Lexar NS100 2TB vs PNY CS900 2TB
The site holds no current price for at least one of these, so what follows compares specifications alone.
How these two compare
Sequential throughput
Lexar NS100 2TB is rated 550 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write; PNY CS900 2TB, 550 MB/s read and 530 MB/s write. The SATA link tops out around 550 MB/s each way, and both work against that ceiling; the more telling differences between SATA drives are how each holds up under sustained load, whether it carries a DRAM cache, and how much writing it is rated to take.
NAND, controller and warranty
NAND: Lexar NS100 2TB uses TLC and PNY CS900 2TB uses TLC. The tier is bits per cell — SLC, MLC, TLC and QLC from one to four — trading density against endurance and sustained-write speed: QLC is cheapest per gigabyte, TLC the mainstream balance, and the denser the cell the sooner sustained writes taper. On the controller: Lexar NS100 2TB uses the Marvell 88NV1120, and PNY CS900 2TB's controller is not stated. It is the chip handling error correction, wear-levelling and where each write lands — much of how a drive holds up under load — even if the part number on its own tells you little. On the cover: Lexar NS100 2TB carries a 3-year warranty, PNY CS900 2TB carries a 3-year warranty. The length is the maker's own vote of confidence, and on an SSD it tends to track the endurance rating — a longer warranty usually meaning more rated writes.
Which to buy
With a price missing for at least one side, there is no cost verdict to give. What separates two otherwise-similar drives is up in the sections above — sustained and random behaviour, whether there is a DRAM cache, the flash tier and the warranty — so weigh those against what your build needs.
Common questions about this pair
- Which is faster, Lexar NS100 2TB or PNY CS900 2TB?
- Lexar NS100 2TB is rated 550 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write; PNY CS900 2TB, 550 MB/s read and 530 MB/s write. The SATA link tops out around 550 MB/s each way, and both work against that ceiling; the more telling differences between SATA drives are how each holds up under sustained load, whether it carries a DRAM cache, and how much writing it is rated to take.
- Should you buy Lexar NS100 2TB or PNY CS900 2TB?
- With a price missing for at least one side, there is no cost verdict to give. What separates two otherwise-similar drives is up in the sections above — sustained and random behaviour, whether there is a DRAM cache, the flash tier and the warranty — so weigh those against what your build needs.