Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD vs WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against NVMe SSDs at a similar price

The Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD scores 7.9/10 overall, ahead of the WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB at 7.1/10.

The Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD leads on endurance and efficiency and thermals.

They score the same on performance, warranty and software.

The biggest difference is efficiency and thermals, where the Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD scores 8/10 to the WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB's 5/10.

Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD

7.9/10verdict: buy

The Lexar NM790 suits people who want a fast PCIe Gen 4 2TB drive for a desktop, laptop or small homelab machine. It is aimed at buyers who value long rated endurance, a five-year warranty and low power draw. It is less well matched to anyone who regularly moves very large files and wants perfectly even speeds.

Typically about £129.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

7.1/10verdict: buy

The SN850X 1TB without a heatsink is for buyers who want a fast PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 drive for a desktop or a PS5. It suits people who already have a motherboard heatsink or good case airflow. It is less suited to anyone who needs Linux or macOS drive tooling or has no cooling for the drive.

Typically about £178.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD	WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB
Performance	35%	8/10	8/10
Endurance	20%	9/10	7/10
Warranty	15%	9/10	9/10
Efficiency and thermals	15%	8/10	5/10
Software	15%	5/10	5/10
Overall		7.9/10	7.1/10

Specifications

Spec	Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD	WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB
Interface	PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe	PCIe 4.0 x4
Sequential read	up to 7400 MB/s	7,300 MB/s
Sequential write	up to 6500 MB/s	6,300 MB/s
Endurance (2TB)	1500 TBW (2TB)	600 TBW
Form factor	M.2 2280	M.2 2280
Warranty	five-year limited warranty	5-Year Limited Warranty

Strengths and weaknesses

Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD

+ 1500 TBW rating at 2TB
+ Five-year limited warranty
+ Owners report low power draw and cool running
− HMB gives uneven large-file copy speeds, owners say
− Some owners report stutter in games

Skip it if:

Buyers who regularly copy very large files and need perfectly even speeds
Gamers sensitive to the stutter some owners report
Anyone who needs a published power draw figure in watts

Read the full Lexar NM790 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe SSD review ›

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

+ Rated 7,300 MB/s read and 6,300 MB/s write
+ 5-year limited warranty
+ Owners report easy installation and PS5 compatibility
− Owners report it runs hot without a heatsink
− WD_BLACK Dashboard is Windows only
− Owners note a price premium over cheaper drives

Skip it if:

Buyers with no heatsink or airflow for the M.2 slot, who may prefer the heatsink version
Linux or macOS users who want vendor firmware tooling
Budget buyers who would rather pay less for a cheaper drive

Read the full WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB review ›

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