The Lexar NM790 with Heatsink is the value pick: often the cheapest high-end Gen4 drive, with up to 7,400 MB/s reads that fully saturate the PS5 and a bundled heatsink for out-of-the-box console compatibility. Tom's Hardware was pleasantly surprised that it rivals high-end PCIe 4.0 drives, and TechRadar calls it the best value PS5 SSD. Its DRAM-less design trails DRAM drives under heavy sustained load, but for the lowest price that still delivers full PS5 speed, it is the budget standout.
Full review
Real-World Performance
The NM790 surprised reviewers by punching well above its budget price. Tom's Hardware titled its review "A Pleasant Surprise" and found that "the Lexar NM790 pleasantly surprises with new hardware rivaling even high-end PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs," reaching "up to 7,400 / 6,500 MBps for sequential reads and writes." Those read speeds fully saturate the PS5's interface, so in the console it loads games as fast as drives costing far more, with no storage-test warning.
TechRadar, after a month of hands-on PS5 use, declared it "easily the best value PS5 SSD right now," and KitGuru praised the affordable 4TB version's strong performance with a PS5-ready heatsink. For the PS5 specifically, where the interface caps real-world gains, the NM790 delivers essentially the same gaming experience as the flagships, which is the whole basis of its value argument. The drive comfortably clears Sony's 5,500 MB/s requirement, so the PS5 accepts it without complaint, and in practice games load at the same brisk pace they would off a drive costing twice as much, because the console, not the SSD, is the limiting factor.
Value and Capacities
Value is the NM790's entire reason for being, and it is exceptional. TechPowerUp noted the 2TB model "sells for just $110, which makes it the most affordable high-end SSD available," and the drive is frequently the cheapest way to get full Gen4 speed. It is available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, and the 4TB version in particular is unusually affordable, making it one of the cheapest routes to a large PS5 storage upgrade.
That affordability does not come from skimping on speed: the NM790 hits the same headline read numbers as drives costing significantly more. Tom's Hardware concluded it can be "easily recommended at any capacity if you're looking for an affordable drive," and singled out the 4TB as being "in a very good place" on price. For the buyer who wants maximum capacity per dollar on the PS5, the NM790 is hard to beat. The 4TB version is the standout: large-capacity drives usually carry a steep premium, but the NM790 keeps the price per gigabyte low even at 4TB, which is enough to hold dozens of large modern games without constant deleting. For a heavy gamer who values capacity over the last few percent of sustained-write performance, it is the most cost-effective way to massively expand a PS5.
Heatsink and PS5 Fit
Lexar offers the NM790 with a bundled heatsink that adds Sony PS5 compatibility out of the box, so there is no need to source a cooler separately. TechRadar described it as "a chunky black heatsink fitted out of the box, with some small grooves to give it some texture on the top." It fits the PS5's expansion slot and keeps the drive's temperatures in a safe range during gaming.
The heatsink is bulkier than the low-profile designs on some rivals like the Seagate FireCuda 530R, but it clears the PS5's bay and does its job. Because the heatsink version is sold specifically for PS5 and PC builds, buyers get a true plug-and-play upgrade: install the drive, replace the cover, and the PS5 recognizes and formats it immediately. For a budget drive, that complete out-of-the-box readiness is a meaningful convenience. Many budget drives are sold bare, forcing buyers to research and purchase a compatible heatsink separately, an extra cost and a compatibility risk that can erode the savings. The NM790's bundled cooler removes that hassle entirely, so the low price is the true all-in cost of a PS5-ready drive.
Where It Falls Short
The NM790's key compromise is its DRAM-less design: it uses Host Memory Buffer (HMB) rather than an onboard DRAM cache, which keeps the price down but can let sustained performance dip on the largest, most demanding transfers compared to DRAM-backed drives like the Crucial T500. For the PS5's typical game-loading workload this rarely matters, but heavy continuous writes are where the budget design shows.
It also lacks the extras and brand support of the premium drives: there is no data-recovery service like Seagate's Rescue, and Lexar carries less cachet than WD or Samsung. The bundled heatsink is bulkier than low-profile alternatives. None of these undercut its core value proposition, full PS5 speed for the lowest price, but they are the reasons it sits fifth rather than higher despite its excellent price-to-performance.
How It Compares to Alternatives
Against the DRAM-backed Crucial T500, the NM790 is cheaper but gives up some sustained-load consistency due to its DRAM-less design; on the PS5 the difference is minor, but the T500 is the better drive for mixed PC-and-console use. Compared to the WD SN850X and Samsung 990 Pro, the NM790 saturates the same PS5 interface for noticeably less money, trading brand support, extras, and a touch of sustained performance for a lower price.
Versus the premium Seagate FireCuda 530R, the NM790 is far cheaper and delivers the same real-world PS5 speed, lacking only the 530R's endurance rating and Rescue service. For the buyer whose priority is full console speed at the lowest cost, especially at 4TB, the NM790 is the clear value winner; for those who want DRAM, extras, or brand backing, the higher-ranked drives make a stronger case. It is the proof that you do not need to spend flagship money to fully satisfy the PS5, since the console's interface, not the drive, sets the performance ceiling for the games you actually play.
Installation and Value
Installing the NM790 in the PS5 is the familiar process: pop the expansion-bay cover, seat the heatsinked drive in the M.2 slot, secure the screw, and let the console format it. Because the heatsink ships pre-fitted and is sized for the PS5 (albeit on the bulky side), it drops into the bay and the cover closes without extra parts. The drive is recognized and formatted immediately, so even a first-time upgrader can complete the job in minutes.
Value is the NM790's whole story, and it is the strongest in this lineup on price-per-gigabyte. It is repeatedly the cheapest way to get full Gen4 speed, and its 4TB capacity is unusually affordable, making it the budget route to a large PS5 library. The trade-off for that price is the DRAM-less design and the absence of premium extras, but for a console that caps real-world speed and mostly does game-loading reads, the NM790 delivers the experience that matters for the least money. For buyers stretching a budget while wanting maximum capacity, nothing here is a better deal, and the bundled heatsink means the headline low price is the genuine total cost of a PS5-ready upgrade.
Who It's Best For
The Lexar NM790 with Heatsink is for the budget-focused PS5 owner who wants full console speed and a bundled, PS5-ready heatsink for the lowest possible price, and who is comfortable with a DRAM-less design that performs identically to flagships in everyday game loading. It is especially compelling at 4TB, where it is one of the cheapest ways to add a large amount of fast PS5 storage and where the savings over rival drives are largest.
It is a weaker pick for buyers who want DRAM-backed sustained consistency (the Crucial T500), brand support and extras (WD, Samsung, Seagate), or a low-profile heatsink. But as the value leader that still delivers everything the PS5 actually needs from a drive, the NM790 earns its place as the smart budget choice in this lineup.
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
- +Tom's Hardware found it rivals high-end PCIe 4.0 drives
- +Available in large 4TB capacity at an affordable price
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
- −Sustained write performance can dip on the largest transfers
How it compares
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.
Who this is for
At a glance: Budget-focused PS5 owners who want full console speed and a bundled heatsink for the lowest possible price, including large 4TB capacities.
Why you’d buy the Lexar NM790 with Heatsink
- 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.
Why you’d skip it
- 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.
Rating sources
“A pleasant surprise; the Lexar NM790 pleasantly surprises with new hardware rivaling even high-end PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs.”
“I tested the Lexar NM790 with Heatsink for a month, and it's easily the best value PS5 SSD right now.”
“A cheap 4TB M.2 SSD that offers strong performance and a heatsink ready for the PS5.”
Our 4.3 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
