OWC launches 480GB SandForce-based SSD

If you were impressed by Mushkin's SandForce-based entry into the SSD marketplace announced yesterday but wish it was just that little bit more capacious, fret not: Other World Computing is here with a whopping 480GB SSD.

Announced to press by the company yesterday, the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro series of SSDs feature the same controller as used in the Mushkin drives, a SandForce SF-1200 capable of ripping data from the drive at a rate of 285MB/s. Where the drives differ, however, is in maximum capacity.

While the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro series will start at 60GB and work its way through 120GB and 240GB, the range tops out at a quite frankly incredible 480GB - one of the largest SSDs currently on the market.

All the drives include integral 128-bit AES encryption to keep your data safe and secure, along with SandForce's DuraClass technology designed to offer best-in-class endurance and reliability - meaning that your data shouldn't be going missing any time soon.

Before you get too excited, however, there's the little matter of price: currently available exclusively in the US, the top-end 480GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro is going to set you back $1,579.99 (around £1,070). While that might seem breath-takingly expensive, it represents an overall cost of $3.29 per gig - not too much of a premium over rival Mushkin's 240GB model at $3.06 per gig.

The company's entire range is available from its online store now.

Does the idea of a 480GB SSD answer your hopes and dreams for the technology, or does the price per gigabyte need to drop drastically before you'll be tempted away from your spinning platters? Share your thoughts over in the forums.