Head-to-head · Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink vs WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.0 vs 4.2). The gap is mostly about PS5 owners who want the best-balanced, most reliable storage upgrade with a drop-in heatsink and cool operation. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #4 in Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink

4.0

4 sources1 derived$209.99as of Aug 1

The Lexar NM790 with Heatsink is the value pick. It is often the cheapest high-end Gen4 drive, reads up to 7,400 MB/s (enough to fully saturate the PS5), and ships with a heatsink so it drops straight into a console. Tom's Hardware was pleasantly surprised that it rivals high-end PCIe 4.0 drives, and TechRadar calls it the best value PS5 SSD. The DRAM-less design trails DRAM drives under heavy sustained load. For the lowest price that still gives you full PS5 speed, this is the one.

Strengths

— Outstanding value, often the cheapest high-end Gen4 drive available
— Up to 7,400 MB/s reads, fully saturating the PS5's interface
— Bundled chunky heatsink adds PS5 compatibility out of the box

Watch-outs

— DRAM-less (HMB) design trails DRAM drives under heavy sustained load
— Lacks the brand support and extras of WD, Samsung, or Seagate
— Heatsink is bulky compared to low-profile designs

$209.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #3 in Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink

4.2

3 sources2 derived$249.99as of Aug 1

The WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink is the best all-around PS5 SSD. Tom's Hardware ranks it at the top of its PS5 list with an Editor's Choice award, citing 7,300 MB/s reads that clear Sony's requirement and a heatsink that drops into the expansion slot with room to spare. It runs cooler than the Samsung 990 Pro and offers strong value, especially when the 2TB model is discounted. Peak speeds trail the Samsung slightly, but for the PS5 it is the safest, best-balanced choice.

Strengths

— Top pick on Tom's Hardware's Best PS5 SSDs list with an Editor's Choice award
— 7,300 MB/s reads exceed Sony's PS5 requirement with margin
— Runs cooler in PS5 testing than the Samsung 990 Pro

Watch-outs

— Slightly pricier than budget drives like the Lexar NM790
— Heatsink/RGB option not available on the 4TB capacity
— Peak speeds trail the Samsung 990 Pro on paper

$249.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink

The Lexar NM790 is the budget value leader, undercutting the WD SN850X, Samsung 990 Pro, Crucial T500, and Seagate FireCuda 530R while still hitting the read speeds the PS5 needs. Its DRAM-less design is the trade-off versus the DRAM-backed Crucial T500 and the premium WD and Samsung drives, but it saturates the console's interface for less money than any of them.

WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink

The SN850X is the all-around PS5 pick, running cooler than the hotter-running Samsung 990 Pro while nearly matching it on speed. It is pricier than the budget Lexar NM790 and the value-oriented Crucial T500, and competes closely with the Seagate FireCuda 530R, but its combination of thermals, speed, and PS5-fit heatsink puts it first.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Lexar NM790 with Heatsink	WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink
Interface	PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe	PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe
Form Factor	M.2 2280	M.2 2280
Sequential Read	Up to 7,400 MB/s	Up to 7,300 MB/s
Sequential Write	Up to 6,500 MB/s	Up to 6,600 MB/s
DRAM	DRAM-less (HMB)	—
Heatsink	Yes (bundled)	Yes (PS5-compatible)
Capacities	1TB / 2TB / 4TB	1TB / 2TB / 4TB
Warranty	5 years	5 years
Controller	—	WD in-house

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