Lexar’s three NQ780 capacities have three different write-speed ratings. Someone buying the 1 TB version from a family page headlined at 6,000 MB/s write would be buying a materially different performer. The larger drives are attractive for more than the extra room.
In depth
Lexar NQ780 review
Published
Best forAnyone enlarging a Gen 4 game or media library, especially if choosing between the 1 TB and larger versions.
At a glance
- Capacity
- 1TB2TB4TB
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0 ×4 NVMe
- Form factor
- M.2 2280
- Sequential read
- 1TBUp to 6,000 MB/s2 / 4TBUp to 7,000 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 1TBUp to 2,500 MB/s2TBUp to 5,000 MB/s4TBUp to 6,000 MB/s
Pros
- 2 TB and 4 TB models have higher rated read and write speeds than 1 TB.
- Three capacities fit the same 80 mm NVMe footprint.
Cons
- 1 TB write ceiling is 2,500 MB/s.
- Long-transfer results for the tested 4 TB drive cannot be assumed for 1 TB.
Performance
- 1 TB: up to 2,500 MB/s write
- 2 TB: up to 5,000 MB/s
- 4 TB: up to 6,000 MB/s
The 1 TB version is rated for up to 6,000 MB/s reads, versus 7,000 MB/s for the larger two. If the drive mostly serves installed games, read behavior and free space deserve more weight than a peak write number. Moving large footage folders changes that calculation.
Sustained Transfers
- PCIe 4.0 ×4
- M.2 2280
PCWorld timed a 450 GB write at just over two and a half minutes on the 4 TB sample in its Windows test system. That completed transfer includes behavior beyond the initial burst. The smaller drives have different ratings, so this is evidence for that 4 TB configuration. 1
Capacity & Endurance
- 600 TBW per terabyte of capacity
Lexar’s endurance limits scale from 600 TBW at 1 TB to 2,400 TBW at 4 TB. These figures help compare warranties for a write-heavy workstation. Backups still matter for an ordinary game or photo library, even if its writes never approach the limit.
Alternatives
A Gen 5 model such as the PNY CS2150 makes more sense when the machine has a matching slot and moves a lot of data between fast drives. In a Gen 4 PC that needs room, first price the NQ780 at the capacity you can comfortably keep for several years.
Verdict
The 2 TB version is the clearest step up within this family because it doubles both capacity and rated write throughput over 1 TB. The 4 TB option is the one with independent long-copy evidence.
About this review
This is a research-based review. The Fasit has not physically tested this product.
Sources & Research
1 reference
Independent sources cited in this article.
- PCWorldLexar NQ780 review: An affordable SSD with a kick (opens in a new tab)https://www.pcworld.com/article/2780972/lexar-nq780-ssd-review.html
Time to write 450 GB on PCWorld’s 4 TB sample and Windows test system.