended drop-in PS5 option.

No. The NN4LE is DRAM-less and uses the host memory buffer (HMB), borrowing a small amount of system RAM for its address-mapping table. This keeps cost, heat, and power down. Paired with the efficient E27T and Kioxia BiCS6 NAND, real-world performance is close to DRAM-equipped Gen4 drives for typical use.

It is rated at 7,400 MB/s sequential reads and 6,100 MB/s sequential writes, with 1,000,000 read and 850,000 write IOPS. The reads are at the top of the PCIe 4.0 range. As the smallest capacity in the line, its SLC write cache is the most modest, so very large sustained writes settle to native TLC speed sooner than on the 2 TB or 4 TB.

The 1 TB model is rated for 600 TBW (terabytes written) with a 1,500,000-hour MTBF. The 5-year warranty covers whichever comes first: five years or 600 TBW. At 30 GB written per day it would take roughly 54 years to reach 600 TBW, so the warranty period is the practical limit, not the endurance rating.

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