Patriot today joined the many manufacturers who have recently launched SandForce-based solid-state drives, announcing the availability of its Inferno drives. Armed with the SF-1222 controller, the 2.5-inch SSDs boast maximum read and write rates of 285MB/s and 275MB/s, respectively. Those speeds are increasingly common, as Corsair, OCZ and Mushkin have models with similar, if not identical specs.


As you might expect, both Inferno models feature wear-leveling algorithms courtesy of SandForce DuraClass technology, and they're bundled with a 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch mount for desktop installation. The drives are currently shipping in 100GB and 200GB capacities via your standard e-tailers, including Newegg, who has them in stock for $369 and $679 - quite a bit cheaper than OCZ's Vertex 2.

Of note, Patriot backs the Inferno line with a gracious five-year warranty, whereas most other companies offer three.