Intel boasts some of the best CPUs available, yet an even better product is coming. Hardware leaker chi11eddog, known for his solid track record, has disclosed what are rumored to be the specifications for Intel's next-generation Nova Lake desktop processors, which are expected to succeed the Core Ultra 200S (codenamed Arrow Lake) series.
Nova Lake, potentially branded as Core Ultra 300S, differs significantly from Arrow Lake. While Arrow Lake is built with Lion Cove P-cores and Skymont E-cores, Nova Lake is expected to use cutting-edge Coyote Cove P-cores along with Arctic Wolf E-cores. Intel is shaking things up with Nova Lake, reportedly launching its LPE-cores on desktops for the first time. We were first introduced to LPE-cores in Intel's mobile Core Ultra Series 1 (codenamed Meteor Lake) processors.
LPE-cores are a branch of the E-cores, meaning the LPE-cores in Nova Lake are just an optimized version of the Arctic Wolf E-cores. Nova Lake's LPE-cores are believed to be integrated within the SoC tile and represent the lowest tier in the core hierarchy. As a result, these LPE-cores are designed to manage extremely low-power workloads or background tasks. By utilizing different cores for specific workloads, Intel can enhance power efficiency in Nova Lake.
As reported by the hardware leaker, Nova Lake's flagship Core Ultra 9 chip may feature up to 52 cores, over twice the current Core Ultra 9 285K. However, this increase is due to a doubling of P-cores and E-cores and the inclusion of four more LPE-cores. Naturally, adding these cores comes at a cost, so the 52-core Nova Lake processor has a 20% higher Processor Base Power (PBP) than its predecessor.
Intel Nova Lake Processor Specifications*
Processor | P-cores | E-cores | LPE-cores | PBP (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Core Ultra 9 | 16 | 32 | 4 | 150 |
Core Ultra 9 285K | 8 | 16 | 0 | 125 |
Core Ultra 7 | 14 | 24 | 4 | 150 |
Core Ultra 7 265K | 8 | 12 | 0 | 125 |
Core Ultra 5 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 125 |
Core Ultra 5 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 125 |
Core Ultra 5 245K | 6 | 8 | 0 | 125 |
Core Ultra 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 125 |
Core Ultra 5 225 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 65 |
Core Ultra 3 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 65 |
Core Ultra 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 65 |
*Specifications are unconfirmed.
The Core Ultra 7 SKU also demonstrates a significant upgrade over the existing Core Ultra 7 265K. Intel might increase the P-core count by 75%, double the E-cores, and include four additional LPE-cores. Notably, the PBP has risen by 20% to support this upgrade, now aligning with the PBP of the Core Ultra 9 SKU.
The Core Ultra 5 model, historically Intel's best-selling product, will allegedly come in three SKUs to appeal to different budgets. The top SKU seems to feature eight P-cores, 16 E-cores, and four LPE-cores. The middle SKU has two fewer E-cores, whereas the lowest SKU has two and four less P-cores and E-cores, respectively.
Compared to the Core Ultra 5 245K, the Nova Lake model seems to have 33% more P-cores and 50% more E-cores, along with four LPE-cores. Intel appears to have kept the 125W PBP consistent across all three Core Ultra 5 Nova Lake variants to align with the Core Ultra 5 245K.
Intel had previously forsaken the entry-level market with Arrow Lake, leaving the void to be filled with previous-generation chips. Nova Lake sees the return of the Core i3 tier, or rather Core Ultra 3, under this new branding. The chipmaker is reportedly working on two Core Ultra 3 chips: one with four P-cores, eight E-cores, and four LPE-cores, and the other with four fewer E-cores. Only the Core Ultra 3 SKUs will have a 65W PBP, as there doesn't seem to be 65W versions of the Core Ultra 5.
Nova Lake is rumoredly to leverage Intel's Xe3 (codenamed Celestial) and Xe4 (codenamed Druid) IPs for its integrated graphics engine. Given the significant changes, Nova Lake chips reportedly require the new LGA1954 socket, while cooler compatibility appears backward compatible with LGA1851 coolers.
Earlier this year, Intel confirmed that Nova Lake is on track for a 2026 release. There is no specific date, but barring any setbacks, Nova Lake should be ready to compete with AMD's next-generation Zen 6 processors.
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