Lexar NM800 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD Review: PCIe 4.0 Performance for Creators

Introduction

Lexar has been a trusted name in memory cards and USB drives, but the NM800 Pro marks its serious entry into the high-end PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD market. Aimed at enthusiasts who want flagship speeds without paying Samsung or WD premiums, it delivers 7,400 MB/s sequential reads and 6,500 MB/s writes — numbers that rival the best in its class.

Priced at ¥1,099–¥1,299 (~$153–$180) for the 2TB model on JD.com, it undercuts the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB (¥1,599) by about 20-25%. It’s available with or without a graphene heatsink, making it suitable for both desktop and PlayStation 5 installations.

Specifications

Item	Spec
Capacity	2TB (also 512GB, 1TB)
Interface	M.2 2280, PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.4
Sequential Read	Up to 7,400 MB/s
Sequential Write	Up to 6,500 MB/s
Random Read	Up to 800K IOPS
Random Write	Up to 1,000K IOPS
NAND	3D TLC NAND (Micron)
Controller	Innogrit IG5236
DRAM Cache	2GB LPDDR4
TBW	1,500 TBW (2TB model)
Warranty	5-year limited
Price	¥1,099–¥1,299 (~$153–$180)

Design and Build Quality

The NM800 Pro comes in a standard M.2 2280 form factor. The 2TB model is single-sided, making it compatible with thin laptops and the PlayStation 5 without clearance issues. A graphene heat spreader is pre-installed on the NAND flash and controller — Lexar claims this is more efficient than traditional copper stickers for space-constrained environments.

A heatsink version is also available for desktop users (¥50 more). Given that PCIe 4.0 drives run hot under sustained loads, the heatsink version is recommended for desktop installations.

The build quality is solid — no loose components, clean PCB layout, and well-labeled components. The Lexar brand itself carries weight in China’s memory market, with strong distribution through JD.com and Tmall.

Performance

In synthetic benchmarks on a PCIe 4.0 platform (AMD Ryzen 7000 series), CrystalDiskMark results:

• Sequential read: 7,400 MB/s (peak)
• Sequential write: 6,480 MB/s (peak)
• Random 4K read Q32T16: 800K IOPS
• Random 4K write Q32T16: 980K IOPS

Real-world file transfer (100GB video file): ~18 seconds. Game loading times in Cyberpunk 2077 were approximately 8 seconds from cold boot — competitive with the Samsung 990 Pro.

One area where the NM800 Pro slightly lags behind the 990 Pro is sustained write performance after the SLC cache fills. The drive has a dynamic SLC cache of approximately 280GB (total capacity dependent). After the cache fills, write speeds drop to ~800 MB/s — slower than the 990 Pro’s post-cache performance of ~1,500 MB/s.

What Chinese Users Say

“Excellent value PCIe 4.0 drive. In my tests, it’s about 95% of the Samsung 990 Pro’s performance at 80% of the price. Installed easily in my PS5 — zero issues.” — Zheng Hao (郑浩), JD Verified Buyer ★★★★★

“I’ve been using it as my primary OS drive for 4 months. Boot times are instant and game loads are blazing fast. The graphene heat spreader keeps temps reasonable under load (~62°C under sustained writes).” — Xu Ming (徐明), Tmall Verified Buyer ★★★★★

“After the large SLC cache fills, write speeds drop significantly. It’s fine for normal usage but if you’re doing massive sustained video exports (>300GB), the Samsung 990 Pro handles it better.” — Sun Li (孙丽), JD Verified Buyer ★★★★

“Perfect for PS5 expansion. Simple installation, fast load times, and the 2TB capacity holds ~20+ AAA games. At ¥1,199 it’s a no-brainer for console storage expansion.” — Huang Tao (黄涛), Tmall Verified Buyer ★★★★★

Pros and Cons

Pros

1. Superb sequential performance (7,400/6,500 MB/s)
2. Excellent value vs Samsung 990 Pro and WD SN850X
3. Single-sided design fits PS5 and thin laptops
4. 2GB DRAM cache
5. Graphene heat spreader included
6. 5-year warranty with 1,500 TBW endurance
7. Strong brand presence on Chinese platforms

Cons

1. Sustained write speed drops after SLC cache fills
2. Controller thermal throttles under extreme sustained load
3. No hardware-based encryption
4. Software (Lexar SSD Dashboard) is basic
5. Heatsink version costs extra

FAQ

Q1: Is the Lexar NM800 Pro compatible with PlayStation 5? Yes, it meets PS5’s PCIe 4.0 requirements. The single-sided 2TB design fits the PS5 expansion slot perfectly. Read speeds exceed Sony’s minimum requirement of 5,500 MB/s.

Q2: How does it compare to the Samsung 990 Pro? The NM800 Pro offers 95% of the Samsung’s sequential performance at 80% of the price. The 990 Pro has better sustained write performance (post-SLC cache) and slightly better random IOPS. For most users, the difference is imperceptible in real-world use.

Q3: Do I need the heatsink version? For desktop use with good airflow, the graphene heat spreader is sufficient for most workloads. For PS5 installation, the heatsink version is recommended since the console’s interior gets warm. The non-heatsink version works in PS5 but runs hotter.

Q4: What is the drive’s endurance rating? The 2TB model is rated for 1,500 TBW (terabytes written). For typical consumer use (30-50GB written per day), this translates to 80-130 years of life. It’s more than adequate for any normal workload.

Q5: Does the NM800 Pro support Windows 11 DirectStorage? Yes. The drive’s NVMe 1.4 compliance and high random IOPS make it fully compatible with DirectStorage. Games optimized for DirectStorage will see reduced load times.

Verdict and Rating

The Lexar NM800 Pro 2TB is a compelling high-performance PCIe 4.0 SSD at a price that’s hard to beat. While it doesn’t quite match Samsung’s sustained write performance, its peak speeds are in the same league, and for most users — gamers, content creators, everyday power users — the difference is invisible. It’s an especially strong recommendation for PS5 owners looking for affordable high-capacity expansion.

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.4/5)

• Sequential Performance: 4.7/5
• Value for Money: 4.8/5
• PS5 Compatibility: 4.8/5
• Sustained Write: 3.8/5
• Software & Support: 4.0/5