This Evangelion SSD Enclosure Just Retired All of My USB Flash Drives
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As a content creator, I’m always carrying a USB flash drive in my bag because I never know when I’m going to need to transfer large images or movie files, or suddenly have to free up space on whichever device I’m using.
And while USB flash drives are really tiny these days, their storage and performance limitations leave quite a bit to be desired, especially when I’m in a hurry. And yes, cloud storage exists, but uploading gigs upon gigs of data and then having to redownload it is a pain, not to mention time-consuming.
I wanted the speed and capacity of an NVMe SSD, but also the portability of a flash drive. And when I came across the ROG Strix Arion EVA Edition SSD enclosure, all of my old USB drives immediately went into the trash.
Since a lot of tech accessories these days are so dull, offering only black or silver colorways, I often find myself making purchase decisions based on the style and coolness of a product.
I’m also a huge fan of pop culture collaborations, and to learn that these two giants – ASUS and Evangelion – teamed up meant that I was hitting the checkout button faster than Unit-01 can be sent to the surface of Tokyo-3.
With prices of M2 SSDs lower than ever, creating my own portable high-speed drive makes the most sense in terms of value and personalization.
As usual, my go-to memory brand is Corsair – I have their SSDs in my gaming PC and PlayStation 5 – and I chose the 960GB version of the Force Series MP510 M.2 SSD for its performance and GB-per-dollar value. At the time of writing, the 960GB version retails for just $99.99, and you can regularly find discounts throughout the year.
The ROG Strix Arion EVA Edition got it right regarding fan service. The enclosure itself feels robust as it’s made out of an aluminum alloy for more effective heat dissipation, and it’s got all sorts of nerdy details including an RGB NERV logo. A protective bumper can be added to the enclosure when you’re on the move, and there’s also an Evangelion-themed carrying strap.
Installing the SSD is super easy – use the included NERV pin to open the top of the enclosure and secure the SSD in place. No other tools are needed. The Corsair MP510 SSD is a 2280 form factor, but the ROG Strix Arion EVA Edition can accommodate a variety of M2 sizes (2230/2242/2260/2280), and up to 2TB of storage capacity.
With the speed and reliability of a PCIe NVMe drive in my pocket, I never have to worry about long transfer times or compatibility issues. The ROG Strix Arion’s USB-C interface paired with the Corsair MP510 not only delivers more than twice the performance of my other external SSD drives, but it’s also compatible with smartphones and mobile devices, making it the perfect physical back-up solution.
This is by far my new favorite piece of tech, and since I often need to work across different computers, it’s also become my main operating drive. The performance is high enough for me to edit photos and movies directly on the device, allowing me to skip the tedious file transfer process, as quick as it is.