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Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus Review (vs. WD Black P50): A Tough, Affordable, and Super-Fast Portable SSD

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The Asus TUF Gaming Plus is an interesting portable SSD lineup. For one, it has interesting capacity-showing model numbers, including AS1000 Plus (1TB) and AS2000 Plus (2TB)—other than the internal SSD, the two are virtually the same. There might be more capacities down the line, or you can change that on your own.

The idea of the TUF Gaming Plus is not new—Western Digital had the similarly specced WD Black P50 over four years ago. However, with significantly real-world faster performance and a street price of less than half, the TUF Gaming Plus is a much better deal.

Here’s the bottom line: If you’re looking for a 20Gbps-USB portable SSD for your gaming rig, be it a computer or a console, that delivers on performance without digging a hole in your wallet, the Asus TUF Gaming Plus is an excellent option. Consider one today!

The Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus and its retail box
The Asus TUF Gaming Plus and its retail box. This is the 1TB AS1000 Plus version.

Asus TUF Gaming Plus: A solid and versatile portable drive for gamers

If the name rings a bell, the TUF notion means the portable SSD is part of Asus’s TUF gaming family, which includes Wi-Fi routers, such as the TUF-AX5400.

I took the 1TB version, the AS1000 Plus, out for a spin, and out of the box, it looked the part. The drive comes with a full-metal casing that houses an NVMe SSD on the inside. The whole package is IP68-rated, meaning the portable SSD can handle the elements and can survive a bit of roughhousing.

The front of the Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus portable SSDThe back of the Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus portable SSD. Note the hex screws that open the housing—the othe two are under the specs label
The front and back of the Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus portable SSD. Note the screw on its back—there are two more under the specs label at the bottom.

A rugged NVMe enclosure

What’s really interesting about the TUF Gaming Plus is the fact that you can easily open the casing via four hex screws on the underside—the bottom two are covered by the specs label that can be removed (and put back) easily.

On the inside, you’ll find a 2280 NVMe SSD, a 1TB in my case, attached to an M.2 slot that has a convenient built-in Q-latch—you can remove or replace the drive from the slot without having to use any tool. The slot can handle any standard NVMe SSD of 2280 design or shorter, such as the 2230 Crucial P310. In other words, the TUF Gaming Plus is a rugged NVMe M.2 enclosure.

Asus’s warranty applies only to the included SSD.

In most cases, though, you’ll use the drive as is. In this case, the Asus Gaming Plus, like most game drives, it’s frill-free. It has no hardware encryption, and it only comes with a USB-C cable. You’ll need to get a converter or a USB-A to USB-C cable to use it with a USB-A port.

By undoing the four screws, you'll get to the the Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus's internal drive to service or change it
By undoing the four screws on the drive’s back, you’ll get to the Asus TUF Gaming Plus’s internal drive to service or change it. The built-in M.2 slot can handle any standard NVMe SSD of size 2280 or shorter, and its metal chassis works as a heatsink.

Out of the box, my AS1000 Plus is formatted in the exFAT file system to work with any hosts. Additionally, it includes a license for NTI Backup Now EZ desktop application for Windows users. Then, there’s a little TUF SSD Dashboard software that shows the internal drive’s status and condition. Neither is consequential or even interesting, considering the free alternatives.

Overall, other than the IP68 rating and easy serviceability, Asus’s TUFF Gaming Plus lineup is very similar to the WD Black P50. The table below shows their hardware specs.

Asus TUF Gaming Plus vs. WD Black P50: Hardware specifications

Asus Tuff Gaming PlusWD Black P50
Asus TUF Gaming Plus Portable SSDWestern Digital WD Black P50
Capacity 1TB (AS1000 Plus)
2TB (AS2000 Plus)
500GB,
1TB,
2TB,
4TB
Internal StoragePCIe Gen 4 4×4 NVMe SSD
Product ColorBlack
Dimensions116.22 x 55.65 x 15.3 mm118. x 61.9 x 13.9 mm
Weight155 gram119 gram
RuggednessIP68No IP rating
InterfaceUSB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps)
USB Type-C
Compatibility
(peripheral standards)
Thunderbolt 3 (and later)
USB4 (all)
USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
USB 3.2 Gen 2
USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 2.0
Hardware EncryptionNone
Power UsageUSB bus-powered 
via a USB-C or USB-A port
Package ContentPortable SSD
USB-C cable
Portable SSD
USB-C cable
USB-A to USB-C cable
OS SupportWindows: Windows 7 or later,
macOS: 10.6.x or later,
Xbox and PlayStation Game Consoles with USB-C
Mobile Device SupportNo
Warranty5-year 
CostsCurrent pricing on Amazon
Asus TUF Gaming Plus vs. WD Black P50: Hardware specifications

As noted in the table, the two drives are very similar and can work interchangeably. By the way, you can also open the WD Black to change its internal drive, but, like the Asus TUF Gaming Plus, the process is much harder since that wasn’t the intended use case.

The Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus has a USB C port on one endThe Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus comes with a single status light that flashes to show the data activities
The Asus TUF Gaming Plus has a USB-C port on one end and a white status light on the other. This light flashes to show the data connectivity. The drive itself can be a bit of a dust magnet.

Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus: Excellent performance

I tested and used the Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus for a couple of days, with the included internal NVMe SSD, and was happy with it. The drive performed well—it’s the fastest USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 to date—and never became hot, even during extended operation.

It also proved to be tough. I left it in a sink full of water overnight—it sank—then tossed it around on our hardwood floors quite a bit, and it survived intact.

Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus Write PerformanceAsus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus Read Performance
The Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus is currently the faster USB 3.2Gen 2×2 portable SSD. It’s much faster than the WD Black P50 when used with a 20Gbps USB port.

It’s also worth noting that after I opened the case, changed the internal drive, and put everything back, the package still worked without issues. Still, this is only an option for savvy users. Replacing the internal SSD will void the drive’s included warranty.

Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus' Rating

8.5 out of 10
The Asus AS1000 TUF Gaming Plus
Performance
10 out of 10
Features
8 out of 10
Design and Setup
8 out of 10
Value
8 out of 10

Pros

Excellent performance with friendly pricing and a 5-year warranty

Rugged design with easy access to the internal drive

Compatible with all USB (and USB-C Thunderbolt) standards

Cons

No USB-A to USB-C cable or converter is included

No support for Android or iOS

Conclusion

The Asus TUF Gaming Plus lineup, presented by the AS1000, is a straightforward and super-fast portable SSD. Its friendly pricing, the fact that you can quickly service the internal SSD, and its straightforward design make it one of the best 20Gbps-USB external storage devices for general storage or gaming needs. Consider one today!

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