Patriot Inferno 100GB SandForce SF-1200 SSD Review

Patriot Inferno – Introduction

Patriot has been busy working on releasing their line of Inferno SSDs which features the very capable SandForce SF-1200 controller. They join a growing list of manufactures to release drives based on this controller which has been very successful in terms of sales and performance. We expect to see the Inferno to be among the top drives we have tested.

Currently found on Newegg for $294 after mail in rebate the Inferno pricing is on par with its peers of the same capacity. Patriot also offers capacities of 60GB, 120GB, 200GB and 240GB in the Inferno line.

Right away you should notice the red anodized case that encompasses the fragile bits. This is one of the best looking SSDs I have seen and if you have a showcase PC with windows, lights, and such, this may be right up your alley. The styling certainly does fit in with the ‘Inferno’ name. Inside the box we find a reference booklet and a handy 2.5″ to 3.5″ adapter plate.

Taking a look at the specifications, the Inferno promises to be one fast drive and likely to be pushing the limits of the SATA II bandwidth. The five year warranty is also another highlight. The full list of features and specifications are as follows:

• Maximum sequential read speed 285MB/s
• Maximum sequential write speed 275MB/s
• SandForce SF-1222 SSD processor paired with qualified MLC NAND flash for best performance, value and reliability
• Includes 3.5″ bracket
• TRIM support (O/S dependent)
• DuraClass technology
• DuraWrite extends the life of your SSD
• Intelligent Block Management and Wear Leveling
• Intelligent Read Disturb Management
• Intelligent Recycling improves management of free space
• RAISE (Redundant Array of Independent Silicon Elements)
• Intelligent Data Retention optimization
• Best-in-class ECC protection for longest data retention and drive life
• Power/Performance balancing
• SATA I/II interface
• Native Command Queuing (NCQ)
• MTBF: > 1,500,000 Hours
• Data Retention: 5+ years at 25 C
• Data Reliability: Built in BCH 16-bit ECC & 24-bit ECC
• Operating Temperature: 0C ~ 70C
• Storage Temperature: -40C ~ 85C
• Shock Resistance: 1,500G (@ 0.5msec half sine wave)
• Vibration Resistance: 15G / 10 ~ 2000Hz w/ 3 axis
• O/S Support: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / Mac OS / Linux

The adapter plate appears to be exactly the same as we have seen with the other Patriot SSDs and we hope that case manufactures work more 2.5″ bays into their cases so users no longer have to rely on adapter brackets. Especially since the adapter plates don’t always play nice with some of the more exotic chassis configurations and adds one more step to the install process. All in all, it’s still nice to have.

The back plate is plain silver (you were expecting flames?) and is held in check by four small screws which we will gleefully remove to get a better look at the insides. Speaking of the insides, navigate to the next page for images and a tour of the innards.