Akasa has released an external SSD enclosure called the Vegas SSD Mate that, as spotted by Hermitage Akihabara, features a cooling fan adorned with RGB lighting.
The Vegas SSD Mate is a tool-free aluminum enclosure said to fit both PCIe and SATA SSDs with the M.2 2280, 2260, 2242, and 2230 form factors. Equipping the enclosure with an M.2 SSD should be as easy as lining up the drive and snapping it into place.
Akasa said the enclosure connects to a system using USB 3.2 Gen 2, which means the Vegas SSD Mate's maximum data transfer rate should be 10 Gb/s. It's also backwards compatible with connections based on USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 1.
The same can be said of most recent external SSD enclosures. The Vegas SSD Mate stands out thanks to its fan, which Akasa said "improves and maximises natural air convection to keep the SSD cool and running optimally." (Emphasis theirs.)
Should that be necessary? Not really. Most external SSD enclosures manage their drive's temperatures via heatsinks and thermal pads. A fan might actually prove detrimental to people who don't want their drives to be exposed to debris.
On the other hand, the fan is surrounded by RGB lighting, and there's no denying that people love making their accessories shine with the brilliance of, well, several LEDs. (Akasa didn't say how many LEDs the enclosure features, but it can't be very many.)
More information about the Vegas SSD Mate is available via Akasa's website. The enclosure is currently available via Amazon for $74.99, but at time of writing there are only two left in stock, so either Akasa didn't make many or the demand for an RGB-lit external SSD enclosure is higher than many of us would have expected.
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