Intel has starting shipping a solid-state drive that can speed Windows 7 and app load times.

Intel Serial-ATA 40GB SSD retails for $125

(Credit: Intel)

Intel says the drive is aimed at "dual-drive/boot drive desktop set-ups" as well as Netbooks. Solid-state drives typically offer better performance--in some cases, dramatically better performance--than hard disk drives. But SSDs cost more per gigabyte than hard drives, a fact, which, to date, has limited SSDs to performance-sensitive applications such as high-end laptops, gaming PCs, and servers.

The Intel X25-V is a relatively low-capacity SSD at 40GB, but claims performance that is four times faster than a 7200RPM hard disk drive. And at $125, it qualifies as an inexpensive SSD, but on a dollar-per-gigabyte basis of about $3 per gigabyte, it's comparable with, if not a little more than, competing products.

Intel says consumers can use the SSD as an add-on to a hard-drive-equipped desktop PC by configuring a dual-drive or "boot drive" set up. "In a dual-drive configuration...the SSD is loaded with the operating system and favorite applications to take advantage of the speedy performance," Intel said in a statement.