Overall and Final Verdict
With the NM710 Lexar has set out to great a good performing entry-level SSD and through our testing, it has done that. In most tests, it comes in right in the middle of the pack when compared mostly with higher-end drives from the past year. There were a few tests where it underperformed, especially in the ATTO benchmark where it performed fine then drops off and is one of the slower drives tested, same with the CrystalDiskMark IOPS results. But on the other end of the spectrum there are a few tests where it outperforms what it should do, the biggest of those was the real-world Windows file transfers where it was one of the fastest drives tested. The NM710 makes a great entry-level drive with that performance and is also the perfect drive to use in portable SSD enclosures where Windows file transfers are used the most. The only downside with the NM710 is that as a whole it isn’t as fast as the SN770 which is one of the drives that Lexar is targeting the NM710 against, it does however look great compared to the Crucial P3 Plus.
As far as pricing goes the Lexar NM710 is available in three capacities, the 500 GB drive, the 1TB that I tested today, and the 2TB model which the specifications show will have slightly lower performance. The 500 GB is $34.99, the 1TB is 64.99, and the 2TB is 99.99. For comparison, the P3 Plus and the SN770 are both selling for $49.99 right now in their 1TB capacity and $102 for the P3 Plus 2Tb or $109 for the SN7700 2TB. So the NM710 with the 1TB model being $64.99 is priced too high to compete with those drives right now, especially with the SN770 outperforming it in a lot of tests. But the 2TB model is at least a good price, I just wish we could have tested its performance as well given that it is listed in the specifications as a little slower. Pricing does and will change and it will always come down to that but the NM710 is a solid drive as long as the pricing is right and would be my first choice in any situation where Windows file transfer speeds were the most important even compared to higher-end drives.
Live Pricing: HERE
