Intel showed off an experimental 48-core processor or "single-chip cloud computer" yesterday, which possess about 10 to 20 times the processing power of engines powering today’s computers and notebooks. It also sports a fast on-chip network for sharing information, along with new power management methods. These methods allow all 48 cores to operate very efficiently, at as little as 25 watts or at 125 watts during maximum performance. This is about the same level as today’s Intel processors or the running power of two standard household light bulbs.

The product will not see commercial release since it was created as a research product. Intel’s long-term objective for this research is to add innovative scaling features to future computers that should stimulate innovative software apps and human-machine interfaces. The chip maker plans on delivering 100 or more of these experimental chips for practical research to selected industry and academic institutions.

The company is also looking at ways to incorporate some key features of this experimental chip into a fresh line-up of Core-branded processors that will be released early in 2010, as well as introducing six- and eight-core processors later in 2010.