Intel’slatest generation desktop processorsdidn’t exactly vaunt us away when they debuted in 2024 , but we can already pop to look frontwards to the next - next - generation of team blue central processor , slat to debut sometime in 2026 . Nova Lake , as it ’s currently codenamed , is reportedly out with developers at this time while Intel refines and round off it ahead of wider production .

They might be a way off yet , but if you ’re planning to upgrade to Intel ’s latest and greatest in the further - future , here ’s what we have it away about Nova Lake so far .

perhaps they ’ll even end up on our lean ofbest CPUs ?

Release and pricing

Intel Nova Lake has n’t been give any sort of official tone ending date as of yet , but we do have a tentative “ 2026 ” window . That ’s not Q1 , or H2 or anything more specific , just sometime in 2026 . This will be the replacement to 2025 ’s Panther Lake screen background C.P.U. , which are expected towards the goal of the year .

take a similar launch windowpane for Panther Lake as Arrow Lake ( October 2024 ) , then we would have a bun in the oven a Q3 / Fall release for Panther Lake , and a similar debut for Nova Lake .

Intel has n’t suppose much about pricing for the far - flung check just yet , but has intimate that it will reserve for much better margin for Intel , to serve improve earnings . That might not mean we ’ll get garish central processor , but it should at least mean they are more affordable to produce , which has the potential for next price cut down the line .

Specifications

No official specification for Nova Lake processors have been released just yet , but we do have some making water and rumors which point to some intriguing design selection .

chirrup leaker Jaykihn post in former February 2025 , that we can espect as many as 52 core in the top Nova Lake processors .

Do n’t leave the LPe .

Preliminary silicon configs are :

52 ( 16 + 32 + 4)28 ( 8 + 16 + 4)16 ( 4 + 8 + 4 )

& mdash ; Jaykihn ( @jaykihn0)February 7 , 2025

That ’s a compounding of 16 Performance essence , 32 Efficiency Cores , and Four Low Power Efficiency Cores . The other contour show Intel is leaning into the LPE cores and asseverate significant quantity of einsteinium meat , even on the lower - end models which have just four carrying out cores .

leaker have suggested these CPUs could utilize a dual CCX design , like AMD ’s Ryzen chiplet processors . There ’s also a proffer of a larger L3 hoard tile , with as much as 144 MB . That could be an option to AMD ’s 3D V - Cache , put up a heavy uplfit to gaming performance .

The computer architecture for these cores are reportedly Coyote Cove for the P Cores and Arctic Wolf for the E Cores . Both will succeed the Cougar Cove and Darkmont cores used in Panther Lake flake .

There are some hearsay that Nova Lake will utilize an off - die memory control , too , but that Intel has methods to mitigate the likely latency vexation .

Performance

Performance of these CPUs is a ended unknown at this time . Without even prescribed hardware stipulation we ca n’t make firm estimations of how they ’ll perform , and really we involve to see these chip in action to affirm it .

However , based on the core configuration , we can summise that Intel is continuing to lean into multithreaded performance , suggesting these chips will be grotesque for heavy work load which can utilise all those cores at once . A 3D V - Cache - like chiplet would make a big deal for gaming performance , and the low world power cores could help trim down jobless power draw importantly — bully for office machine and laptops .

Conclusion

Intel Nova Lake CPUs are n’t coming for over a year and a one-half , so we wo n’t have all the detail for some meter . As Panther Lake starts to take shape , though , it ’ll give us more of an idea of what to expect rifle further into the future .