Crucial T500 2TB vs Lexar NM790 2TB
At least one of these has no price the site currently tracks, so what follows weighs specifications alone.
| Specification | CrucialT500 2TB | LexarNM790 2TB |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity (GB) | 2000 | 2000 |
| Sequential read (MB/s) | 7400 | 7400 |
| Sequential write (MB/s) | 7000better | 6500 |
| Current best price | $522.99at Newegg Canada · captured 2026-09-09 | — |
| Price per TB | $261.50 | — |
| Endurance (TBW) | 1200 | 1500better |
| Warranty (years) | 5 | 5 |
| DRAM cache | Yes | No |
| NAND type | tlc | tlc |
| Controller | — | Maxio MAP1602 |
How these two compare
Sequential throughput
Crucial T500 2TB states 7400 MB/s read and 7000 MB/s write; Lexar NM790 2TB states 7400 MB/s read and 6500 MB/s write, both over PCIe. Sequential numbers like these describe large sustained transfers; the responsiveness you notice day to day tracks random access more closely than the peak figures do.
Endurance
Crucial T500 2TB is rated for 1200 TBW and Lexar NM790 2TB for 1500 TBW — the total the maker warrants you can write over the drive's life. A typical desktop writes only a few terabytes a year, so either rating is many years of headroom; the figure matters mainly as a relative signal of how hard each is built to be driven.
DRAM cache
On the cache question: Crucial T500 2TB carries a DRAM cache, and Lexar NM790 2TB is DRAM-less. The DRAM keeps the flash-translation table close, sparing a lookup on nearly every access; a drive without it leans on host memory or its own flash, which usually shows as slower sustained random writes rather than in the headline sequential numbers.
NAND, controller and warranty
On the flash itself: Crucial T500 2TB uses TLC, and Lexar NM790 2TB uses TLC. NAND tiers count bits per cell — more bits pack more capacity into the same silicon but shorten write endurance and slow sustained writes, which is why QLC sits below TLC on lasting performance even when the sequential numbers match. Controller: Crucial T500 2TB's controller is not stated and Lexar NM790 2TB uses the Maxio MAP1602. The controller runs wear-levelling, error correction and the mapping table, so it shapes sustained and random behaviour as much as the flash does — though the model name alone predicts little without testing. Crucial T500 2TB carries a 5-year warranty and Lexar NM790 2TB carries a 5-year warranty — the length the maker will stand behind the drive, and usually a proxy for the endurance it is rated to.
Which to buy
The site holds no current price for at least one of these, so it cannot call the buy on cost. Judge them on the specifications above — at the same capacity and interface, two drives usually part on things like the DRAM cache, the NAND tier, endurance and warranty, so weigh whichever of those the sections above report.
Common questions about this pair
- Which is faster, Crucial T500 2TB or Lexar NM790 2TB?
- Crucial T500 2TB states 7400 MB/s read and 7000 MB/s write; Lexar NM790 2TB states 7400 MB/s read and 6500 MB/s write, both over PCIe. Sequential numbers like these describe large sustained transfers; the responsiveness you notice day to day tracks random access more closely than the peak figures do.
- Should you buy Crucial T500 2TB or Lexar NM790 2TB?
- The site holds no current price for at least one of these, so it cannot call the buy on cost. Judge them on the specifications above — at the same capacity and interface, two drives usually part on things like the DRAM cache, the NAND tier, endurance and warranty, so weigh whichever of those the sections above report.