Intel’s anticipated Nova Lake lineup has finally leaked, hinting at some impressive core counts across various CPU models.
Exploring Intel’s Nova Lake-S Desktop Lineup as it Prepares to Follow the Arrow Lake-S Series, Promising a Significant Boost in Performance Thanks to Doubled P and E Cores
To be honest, Intel’s Arrow Lake series hasn’t exactly been a powerhouse. The performance of the ARL-S variants left many unsatisfied, so all eyes are on Nova Lake for a rebound. Intel’s been pretty tight-lipped about what’s in store. However, a fresh leak from Reddit user @Exist50, highlighted by HXL, provides an intriguing peek into the specs of Nova Lake’s S, HX, U, and H lineups.
Intel’s next-generation CPUs are rumored to push the envelope with a maximum configuration of 2*8 P-Cores alongside 16 E-Cores—a substantial step up from the Arrow Lake-S flagship CPU, the Core Ultra 9 285K. We’re also anticipating the launch of Nova Lake-H in the mobile market. Here’s a breakdown of the core setup for Nova Lake:
- NVL-SK: 2*8+16
- NVL-HX: 1*8+16
- NVL-S/NVL-H: 4+8
- NVL-U: 4+0
The leaked figures hint that the top-tier Intel Nova Lake-S could boast 16 P-Cores and 32 E-Cores. Intel seems to be adopting a dual compute tile strategy, likely to counter AMD’s forthcoming Zen 6 lineup, which is anticipated to feature up to 32 cores per CCD.
The Nova Lake-S Desktop CPUs are poised to truly succeed the Arrow Lake-S lineup, potentially joining the "Core Ultra 400" series. Meanwhile, the "Core Ultra 300" series will implement the Panther Lake CPU design, albeit not on primary desktop platforms. Intel’s future chips might incorporate Coyote Core P-Cores and Arctic Wolf E-Cores. Although there’s limited info now, with Nova Lake expected to launch next year, more details should emerge soon.
Comparison of Intel’s Desktop CPU Generations:
| Intel CPU Family | Processor Process | Processor Architecture | Graphics Architecture | Processors Cores/Threads (Max) | Platform | Memory Support | PCIe Support | Launch Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alder Lake (12th Gen) | Intel 7 | Golden Cove (P-Core) Gracemont (E-Core) | HD 700 Series | 16/24 | LGA 1700/1800 | DDR5 / DDR4 | PCIe Gen 5.0 | 2021 |
| Raptor Lake (13th Gen) | Intel 7 | Raptor Cove (P-Core) Gracemont (E-Core) | HD 700 Series | 24/32 | LGA 1700/1800 | DDR5 / DDR4 | PCIe Gen 5.0 | 2022 |
| Raptor Lake Refresh (14th Gen) | Intel 7 | Raptor Cove (P-Core) Gracemont (E-Core) | HD 700 Series | 24/32 | LGA 1700/1800 | DDR5 / DDR4 | PCIe Gen 5.0 | 2023 |
| Arrow Lake (Core Ultra 200) | TSMC N3B | Lion Cove (P-Core) Skymont (E-Core) | Xe1 (Alchemist) | 24/24 | LGA 1851 | DDR5 | PCIe Gen 5.0 | 2024 |
| Arrow Lake Refresh (Canceled) | TSMC N3B | Lion Cove (P-Core) Skymont (E-Core) | Xe1 (Alchemist) | TBD | LGA 1851 | DDR5 | PCIe Gen 5.0 | 2025 |
| Nova Lake (Core Ultra 400?) | TBA | Coyote Cove (P-Core) Arctic Wolf (E-Core) | TBA | TBA | TBA | DDR5? | PCIe Gen 6.0? | 2026 |
| Razer Lake (Core Ultra 500?) | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | 2027? |
