Although it sounds like some kind of fantasy computing game, and in a way that sums it up pretty nicely, a 40 core supercomputer for your desktop will be a reality from January 2007 thanks to TyanPSC.
The next generation personal supercomputer from Tyan Computer Corporation was launched today, with general availability expected by January. The Typhoon 600 series uses Intel Xeon 5300 Clovertown processors (up to 40 CPU cores in total) to provide a 256 gigaflops performance on a turnkey system for your office or home, and it can be powered up from a standard electricity socket as well.