Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe Review: Unlocking Gen4 Speed Without Breaking the Bank

There’s a unique kind of digital frustration that every PC builder, gamer, and creative professional knows intimately. It’s the silent agony of watching a loading bar crawl across the screen, the stuttering playback of a 4K video timeline, or the excruciating wait for a massive project file to save. For me, that moment of truth came while trying to edit a multi-layered 4K video project. My previous SSD, once a respectable performer, was now the single biggest bottleneck in my workflow. Every transition I added, every colour grade I applied, was met with a spinning wheel of death. My creativity was being held hostage by my hardware. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a barrier to productivity and enjoyment. In a world where speed is everything, from launching the latest AAA game to rendering a complex AI model, an underperforming storage drive can turn a powerful machine into a sluggish relic.

What to Consider Before Buying a Solid State Drive

A Solid State Drive is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for breathing new life into a system. Unlike traditional hard drives with spinning platters, an SSD uses flash memory, providing near-instantaneous access to data. This translates to dramatically faster boot times, quicker application loading, and a snappier, more responsive overall user experience. For gamers, it means slashing loading screens. For video editors, it means smooth, real-time playback of high-resolution footage. For AI developers, it means faster data processing and model training. The core benefit is the elimination of the storage bottleneck, allowing your processor and graphics card to work to their full potential.

The ideal customer for a high-performance PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD is someone facing these exact bottlenecks: the serious PC gamer wanting to minimise wait times, the content creator editing large video or image files, or the professional working with data-intensive applications. If your daily tasks involve moving large files or running demanding software, an upgrade is transformative. However, it might not be suitable for those who use their computer for basic web browsing, email, and word processing. For such users, a less expensive SATA SSD or even their existing drive might be perfectly adequate. The premium speed of a Gen4 NVMe drive would go largely unnoticed, making it an unnecessary expense. The alternative for these users is to invest in other components like more RAM or a better CPU.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: The vast majority of modern NVMe SSDs, including this one, use the M.2 2280 form factor. This means it’s 22mm wide and 80mm long. You must ensure your motherboard has a compatible M.2 slot. Some compact motherboards or laptops have limited space or may require a shorter drive, so always check your device’s specifications before purchasing.
• Capacity/Performance: Capacity is straightforward—get what you can afford and what you need. 1TB is the current sweet spot for a main OS and application drive. Performance is more nuanced. Look for sequential read/write speeds (measured in MB/s) for large file transfers and IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) for OS responsiveness. Also, consider the interface; PCIe Gen4 offers double the theoretical bandwidth of Gen3, a crucial factor for maximising performance.
• Materials & Durability: SSDs are built around NAND flash memory chips. Look for terms like 3D NAND, which indicates a more modern, durable, and dense chip architecture. A drive’s endurance is officially rated in Terabytes Written (TBW). For the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe, the 600TBW rating is quite robust, suggesting a long lifespan even under heavy use.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Installation is typically a simple process of inserting the drive into the M.2 slot and securing it with a single screw. Maintenance involves occasional firmware updates, which can often be managed through the manufacturer’s software. Most importantly, consider thermal management. High-speed NVMe drives generate heat, and without a heatsink, they can throttle (slow down) to protect themselves. Investing in a motherboard with a built-in M.2 heatsink or buying one separately is highly recommended for sustained performance.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe stands out in several areas, particularly in its balance of high-end Gen4 performance and value. You can explore its detailed specifications here.

While the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Lean, Mean, and Ready for Speed

The Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe arrives in a compact, no-frills package that focuses on what’s important: the drive itself. Inside the box, you’ll find the M.2 2280 stick nestled securely in a plastic tray. The first thing we noticed was its minimalist design. It’s a bare drive with a simple, clean sticker covering the NAND chips and controller. There is no pre-installed heatsink, which is common for drives in this price bracket and allows for maximum flexibility—you can use your motherboard’s integrated heatsinks or choose a custom aftermarket one. At a mere 6 grams, it feels almost weightless, a stark contrast to the hefty hard drives of yesteryear.

The build quality feels solid. The PCB is clean, and the components are neatly arranged. Lexar utilizes 3D NAND flash, which is the industry standard for reliable performance. This drive is designed to be a workhorse, prioritising function over flashy aesthetics like RGB lighting. It’s a lean, mean storage machine built for one purpose: speed. Compared to older, more established players in the market, Lexar is positioning the EQ790 as a high-value contender, aiming to deliver premium performance without the premium price tag.

