Which is better, TeamGroup MP44L 2TB or Lexar NM790 2TB? July 2026 side-by-side with prices, specs, and verdict.
A like-for-like comparison: both drives target the same buyer segment at the same Gen 4 2 TB class. The interesting question becomes which manufacturer's implementation aged better.
Read speeds favor the Lexar NM790 2TB: 7,400 MB/s versus 5,000 MB/s for the TeamGroup MP44L 2TB, a 32% advantage. Sequential-heavy workloads notice; transactional workloads don't.
The Lexar NM790 2TB writes about 31% faster (6,500 MB/s vs 4,500 MB/s). Whether that matters depends entirely on what you write to the drive — gameplay capture and large project saves benefit, browsing and gaming do not.
If this purchase is for a PS5 storage expansion, the comparison flattens — Sony's PCIe Gen 4 controller normalizes both TeamGroup MP44L 2TB and Lexar NM790 2TB to roughly equal in-game load times. The cheaper drive is the smart pick. Heavy write workloads — video editing, RAW photo libraries, backup operations — favor the Lexar NM790 2TB's 6,500 MB/s sustained write speed. Both drives use the 2280 form factor, which is too long for Steam Deck or ROG Ally — you'd need a 2230 variant if either manufacturer offers one, or a dedicated handheld-format drive instead.
How do these two fit the wider Gen 4 2 TB field? Out of 11 tracked drives, the TeamGroup MP44L 2TB is #5 on $/TB and the Lexar NM790 2TB is #7. 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 TeamGroup MP44L 2TB and Lexar NM790 2TB on $/TB:
Lean toward the TeamGroup MP44L 2TB when the lower retail price ($293 vs $310), and better $/TB economics ($146.50/TB) top your priority list. The TeamGroup MP44L 2TB wins on $/TB because it pairs DRAM-less MAP1602 silicon with low-margin distribution. Performance is fine for OS and gaming, weaker only on sustained random writes.
Lean toward the Lexar NM790 2TB when meaningfully faster reads (7,400 MB/s), and higher sustained writes (6,500 MB/s) top your priority list. Budget-tier drives like the Lexar NM790 2TB have closed the gap with premium NVMes — the MAP1602 controller is genuinely competitive for everyday workloads at half the price.