Lexar reveals incredibly fast SSDs, RAM and other storage innovations at Computex 2024
Things are speeding up with PCIe 5.0 driving superfast reads and writes for new SSDs
Lexar has unveiled a host of new storage solutions at Computex 2024 which includes PCIe Gen 5.0 and Gen 4.0 NVMe SSDs, as well as RAM and flash memory.
A total of four new internal SSDs have been announced with the Lexar Professional NM1090 M.2 Gen 5.0 NVMe leading the charge. It's available in capacities from 1TB to 4TB with a rated sequential performance of 12,000MB/s reads and 11,000MB/s writes. That's fast enough to put the frighteners on some of the best SSDs for gaming.
As with some other Gen 5.0 NVMe SSDs, the Lexar Professional NM1090 features an active cooling heatsink complete with RGB lighting. It sounds like it could be a great addition to the best gaming PCs and could future-proof your rig as more titles start to utilize the DirectStorage API for near-instant load times.
There's also the Lexar Professional NM990 which is geared towards high-end business use with its sequential performance of up to 14,000MB/s reads and 12,000MB/s writes. The NM980 version has a low power mode for reduced power consumption and cooler temperatures, and it's geared towards laptops where those thermals are a more pressing concern.
Then there's also the Play 2280 Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD which will top out at what the previous generation of PCIe hardware is capable of at 7,400MB/s and 6,500MB/s sequential reads and writes respectively. Capacities go all the way up to 8TB, and with the right heatsink, this could fit inside your gaming PC or your PS5 - if the price is right.
Also of note is the unveiling of the Ares RGB DDR5 RAM which will be available in kit configurations of either 7,600MT/s or 8,000MT/s. You'll want to ensure that your motherboard has the corresponding support for Expo or XMP for your CPU to handle these greater speeds.
Furthermore, Lexar hasn't skimped on the portable storage solutions either. The company also showcased the SL00 Portable SSD offering up to 1,050MB/s transfer speeds, as well as the Lexar Play Pro MicroSD card at 600MB/s. This means these should be ideal for laptop use or inside of game consoles like the PS5 and Nintendo Switch respectively. The Armor 700 is an even faster USB 3.2 SSD with transfer rates of up to 2,000MB/s and a rugged outer frame, too.
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Blazing fast storage aplenty
While no official pricing or release dates have been revealed for any of Lexar's latest storage offerings, the kind of sequential performance they offer is certainly encouraging. We're particularly excited about the new 8,000MT/s DDR5 RAM kit and the leading PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs with sequential speeds of up to 14,000MB/s.
Simply put, technology is getting faster as the current standard becomes more widely adopted. We now have more NVMe SSDs, RAM kits, and even graphics cards that support PCIe 5.0, as more hardware manufacturers understand how to utilize the extra bandwidth, but it will take time to move over from PCIe 4.0 as the user base catches up. New fast microSD cards and portable SSDs are always welcome, too.
Catch up with all the new announcements and unveilings as they happen with our dedicated Computex 2024 hub for all news and products.
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Aleksha McLoughlin is an experienced hardware writer. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming until September 2023. During this time, she looked after buying guides and wrote hardware reviews, news, and features. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of PC Gamer, Trusted Reviews, Dexerto, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn't working, you'll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.