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Originally Posted by Daemon1313
I would advise against using any form of flash for 24/7 usage. Flash memory has a maximum number of write cycles. In other words each bit of memory can only be changed a certain number of times before it can not be changed anymore and gets "stuck".
As far as peformance of the parts you listed, they would be decently below the performance of a desktop 7200rpm drive. The limiting factor would be the compact flash. For example if you used the Kingston Ultimate 266X drive, the performance would be a little below that of a cheap 5400 rpm drive (you would not have any seek time with the flash so the flash could appear faster depending on the size/type of files).
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The limits on flash memory write cycles are much greater than they used to be - USB flash drives and compact flash cards using current technology are in theory able to perform approximately 1 000 000 cycles before failure. While real-world performance probably won't even come close to that, even 300 000 - 400 000 cycles ought to last several years. Add in the error correction and wear-leveling that all Flash devices include these days and it's very probable that you'll be upgrading long before the drive actually fails.
In terms of speed, flash memory reads at a much greater speed than magnetic media. Write times are slower, but even so I would expect a significant speed advantage. The primary bottleneck on most flash devices is the interface; that is to say, USB. Connecting it to a SATA bus ought to make for some wicked fast storage.