Just how many cores does it take for a processor to be called fast? Perhaps a couple for anyone who wishes to run Windows XP smoothly. Maybe four if you want to play Crysis at full detail. Okay, let's have eight says the PlayStation 3's Cell so that it can own the distinction of being the most advanced console of today.

AMD, however, says we should push the core envelope even more. The company intends to break new ground by the end of this year with the launch of a 12-core, 45nm processor in the form of its upcoming Shanghai chip.

Shanghai is the successor to the Barcelona series and it'll carry six cores at the onset. However, AMD says it'll have a dozen later on, adding the support of HyperTransport 3.0. It can be recalled that AMD hit a bit of a snag with HyperTransport on Barcelona, but they seem confident that all will work out this time around.