Lexar Professional NM710 500GB, M.2 2280 / M-Key / PCIe 4.0 x4

MaXio seems to be taking over the affordable Gen4 SSD market with their MAP1602 NAND controller and for people looking for just that it’s a good thing. For good or bad however not everyone is looking to get their hands on an affordable drive, some people are actually waiting for more Gen5 SSDs to make their appearance and obviously that’s not happening. It’s not just Gen5 SSDs however, even the top-end Gen4 market has stood all but still for the last year or so and that too is not good. The same can be said for capacities since manufacturers seem to think that 4TB is more than plenty and well, it’s not. Yes, mostly enthusiasts and professionals will set their sights on 8TB models and so manufacturers may not see the benefit in releasing them but again this is something that needs to happen. All these aside however the NM710 by Lexar is still a valid upgrade for people looking to get something faster than a SATA III or even an Gen3 SSD (alas not by a large margin for the latter). Both performance and endurance numbers are good (always for the price) and the 5-year limited warranty obviously goes a long way. With a current price tag set at just USD47.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 56.13Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the NM710 1TB Gen4 SSD by Lexar is priced extremely well. At the end of the day just like with most things what it all comes down to is just what your needs are and just how much you’re willing to spend and so if you happen to be a casual user looking for an affordable Gen4 SSD I strongly recommend giving the Lexar NM710 a chance.