A Deep Dive into the Lexar EQ790’s Real-World Performance

Advertised speeds are one thing, but how a drive performs under real-world pressure is what truly matters. We put the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe through a series of demanding tests, from synthetic benchmarks to real-world gaming and video editing workloads, to see if it lives up to its impressive claims. We installed it as the primary OS drive in our test bench featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and an X570 motherboard, ensuring it had the full PCIe 4.0 bandwidth to stretch its legs.

Installation and Initial Setup

Physically installing the drive was a breeze, as expected with any M.2 2280 device. It slotted easily into our motherboard’s primary M.2 slot, and we covered it with the board’s integrated heatsink—a step we cannot recommend highly enough. Upon booting into the BIOS, the drive was immediately recognised. We then performed a clean installation of Windows 11, which was astonishingly fast. The entire process, from booting the installer to reaching the desktop, took only a few minutes.

We did note some user feedback mentioning initial recognition issues when using the drive in an external NVMe enclosure. One user reported having to try multiple USB ports before their system detected it. While we didn’t replicate this issue with our internal installation, it’s a worthwhile consideration for those planning to use it as a high-speed portable drive. These issues are often related to the enclosure’s controller or power delivery over USB rather than the drive itself, but it highlights the importance of pairing it with a quality enclosure for external use. For its primary purpose as an internal drive in a PC or PS5, our setup experience was flawless.

Blistering Speeds: Benchmarks and Large File Transfers

The headline feature of the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe is its speed, with advertised sequential reads of up to 7,000 MB/s and writes of up to 5,000 MB/s. We immediately fired up CrystalDiskMark to verify these claims. In our testing, the drive performed exceptionally well, hitting sequential read speeds consistently around 6,800 MB/s and write speeds just over the 5,000 MB/s mark. These results are fantastic for a drive in this category and place it firmly in the upper echelon of Gen4 performance.

This raw speed is supported by user findings. One user testing on a PS5 reported a console-verified read speed of 6,459 MB/s, well above Sony’s minimum requirement and excellent for that platform. Another PC user noted speeds fluctuating between 6,400MB/s and 7,000MB/s under load, which aligns perfectly with our findings. But synthetic benchmarks only tell part of the story. To test its mettle with large files, we transferred a 100GB folder of 4K video clips from another Gen4 NVMe drive. The transfer started at a blistering pace, holding above 4,500 MB/s. This is thanks to the drive’s SLC cache, which uses a portion of the NAND flash in a high-speed mode. As one user aptly observed, during a 50GB 4K video upload, the drive maintained over 5,000 MB/s until the cache was saturated, after which speeds settled to a still-respectable 1,000-2,000 MB/s. This is typical behaviour for a DRAM-less SSD using an HMB/SLC cache system and is more than fast enough for almost any consumer use case. The fact that it can sustain gigabyte-per-second speeds even after the cache is full is impressive. For those who demand consistent, lightning-fast storage, you can find the best current offers for the Lexar EQ790 here.

Transformative Gaming and Content Creation Experience

This is where the rubber meets the road. We wanted to see how that raw speed translated into tangible benefits for gaming and creative work. We started with one of the most demanding games available: *Cyberpunk 2077*. From a previous-generation SATA SSD, loading our save file could take the better part of a minute. With the Lexar EQ790, that time was slashed dramatically. From the main menu to being in-game, the load time was consistently under 25 seconds. This finding was echoed perfectly by a user who went from 45-55 second load times down to under 30 seconds after installing the EQ790. This isn’t just a minor improvement; it fundamentally changes the experience, eliminating long pauses and keeping you immersed in the action.

Next, we loaded our challenging 4K video project into Adobe Premiere Pro. The difference was night and day. The project, which was previously prone to stuttering during playback, now ran smoothly. Scrubbing through the timeline was instantaneous, with no lag or dropped frames. Rendering proxies was significantly faster, and exporting the final project saw a noticeable time reduction. This drive proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune on a so-called “professional” drive to get a professional-grade experience. For video editors, animators, or anyone working with large media assets, the performance of the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe is a game-changer.

A Note on Thermals: Keep It Cool

High performance generates heat, and PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSDs are no exception. During our most intensive benchmarks and file transfers, we monitored the drive’s temperature closely using our motherboard’s sensors and Lexar’s own software utility. With our motherboard’s heatsink attached, the drive idled around 40°C and peaked at 62°C under sustained, heavy load. This is warm, but well within safe operating limits and did not result in any thermal throttling.

