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Lexar NS100 1TB 2.5-inch SATA SSD: features, specs and who it suits
A 1TB 2.5-inch SATA III solid state drive with read speeds up to 550MB/s, a 480TBW endurance figure and a three-year warranty. What the specs mean.
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The Lexar NS100 is a 2.5-inch SATA III solid state drive, sold here in the 1TB model LNS100-1TRBNA. It is an upgrade for laptops and desktops that still boot from a hard disk drive, or that need extra fast storage. Because it uses the common 2.5-inch SATA format, it can fit many older systems.
Why an SSD feels faster than a hard drive
A hard disk drive reads data with a spinning platter and a moving head. An SSD stores data in flash memory chips with no moving parts. In general, that cuts the time to start up, open applications and move files. Lexar says the NS100 gives faster startups, application loads and data transfers, and describes it as cooler, quieter and more reliable than a traditional hard disk.
What SATA III and 550MB/s mean
SATA III is the interface, with a maximum link speed of 6 Gb/s. In practice, that tops out at roughly 550 MB/s of sequential data, which matches Lexar's "up to 550MB/s" read figure. Real speeds depend on your computer, the file sizes and the workload; small random file operations are slower than large sequential ones.
This drive is not an NVMe model. NVMe drives use a different connection and can be several times faster, but they need an M.2 slot. The NS100 suits systems with a free SATA port and a 2.5-inch bay.
Endurance and warranty
The listing gives an endurance figure of 480TBW for the 1TB drive. TBW means terabytes written, the total amount of data the manufacturer states can be written to the drive over its life. At an everyday desktop workload, that is a very large amount of data. Lexar also provides a three-year limited warranty.
Shock and vibration resistance
Without moving parts, an SSD is more resistant to knocks and vibration than a hard disk, which Lexar notes. That helps in laptops that get carried around. It does not replace backups: any drive can fail, so keep copies of important files.
Fitting it
The listing gives the size as 4.1 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches, so check your bay's thickness limits before buying. Installing is generally straightforward: connect it with a SATA data cable and a SATA power connector in a desktop, or swap it into a laptop's drive bay. To keep your existing system, you can clone the old drive using free or paid software, or install the operating system fresh. A 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch bracket helps in desktop cases with only larger bays.
Who it suits
It suits owners of older laptops and desktops that are slow because of a hard disk, and anyone adding a second fast drive for games, projects or a media library. It is a plain, general-purpose drive rather than a specialised one for NAS or servers, and it is not for systems with only an M.2 NVMe slot.
What to check before you buy
- Interface: confirm your computer has a SATA port, or a 2.5-inch bay with a SATA connection.
- Thickness: check that your laptop's bay accepts the drive's height.
- Capacity: work out how much you need today, with room to grow.
- Migration: plan how you will move your files, by cloning or a fresh install.
- Backup: keep a copy of important data before swapping drives.
- Cables: a desktop may need a SATA data cable and a mounting bracket.
The short version
- 1TB 2.5-inch SATA III SSD with read speeds up to 550MB/s.
- Rated at 480TBW, with a three-year limited warranty.
- No moving parts, so it is quiet and resists shock and vibration.
- Meant as a drive upgrade for laptops and desktops, not an M.2 NVMe card.
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