Compare Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB and Lexar NM790 2TB: prices, speeds, $/TB. Which to buy in July 2026? Full spec breakdown.
Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB vs Lexar NM790 2TB pits two different generations against each other at 2 TB. The question isn't which is faster on paper — that's settled — it's whether the bandwidth gap shows up in your specific workload.
Hardware-wise, the Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB runs on the proprietary Samsung Presto silicon found only in the 9100 PRO line. The Lexar NM790 2TB pairs a MAP1602 controller built specifically for DRAM-less HMB designs.
There's a modest pricing advantage for the Lexar NM790 2TB: $155.00/TB compared with $200.00/TB. For typical gaming and productivity, this becomes the deciding factor when specs are close.
In the read department, the Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB leads by roughly 7 GB/s. The difference is more academic than practical for typical use, but it does matter for video editors moving multi-GB project files.
Write performance separates them too. The Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB sustains 13,400 MB/s writes versus 6,500 MB/s for the Lexar NM790 2TB — a real advantage for video editors and anyone doing heavy file operations.
The Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB carries a dedicated DRAM chip for FTL (Flash Translation Layer) mapping; the Lexar NM790 2TB relies on HMB (Host Memory Buffer), borrowing 64 MB from system RAM. The practical gap shows up only under sustained random write loads.
For PlayStation 5 builds, the console's internal M.2 slot tops out around 5,500 MB/s sustained, so both Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB and Lexar NM790 2TB hit the same wall — pick whichever is cheaper at the moment you buy. The leap from Gen 4 to Gen 5 doubles peak throughput on paper but produces single-digit-percent improvements in game load times, OS boot, and most productivity benchmarks. The Lexar NM790 2TB is the better default unless you have a specific workload that needs the extra lanes. For content creators routinely rendering 4K or 8K video, the Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB's 13,400 MB/s sustained write is the deciding factor — multi-GB project files land noticeably faster than on the alternative. Note for handheld gamers: M.2 2280 is the desktop/laptop standard. Steam Deck and the ROG Ally line need 2230 drives — neither Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB nor Lexar NM790 2TB fits without modification.
Market context: the Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB ranks #7 of 11 Gen 5 2 TB drives we track by $/TB, while the Lexar NM790 2TB ranks #7 of 11 Gen 4 2 TB drives. Neither is a value leader right now — if $/TB is your priority, check the cheaper alternatives below before committing.
As of July 27, 2026, these tracked drives undercut both the Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB and Lexar NM790 2TB on $/TB:
Pick the Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB if you value meaningfully faster reads (14,700 MB/s), higher sustained writes (13,400 MB/s), and a dedicated DRAM cache chip. Among consumer SSD makers, Samsung's PRO series consistently scores highest on long-term reliability surveys (Backblaze, Puget Systems Q1 2026 data).
Pick the Lexar NM790 2TB if you value the lower retail price ($310 vs $400), and better $/TB economics ($155.00/TB). The Lexar NM790 2TB captures the value tier well: same NAND class as flagships, paired with a DRAM-less controller that costs less and uses HMB for the address-mapping table.