Patriot Memory has something interesting coming down the pipeline, so we've learned today at CES in Vegas. The company demonstrated a SSD RAID enclosure that takes two 2.5 inch SSD drives, marries it with a onboard RAID controller, and packs everything into a module that you can install in a standard 3.5 inch drive bay.
The cool thing about the new drive however, isn't that it takes two drives, but that it only uses one SATA connector. Using the onboard RAID processor, the enclosure sets up a RAID configuration--which can be changed by the user--and logically reports it to the main system as a single drive. This not only gives you the option of using different RAID levels, but also frees up a SATA connector that would otherwise be consumed.
Another significant feature about the enclosure that we liked was the fact that it has a built in E-SATA connector on the rear as well as a USB 2.0 connector. This means you will have the option of using the enclosure externally if you run out of room inside your case. We found this detail to be a significant feature that will provide flexibility for many users.
At this time, the drive is still going through final stages of validation to ensure that it works with all 2.5 inch SSD drives and not only those from Patriot's WARP lineup. When asked about availability, Patriot told us that the enclosure will be released in less than two months. This is definitely one affordable and very usable product that helps to accelerate the wide adoption of SSD drives.
