Asus ROG Strix Arion in detail
The accessories of Asus’ top-of-the-line SSD enclosure are beyond those of any other smartphone. Various cables, a rubber protector, a strap loop and within the built-in features, for example, an RGB LED. Excessive and annoying? Perhaps, but likely to appeal to the target audience of ROG products. The Strix Arion, among other things, leads the speed tests, and it does so at an exceptionally low power consumption.
Asus ROG Strix Arion in detail
Considering the above-average weight (100g), the Strix Arion is a relatively small SSD enclosure. From an overall perspective, we can talk about a medium size, with a thickness of about 10.8 mm and a width of about 47.4 mm. The longest dimension is indeed “as long as” 124.2 mm, but here it should be noted that the shorter sides of the enclosure are not parallel, in a rectangle, but irregular. Thus, the exact volume is not calculated by multiplying the largest dimensions in each axis, it is smaller. And overall, the enclosure is significantly smaller than the cheaper TUF Gaming A1 model. Asus took a different approach to the Strix Arion and one can see a focus on a different target group.
The body is still all-metal (aluminum) and the package also includes a good portion of accessories. For one thing, it’s a rubber sleeve that snaps onto the case. This cushions any unwanted shocks that could cause damage, at least the cosmetic kind. And with an enclosure this expensive, even that could probably be upsetting.
The pair of cables is also a sign that you are paying extra. These always connect via a USB-C connector on the SSD side, but on the other side, only one of the pair of the available cables connects via a USB-C connector. The other one already connects to an end device via a USB-A connector. The speed of the USB 3.2 gen. 2 standard is preserved. With an enclosure priced at 50 EUR, a faster than 10-gigabit connection would perhaps already be appropriate, but maybe that’s for another time. To attach the enclosure to the strap, you then get an R-shaped bracket (presumably symbolizing the first letter of the ROG acronym), which you attach to the case’s eyelet via a Velcro fastener.
The surface of the Strix Orion case is mainly aesthetic – it’s meant to attract attention – but there is some surface articulation. The surface of one of the sides is even dominated by a set of very short fins.
As for accessories, we haven’t mentioned the key that you use to get inside the enclosure. The system here is similar to the one for opening a SIM card slot. You insert a needle into the small hole next to the USB connector to release the latch.
The latch is a tooth fitting into a crevice. Pulling it (with the aforementioned key) releases the enclosure cover. This can then be removed. It is also partially secured in holes on one of the long sides, so that nothing ever rattles. The build is really solid and reliable.
Thermal pads, through which the SSD is in contact with the enclosure, are already pre-installed. And they also reach the integrated circuit on the enclosure’s PCB – the Aura 82UAO. This isn’t exactly common, but it only prolongs the life of the enclosure’s electronics.
M.2 SSD formats are supported with 30, 42, 60 and 80 mm lengths (M and B+M locks) and exclusively NVMe models, i.e. those that natively use the PCI Express interface. The SSD is secured at the rear with a larger head metal screw. It is also designed for finger tightening. You slide the screw, or perhaps more accurately the spacer, with its groove onto the PCB (SSD) and only then, with the SSD, screw it into the appropriate position.
The strap holder typically attaches to the shorter side of the enclosure, from the top. The connection is via Velcro. This holds over a large enough area and won’t let go even in “stunt” conditions.
Unusual here is the use of RGB LEDs with relatively large light guides. This is in place of the usual status LEDs.
If you are disturbed by such extensive and variable lighting (rainbow effect) in the default state, feel free to turn it off. You can do this via the Armoury Crate app, where lighting effects can also be customized and a permanent color of your choice can also be set. The disadvantage is that an installed application is required for the optional settings. This means that if you set a certain Strix Arion lighting behavior pattern on one computer, it must be set that way on another device you connect the enclosure to. Without the app running in the background (i.e. even outside the OS) the enclosure always works with the default effect, RGB dynamic color change lighting.
Testing methodology
The foundation for all measurements is CrystalDiskMark with a library size of 1 GB. We test SSD speed in two situations. Before load and then, after a 10-minute load for maximum sequential reads and writes. This will reveal how warming up the external enclosure affects the speed with the Samsung 980 Pro SSD (1 TB). The values of the speed measurements are averaged over three passes for greater accuracy. The enclosures are connected via a USB expansion card (3.2 gen. 2×2) – the Renkforce RF-4538236 with the ASMedia ASM3242 controller. The tests run on an Asus ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi motherboard with an Intel Core i9-13900K processor (and G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo memory – 2×16 GB, 6000 MHz/CL30) under Microsoft Windows 10 (22H2).
We measure power consumption using a custom-made PCIe power meter, which you’ll also know from graphics card tests. This is plugged in before the PCIe card (with a USB controller), whose consumption is part of the result. We measure the power consumption under load for maximum sequential read and write speeds.
We only observe the temperature on the surface, on the casing. Be careful when evaluating it, a higher temperature doesn’t automatically mean a worse result (think thermal pad tests and heatsink temperatures…), but it doesn’t mean a better one either. The guiding factor here from a cooling perspective would be SSD temperature, but we have no control over that. The test SSD does have its sensors, but once it (the SSD) is plugged into the enclosure, the motherboard can no longer reach them. So we only do IR thermal mapping (with a Fluke Ti125 thermal imager), which can at least show how the heat is spreading through the enclosure and whether it will burn you. Thermal imaging is for the finned side of an enclosure or the side in contact with the SSD controller (if the enclosure does not have fins).
During testing, the SSD enclosures are always placed in the same position – longitudinally, in an open space, where they stand on the pad with the bottom side facing down. The airflow in the test room is always comparable, with the temperature at the control point varying between 21,0 and 21,3 °C.