Intel Unveils 'Nova Lake' CPU Architecture Set for 2026 Release

Intel has officially announced its upcoming CPU architecture, dubbed 'Nova Lake', which is slated for release in 2026. This announcement comes on the heels of the company's latest quarterly results, which highlighted ongoing financial challenges.

During a recent conference call with analysts, Michelle Holthaus, Intel's interim chief of product management, provided insights into the company's future roadmap, confirming that 'Nova Lake' will succeed the 'Panther Lake' architecture. The latter is expected to launch in the latter half of 2025.

While detailed specifications for 'Nova Lake' were not disclosed, it is noted that the architecture will be designed for a wide array of personal computing devices, from lightweight laptops to high-performance desktop systems. In contrast, 'Panther Lake' is primarily aimed at mobile platforms.

Recent rumors suggest that 'Nova Lake' could support configurations of up to 48 cores for desktop systems. According to leaks from various sources, including discussions on Reddit, the architecture may feature multiple compute dies manufactured by TSMC, utilizing a new 2-nanometer process technology. This advancement could potentially double the core count in high-end desktop models to include two compute dies, each equipped with eight performance cores and sixteen efficiency cores.

Furthermore, there are indications that for high-performance laptops, Intel may offer a single die configuration featuring 24 cores. The product line for notebook processors under the 'Nova Lake' banner might include models with varying core counts, ranging from a minimum of four performance cores to configurations similar to those seen in previous generations.

Despite these advancements, it's noteworthy that the low-power efficiency cores may not be included in the upcoming designs, suggesting a shift in Intel's strategy for this architecture. Reports hint at the development of a new I/O tile for 'Nova Lake', which would alter the current configuration where efficiency cores are disabled in desktop models.

As Intel progresses towards the launch of 'Panther Lake' in 2025 and subsequent 'Nova Lake', the tech community will be keenly observing how these architectures will impact the competitive landscape in the CPU market.