Asus TUF Gaming A2 assessment: This SSD enclosure is quick and constructed like a tank
Knowledgeable’s Score
Execs
- Quick 20Gbps efficiency over USB 3.2×2
- Constructed like a tank
- IP68 rated in opposition to mud and water intrusion
Our Verdict
If I had been roughing it within the wilder areas of the planet, the Asus TUF Gaming A2 ruggedized storage is what I’d take with me.
Worth When Reviewed
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Finest Pricing Right now
Finest Costs Right now: Asus TUF Gaming A2
₹4,899
Whereas there are a number of distributors transport ready-to-play, pre-populated exterior SSDs, they are typically both super-fast and super-expensive, or super-cheap and appropriate just for light-duty knowledge switch. Drive-less enclosures such because the IP-rated Asus TUF Gaming A2 reviewed right here, whereas not precisely low-cost, assist you to leverage quicker SSD expertise at a extra inexpensive value level.
Learn on to study extra, then see our roundup of the most effective exterior drives for comparability.
What are the TUF Gaming A2 options?
I’m used to hex screws, they’re throughout my guitar {hardware}. However I definitely wasn’t anticipating them on an exterior drive enclosure. Then once more, given the TUF moniker, I suppose I shouldn’t be stunned.
It stands to motive that thieves are much less prone to have a hex wrench just like the one Asus contains readily available than a screwdriver. That’s, if the thief needed to take away the drive from the very engaging enclosure anyway. Extra possible, the hex is only for aesthetics.
As to its very engaging, black, ribbed silicone-wrapped enclosure — the A2 measures roughly 4.5-inches lengthy, by 2.25-inches large, and simply over 0.5-inches thick. It’s on the hefty facet at roughly 5.5 ounces.
Personally, I really like the strong weight within the hand in addition to the great grip supplied by its silicone-ized higher and facet surfaces. If I had been going to take any moveable drive to a barroom brawl, this may be it. Okay, mistaken weapon, however you get my drift.
All this TUF-ness culminates with an IP68 score, which implies mud and sand received’t enter, and for those who drop it in 3 toes of water — no large deal. This primer on Ingress Safety scores will let you know extra.
Personally, I really like the strong weight within the hand in addition to the great grip supplied by its silicone-ized higher and facet surfaces.
How a lot is the Asus TUF Gaming A2?
The A2 is out there on Amazon for $54 on the time of this writing, discounted from $60. You possibly can definitely seize 20Gbps enclosures for much less. Loads much less, really. However they received’t provide wherever close to the construct high quality of the A2.
In the event you’re planning to work cross-platform, you may additionally think about a USB4 enclosure such because the UGreen CM642, which might be quicker (a lot) on Macs. 20Gbps USB 3.2×2 slows to 10Gbps on most Macs and lots of Home windows PC Thunderbolt ports.
How briskly is the TUF Gaming A2?
The TUF A2 turned in a wonderful USB 3.2×2 efficiency. Much better than common — although full disclosure, I populated it with the mighty Samsung 9100 Professional. Most exterior drives, such because the competing Essential X10 and Addlink P21 within the charts will use much less competent SSDs. This exhibits up extra dramatically within the lengthy switch checks than within the artificial benchmarks.
Notice that I’ve lately began testing transfers with Xcopy together with Home windows Explorer. For some motive, Microsoft has optimized Xcopy for NVMe and never Explorer. Go determine. Learn the How we check part on the backside of this assessment for more information on testing.
CrystalDiskMark 8 had very good issues to say concerning the A2’s sequential switch potential.
The A2 was head and shoulders above the X10 by way of random efficiency; then once more, so was the Addlink P21 generally. However victory belongs to the A2. Once more, partially as a result of implausible Samsung 9100 Professional inside.
It was in our real-world transfers the place the A2 actually started to shine, reducing nearly two minutes off of the mixture (Xcopy and Explorer) copy instances.
There’s little doubt that the Samsung 9100 Professional contributed mightily to the 450GB write end result. Each the X10 and P21 ran out of gasoline — aka, secondary cache — the place the 4TB 9100 by no means did. Truthful? Not likely. So sue me.
These outcomes present what the A2 is able to, however once more, the competitors wasn’t on the identical degree by way of the SSD element inside. This merely exhibits what you may get for those who spend a bit extra.
Notice that whereas I used the Samsung 9100 Professional for testing, it’s, in truth, overkill. There’s no manner any exterior 20Gbps enclosure can make the most of all its pace. Any DRAM-enabled NVMe SSD, PCIe 3.0 or later with trendy TLC NAND will carry out equally.
Do you have to purchase the TUF Gaming A2?
In order for you 20Gbps USB storage that may simply get up the pains of journey, and even off-road excursions, it doesn’t get higher than the A2. I’m fairly enamored of it and it’ll keep within the backpack so long as Asus permits.
How we check
Drive checks at the moment make the most of Home windows 11 24H2, 64-bit working off of a PCIe 4.0 Samsung 990 Professional in an Asus Z890-Creator WiFi (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard. The CPU is a Core Extremely i5 225 feeding/fed by two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of reminiscence complete). Each 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 5 are built-in and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. SSDs concerned within the check are mounted in a HighPoint 7604A 16x PCIe 5.0 adapter card.
We run the CrystalDiskMark 8, AS SSD 2, and ATTO 4 artificial benchmarks to seek out the storage gadget’s potential efficiency, then a sequence of 48GB and 450GB transfers checks utilizing Home windows Explorer drag and drop to point out what you’ll see underneath Window, in addition to the far quicker Xcopy to point out what’s potential.
The 48GB switch checks make the most of an USFMount RAM disk taking on 58GB of the 64GB of complete reminiscence. The 450GB file is transferred from an SSD on the HighPoint card.
Every check is carried out on a newly NTFS-formatted and TRIM’d drive so the outcomes are optimum. Notice that in regular use, as a drive fills up, efficiency could lower as a result of much less NAND for secondary caching, in addition to different components. This may be much less of an element with the present crop of SSDs with far quicker late-generation NAND.
Caveat: The efficiency numbers proven apply solely to the drive we had been shipped and to the capability examined. SSD efficiency can and can fluctuate by capability as a result of extra or fewer chips to shotgun reads/writes throughout and the quantity of NAND obtainable for secondary caching. Distributors additionally sometimes swap elements. In the event you ever discover a big discrepancy between the efficiency you expertise and that which we report, by all means, tell us.
