Head-to-head · Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink vs Seagate FireCuda 530R with Heatsink

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.0 vs 3.7). The gap is mostly about Budget-focused PS5 owners who want full console speed and a bundled heatsink for the lowest possible price, including large 4TB capacities. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #4 in Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink

4.0

4 sources1 derived$209.99as of Aug 1

The Lexar NM790 with Heatsink is the value pick. It is often the cheapest high-end Gen4 drive, reads up to 7,400 MB/s (enough to fully saturate the PS5), and ships with a heatsink so it drops straight into a console. Tom's Hardware was pleasantly surprised that it rivals high-end PCIe 4.0 drives, and TechRadar calls it the best value PS5 SSD. The DRAM-less design trails DRAM drives under heavy sustained load. For the lowest price that still gives you full PS5 speed, this is the one.

Strengths

— Outstanding value, often the cheapest high-end Gen4 drive available
— Up to 7,400 MB/s reads, fully saturating the PS5's interface
— Bundled chunky heatsink adds PS5 compatibility out of the box

Watch-outs

— DRAM-less (HMB) design trails DRAM drives under heavy sustained load
— Lacks the brand support and extras of WD, Samsung, or Seagate
— Heatsink is bulky compared to low-profile designs

$209.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #5 in Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Seagate FireCuda 530R with Heatsink

3.7

3 sources1 derived$239.99as of Jun 7

The Seagate FireCuda 530R with Heatsink is a premium, high-endurance PS5 drive whose low-profile heatsink was co-engineered with EKWB, and it reads up to 7,400 MB/s. Tom's Hardware calls it a surprisingly capable, consistent drive with few downsides, and notes it runs cool and is great for the PS5. Its high endurance and the bundled Rescue data-recovery service are the draw. It costs more than the Crucial T500 and Lexar NM790 for similar console results, which lands it fourth on value.

Strengths

— High endurance rating, up to 5,050 TBW on larger capacities
— Low-profile heatsink co-engineered with EKWB for the PS5
— Up to 7,400 MB/s reads and strong sustained performance

Watch-outs

— Pricier than the Crucial T500 and Lexar NM790 for similar PS5 results
— Recently affected by the ongoing memory shortage pricing
— Double-sided design needs a heatsink that clears both sides

$239.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink

The Lexar NM790 is the budget value leader, undercutting the WD SN850X, Samsung 990 Pro, Crucial T500, and Seagate FireCuda 530R while still hitting the read speeds the PS5 needs. Its DRAM-less design is the trade-off versus the DRAM-backed Crucial T500 and the premium WD and Samsung drives, but it saturates the console's interface for less money than any of them.

Seagate FireCuda 530R with Heatsink

The FireCuda 530R is a premium, high-endurance rival to the WD SN850X and Samsung 990 Pro, with a low-profile heatsink that suits the PS5. It costs more than the value-oriented Crucial T500 and budget Lexar NM790 for similar real-world PS5 results, which is why it ranks fourth despite strong specs.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Lexar NM790 with Heatsink	Seagate FireCuda 530R with Heatsink
Interface	PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe	PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe
Form Factor	M.2 2280	M.2 2280
Sequential Read	Up to 7,400 MB/s	Up to 7,400 MB/s
Sequential Write	Up to 6,500 MB/s	Up to 6,800 MB/s
DRAM	DRAM-less (HMB)	—
Heatsink	Yes (bundled)	Low-profile (EKWB co-engineered)
Capacities	1TB / 2TB / 4TB	—
Warranty	5 years	5 years
Endurance	—	Up to 5,050 TBW
Extras	—	Seagate Rescue data recovery

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