Quote:Several months back, we raised hell when PNY released two different versions of the Optima SSD. One version shipped with SandForce SF-2281 controllers, and other shipped under the same name and product number with a Silicon Motion controller. After the initial reviews for the Optima SSD with the Silicon Motion controller published, PNY started shipping Optima branded SSDs with SF-2281 controllers from SandForce. Side by side, both controllers perform about the same, but each has specific strong and weak points that some users may consider when purchasing a SSD for a specific workload. For the most part, reviewers and news editors from other sites supported our findings and thoughts, but there were a few detractors who didn't take issue with what we dubbed a SSD "bait and switch." What our critics didn't understand is that while the first bait and switch happened with nearly equal controllers, if the practice becomes accepted, there isn't anything stopping companies from starting out with a new part, and then rolling back to cheaper or even older components. Today we have a worst-case scenario - a bait and switch with a wider discrepancy in components.

We fully expected to find a SandForce SF-2281 controller paired with genuine Intel NAND flash inside of the case of our Silicon Power S60, just like a Silicon Power S60 reviewed on another site last August, but this is what we found instead. The controller is a Phison S8, and the flash is unknown, but we suspect it's Toshiba Toggle, packaged by a third party. To confirm we weren't misreading "S60" with... well, a different S60, we downloaded the firmware update tool for the S60, and found a SandForce Field Update Toolbox.

The Silicon Power S60 product page shows the product specifications in the image above. The data isn't exactly accurate, and even states the S60 is "Equipped with DuraWrite, and wear leveling to extend endurance." DuraWrite is trademarked by SandForce, and as far as I know, SandForce hasn't licensed the technology to other controller makers for use in SSDs.