Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB SSD Review

Lexar has just launched their NM1090 PRO 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD, featuring incredible read speeds of up to 14,000MB/s, making it arguably the perfect storage partner for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor.

Technical Specifications:

Capacity: 2TB

Flash Memory Type: TLC

Interface: PCIe 5.0 x4

Protocol: NVMe 2.0

DRAM Cache: 2GB

Rated Performance: 14,000MB/s sequential read, 13,000MB/s sequential write

Endurance Rating: 1400TBW (Terabytes Written)




The Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB features the standard M.2 2280 form factor, with a double-sided layout that ensures excellent compatibility across a wide range of devices.



The SSD's front is covered with Lexar's signature black and gold heat dissipation sticker, which not only serves a functional purpose but also gives the drive a premium, luxurious appearance that matches its high-end positioning. The heat spreader is emblazoned with detailed product model information and specifications.

In addition to the 2TB version, the Lexar NM1090 PRO is also available in 1TB and 4TB capacities, catering to a wide range of user needs for SSD storage.

The Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB features impressive hardware specifications that position it as a high-performance PCIe 5.0 SSD:

Controller and Architecture

- Controller: Silicon Motion SM2508

- Manufacturing Process: TSMC 6nm technology

- Architecture: Quad ARM R8 cores

- Interface: PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe 2.0

- NAND Support: 8-channel TLC/QLC NAND flash

- Interface Rate: 3200MT/s

- Cache: Supports DDR4/LPDDR4


Memory Configuration

- NAND Flash: Advanced 232-layer 3D TLC NAND

- DRAM Cache: 2GB dedicated DRAM

- Additional Cache: Dynamic SLC cache




Performance

- Sequential Read: Up to 14,000MB/s

- Sequential Write: Up to 13,000MB/s

- Endurance: 1400TBW (Terabytes Written)




Thermal Design

- Cooling: Dual-sided thermal stickers

- Controller Efficiency: Lower operating temperatures thanks to the 6nm process and improved power management


Gaming Features

- Microsoft DirectStorage: Supported, reducing CPU load and improving small file read performance

These specifications demonstrate why the NM1090 PRO nearly saturates the PCIe 5.0 x4 bandwidth, delivering performance that's approximately twice as fast as PCIe 4.0 SSDs. The comprehensive thermal design ensures that the drive maintains peak performance even under heavy loads, making it an excellent choice for high-end gaming systems and professional workstations handling demanding visual content creation.

In CrystalDiskMark benchmarks, the Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB SSD showcases impressive performance, with sequential read speeds reaching up to 14,300.9 MB/s and sequential write speeds hitting 13,299.91 MB/s. These results actually surpass the official specifications of 14,000 MB/s read and 13,000 MB/s write speeds.

In the ATTO Disk Benchmark tests, the Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB SSD demonstrates remarkable performance, achieving read and write speeds close to or exceeding 1 GB/s at 8K block sizes. Starting from 128KB, the write speed surpasses 11 GB/s, while the read speed remains consistently above 8 GB/s. Ultimately, the write speed stabilizes around 12.34 GB/s, with read speeds reaching approximately 13.87 GB/s.

Next, we put the drive through its paces with TxBENCH to evaluate read/write stability. During our full-disk 2000GB file read and write tests, the Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB maintained remarkably consistent performance. Sequential read speeds held steady at 14,010MB/s, while sequential write speeds clocked in at 13,301MB/s. Performance fluctuations were minimal throughout the entire testing process, demonstrating exceptional stability under load.

Using HDTune, we tested the Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB's performance after its cache was exhausted. The results were impressive—the drive maintained write speeds of 3,396MB/s even when writing outside the cache buffer, showing strong sustained performance capabilities.

During our testing, we paid special attention to the Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB's thermal performance. At idle, the drive registered only 46°C, and even after extended testing, the maximum temperature peaked at just 64°C. This clearly demonstrates that the new controller in the Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB offers significantly improved heat management. When paired with a motherboard heatsink, users can expect consistently low operating temperatures, eliminating any concerns about thermal throttling.

Conclusion: The New Ultimate Choice for Enthusiasts

The Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB, equipped with 232-layer 3D TLC NAND and the latest Silicon Motion SM2508 controller, delivers extraordinary performance with stable sequential read and write speeds of 14,000MB/s and 13,000MB/s respectively. Combined with its excellent thermal characteristics, the overall performance is truly exceptional.

With a launch price of 1,499 yuan (approximately $210), the Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB is competitively priced among PCIe 5.0 SSDs, making it an incredibly compelling option. This drive makes an ideal partner for enthusiast-grade components like the Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor and Lexar ARES 6000 C26 32GB low-latency memory, allowing you to build the ultimate AMD Ryzen platform available today. If you're assembling a high-performance system and don't want storage to be your bottleneck, the Lexar NM1090 PRO 2TB is unquestionably a reliable and excellent new choice.