ASUS ROG Strix Arion Aluminum Alloy M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure Case Adapter
Bottom line: The ASUS ROG Strix Arion M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure Case Adapter ($44.99 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06): USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C hits up to 10 Gbps transfer speeds; main trade-off: M.2 NVMe SSD is not included, adding to the real cost.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C hits up to 10 Gbps transfer speeds
- ✓ Aluminum alloy shell with thermal pads pulls heat off the M.2 drive
- ✓ Fits 2230, 2242, 2260 and 2280 M Key or B+M Key NVMe SSDs
- ✓ Ships with both USB-C to C and USB-C to A cables
Cons
- ✗ M.2 NVMe SSD is not included, adding to the real cost
- ✗ PCIe NVMe only, so SATA M.2 drives will not work
- ✗ 10 Gbps ceiling leaves fast Gen 4 drives well under their rated speed
- ✗ Aura Sync RGB needs ASUS software to control or disable
Manufacturer description
USB Type-C 3 2 Gen 2 for transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps Supports M 2 PCIe NVM Express SSDs with 2230/2242/2260/2280 form factor M 2 NVMe SSD not included Two Cables Included – 1x USB Type-C cable 1x USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored ASUS ROG Strix Arion M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure Case Adapter using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the accessories category. ASUS's accessories lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for accessories of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the ROG Strix Arion come with an SSD included?
No. The Arion is an empty enclosure. You supply your own M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD in a 2230, 2242, 2260, or 2280 form factor with an M Key or B+M Key edge connector.
How fast is the ROG Strix Arion?
The USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 interface supports transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps. Real-world throughput depends on the SSD you install and whether your host port also supports USB 3.2 Gen 2.
Will a SATA M.2 SSD work in this enclosure?
No. ASUS lists support for M.2 PCIe NVM Express SSDs only. A SATA-based M.2 drive will not be recognized, so check your drive's interface before buying.
What cables are in the box?
Two: one USB Type-C to Type-C cable and one USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable. That covers both current laptops and older systems without a separate adapter purchase.
Does it get hot during long transfers?
The aluminum alloy ROG case includes thermal pads that pull heat away from the M.2 drive, which is why ASUS uses metal rather than plastic here. Sustained-load temperatures still vary by SSD model.
Key Features
- USB Type-C 3 2 Gen 2 for transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps
- Supports M 2 PCIe NVM Express SSDs with 2230/2242/2260/2280 form factor M 2 NVMe SSD not included
- Two Cables Included – 1x USB Type-C cable 1x USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable
- Aluminum Alloy ROG Case with thermal pads pulls heat away from M 2 drives
- ASUS Aura Sync RGB lighting features a nearly endless spectrum of colors with the ability to synchronize effects across an ever-expanding ecosystem of Aura Sync enabled products
Full Specifications
| Size | Black|up to 10Gbps |
|---|---|
| Brand | ASUS |
| Color | Black |
| Model | ROG Strix Arion ESD-S1C |
| Warranty | 1 Year Warranty |
| UnitCount | 1 |
| ReleaseDate | 2020-01-17T00:00:01Z |
| Manufacturer | ASUS |
| ItemPartNumber | ROG Strix Arion ESD-S1C |
| Full listing title | ASUS ROG Strix Arion Aluminum Alloy M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure Case Adapter, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ,10 Gbps, USB-C to C and USB-C to A Cables, Fits PCIe 2280/2260/2242/2230 M Key/B+M Key, 1 Year Warranty |
Ready to buy?
ASUS ROG Strix Arion Aluminum Alloy M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure Case Adapter, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ,10 Gbps, USB-C to C and USB-C to A Cables, Fits PCIe 2280/2260/2242/2230 M Key/B+M Key, 1 Year Warranty is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Accessories
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Ollama vs LM Studio vs vLLM: Choosing a Local LLM Runner
- Best Controller for Raspberry Pi Retro Emulation in 2026
- US Government Forces Anthropic to Disable Claude Fable 5 Worldwide
- Adafruit Ships a Triple LED Matrix Bonnet for the Raspberry Pi
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- Qwen 3.6 27B Matches Sonnet 4.6 on Artificial Analysis Agency
- Is Your First Homelab Right? A 2026 Hardware Sanity Check on a Ryzen 5 5600G
- Best SSD for Steam Deck OLED Expansion in 2026: SATA Adapter vs M.2 2230
- Best CPU Cooler for a Ryzen 5800X Under PBO + Manual Overclock in 2026
- Ryzen 7 5800X vs Ryzen 5 5600G for Gaming and Streaming
- Best SSD for Expanding Your Steam Library in 2026: SATA Value Picks
- AutomationBench Cost Gap: What DeepSeek V4's 5-Cent Task Means for Local Agent Rigs
- Best Parts for a Local RAG Document-QA Workstation in 2026
- Best Gaming PC Upgrades Under $200 in 2026: 5 Picks That Move the Needle
- Automated Cabinet Lighting With a Raspberry Pi: Build Guide
- How to Build a $2000 Home AI Rig in 2026: Used RTX 3090 Guide
- Raspberry Pi 5 Pinout Guide: The Full 40-Pin GPIO Breakdown
- Ollama on Intel + AMD via IPEX-LLM: Docker Compose Guide
- Best Streaming Setup Gear for Beginners in 2026
- MiMo-V2.5-Pro Local Hardware Requirements: VRAM, Tok/s, and Quantization on Consumer GPUs
- Budget Ollama Build Under $500: What Actually Runs in 2026
- Best Budget Streaming & Content-Creation Gear in 2026: 5 Picks That Punch Above Their Price
- GameSir G7 SE vs DualSense: Which Controller Is Better on PC in 2026?
- Q4_K_M Is Fine for Chat, a Trap for Agents: KV Cache Quant Math for Local Coding
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090