However, user feedback strongly suggests that a heatsink is not optional, but essential. One user reported temperatures of 54-55°C even *with* a heatsink during 24/7 operation. Another, using the drive in a high-speed external enclosure, saw temperatures climb to 64°C. Without a heatsink, these temperatures would undoubtedly be higher, leading to reduced performance as the drive throttles to protect itself. Whether you’re installing it in a PC or a PS5 (which has a dedicated slot for an M.2 drive with a heatsink), we strongly advise you to use one. It’s a small investment that ensures you get the consistent, top-tier performance you paid for.

What Other Users Are Saying

Scouring feedback from other users, a clear picture of the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe emerges. The overwhelming sentiment is positive, with most users praising its incredible speed for the price. One happy customer stated it “performed exactly as stated in the listing,” highlighting its “consistently fast even after long transfers.” Another confirmed its PS5 compatibility, noting it “works perfect so far on my Disc PS5” and achieving a read speed of 6459 MB/s. The value proposition is a recurring theme, with one user calling it a “super price-performance” deal.

However, the feedback isn’t without its critiques, which align with our expert findings. The most common point of concern is heat. As one reviewer explicitly warned, “Temp runs a little on the hot side with a heat-sink… I would say get a heat-Sink.” Another minor issue reported by a user involved initial detection problems in an external enclosure, though it worked perfectly once formatted. Finally, a less tech-savvy user expressed confusion that the 1TB drive only showed 930GB of usable space. This is a common point of confusion but is standard across all storage devices due to the difference in how manufacturers market capacity (in base-10 gigabytes) and how operating systems measure it (in base-2 gibibytes).

How Does the Lexar EQ790 Compare to the Competition?

The Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe operates in a fiercely competitive market. While it offers a fantastic blend of speed and value, it’s important to see how it stacks up against other popular choices. Here’s a look at three key alternatives.

1. ORICO 2TB NVMe SSD PCIe 4.0 Internal Solid State Drive

The ORICO O7000 presents itself as a direct competitor, offering the same advertised 7000 MB/s read speed. The most significant advantage here is the 2TB capacity, which offers double the storage space, making it an excellent choice for users with massive game libraries or extensive video projects who are looking for a better price-per-gigabyte. Performance should be broadly similar for most tasks, although brand recognition in the SSD space is stronger for Lexar. If your primary need is maximum capacity for a similar performance tier and you’re comfortable with the ORICO brand, this 2TB drive is a very compelling alternative.

2. Crucial T500 1TB SSD PCIe Gen4 NVMe

The Crucial T500 is a formidable opponent from one of the most trusted names in memory and storage. It boasts slightly higher advertised speeds, with reads up to 7300 MB/s, and benefits from Crucial’s mature firmware and widespread reputation for reliability. The T500 is often aimed at gamers and creators who want top-tier performance backed by a household name. It also supports Microsoft’s DirectStorage technology. This drive is the ideal choice for someone who prioritises brand trust and wants to eke out every last drop of performance, and is willing to pay a slight premium for it.

3. acer Predator GM7000 2TB SSD PCIe 4.0

The Acer Predator GM7000 steps up as a high-performance enthusiast option. It features the highest advertised speeds of this group, with reads up to 7400 MB/s, and most importantly, it includes a DRAM cache. While the Lexar EQ790 uses HMB (Host Memory Buffer) technology to borrow system RAM, a dedicated DRAM cache can provide more consistent performance during heavy, mixed workloads and prolonged random write operations. This makes the Predator GM7000 an excellent choice for power users and professionals whose workloads could truly benefit from the presence of on-board DRAM, justifying its position as a more premium, performance-focused alternative.

Final Verdict: The High-Speed, High-Value Champion

After extensive testing and analysis, our conclusion is clear: the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe is a phenomenal solid state drive that punches well above its weight class. It delivers on its promise of top-tier PCIe Gen4 speeds, fundamentally transforming the user experience for gamers, content creators, and everyday users alike. Load times vanish, large files transfer in seconds, and overall system responsiveness becomes incredibly snappy. It represents one of the best values on the market for anyone looking to make the leap to high-performance NVMe storage without paying the hefty “enthusiast” tax.

Its only real caveat is its thermal output, making a heatsink a non-negotiable accessory for ensuring sustained peak performance. But for the price, this is a minor consideration. We wholeheartedly recommend the Lexar EQ790 to any PC builder or PS5 owner looking for a significant, cost-effective storage upgrade. It’s the perfect choice for the smart buyer who wants 95% of the performance of the most expensive drives for a fraction of the cost.

If you’ve decided the Lexar EQ790 1TB Internal SSD PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe is the right fit, you can check its current price and purchase it here.