Lexar NM620 SSD is experiencing sudden performance drops. The second drive is already failing and requires assistance.
Lexar NM620 SSD is experiencing sudden performance drops. The second drive is already failing and requires assistance.
Hello everyone, I’m reaching out for some guidance regarding my SSDs. I’ve noticed a recurring problem with my Lexar NM620 256GB NVMe M.2 Gen 3 drives—both have been steadily losing health over time. This is now my second drive, and each has experienced the same decline. What’s happening? My first drive dropped to 0% health within three years. The second, same model, fell to 74% in about a year, and just two to three months later it reached 92%. If this trend keeps up, I might have to replace these drives every few years—initially under warranty, then eventually on my own once they’re no longer covered.
I’ve shared this issue with several local repair shops, who all described it as “normal” or “common.” However, I’m concerned about the speed of degradation, especially since I only use light tasks like gaming and occasional media downloads. My system runs an Intel Core i5-10400F, has a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, ASUS B460 motherboard, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a Corsair 550W power supply. The SSDs are connected to a Toshiba HDD and Maxtor HDD, all running Windows 11 Pro 64-bit. My drive capacity is 256GB, with one dedicated to games and the other for general use.
I haven’t performed heavy workloads such as video editing or large file transfers. Even when streaming HD content, I prefer using the HDD instead of the SSDs. This suggests my drives aren’t under significant stress.
What I’ve tried so far:
- Checked temperatures – normal
- Updated firmware and reinstalled BIOS
- Verified stable power and cabling
- Monitored SMART data via CrystalDiskInfo – no abnormal writes
- Still, health loss continues steadily
My questions:
- Is this a known problem or firmware issue with the Lexar NM620 series?
- Could voltage or power delivery irregularities be affecting the drives over time?
- Are there tools available to display TBW (Total Bytes Written) for better insight into wear?
- Should I consider switching to a different NVMe Gen 3 SSD brand for more durability?
Any advice or insights would be invaluable. I’m hoping to find a lasting solution before this becomes a recurring replacement issue. Thank you in advance for your help!
Is the 256GB your primary storage for the operating system? Edit: My note (The problem lies with a small drive. If you only have 10% free space, that portion will degrade much more quickly, particularly if it's an OS drive where the system constantly writes to it and has to repeatedly access the NAND it's stored in. Adding a DRAM can help reduce this wear). Keeping at least 512GB and maintaining a half-full state would be beneficial.
If @Timme's statements hold true, clearing the storage should improve the drives' condition to some degree. Trim would then help balance wear and possibly replace damaged cells, restarting them as needed. 3. Is there a method to display actual TBW (Total Bytes Written) for confirmation of wear distribution? Yes, HD Sentinel shows 3.73TBW for the C: drive. This isn’t excessive for a 256GB unit, especially since only about one-third of it is used—meaning roughly one-third of the capacity has been written. The remaining 82GB likely experienced less wear. Considering the 125TBW rating for 256GB, this suggests around 41TBW is actually used. A 92% health rating seems reasonable. 4. Should I replace my NVMe Gen 3 SSD with a more durable model for long-term reliability? Yes, upgrading to a larger drive would be beneficial, especially if the OS requires higher endurance. The current 4TB drive supports 2400TBW, which is impressive. Edited October 29, 2025 by leclod
you're facing a tough decision. your current setup has 2x8GB adata with 2666Mhz ram, which is decent but not top-tier. upgrading to higher MHz ram won't help much since your motherboard can't support it well. adding another 16GB would likely improve performance, especially if you need more memory for multitasking or running demanding apps. however, if you're planning to sell the pc later, a similar i5 14th gen setup might be more practical and cost-effective. weigh your needs carefully.