SSDs provide faster access to data than traditional hard disk drives, which means they can help to speed up boot times. But SSDs are also more expensive, and they currently have smaller storage capacities.

Offering smaller SSDs that act as a temporary storage cache to get computers started is a cost-effective way of getting SSD performance into laptops, said Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis. Many PC makers are offering the smaller SSDs, while retaining the slower and more power-hungry hard drives as primary storage.

"It's fast boot and fast program launch," Handy said.

The SSDs should also improve battery life, Handy said, since their presence reduces the time the hard disk drive needs to be spinning.

Intel already offered a family of small SSDs, but it says the new models operate faster.