An alleged Nova Lake roadmap leak suggests Intel plans to stagger the launch of its upcoming desktop processor family across much of 2027. Most pertinently for enthusiasts, it seems the models with loads of cores will leave the factory last, potentially arriving as late as September.
This information comes from PC hardware news site Videocardz, which claims to have received current news, review, and sales embargo windows for Intel Nova Lake. The outlet has also shared an image of new branding for the processor family, seemingly confirming that these chips will launch under the Core Ultra Series 4 banner.
According to the leaked roadmap, we can expect the initial batch of CPUs to arrive in Q1 2027. Specifically, Intel apparently plans to launch ‘NVL-S 28C DS’ models first. The DS suffix typically describes processors with dual compute tiles, but prior Nova Lake lineup leaks suggested 28-core chips will only sport one tile.
After this, standard 28-core processors with an unlocked multiplier are expected to follow around March or April 2027, with 16-core and 8-core variants arriving not long after. Finally, the all-powerful 52-core CPUs will apparently arrive sometime between late May and September.
| Nova Lake SKU | Release window |
|---|---|
| NVL-S 28C DS | Q1 2027 (late Jan. to Mar. 27) |
| NVL-S 28C K | Q2 2027 (Mar. to Apr. 27) |
| NVL-S 16C & 8C | Q2 2027 (late Mar. to May 27) |
| NVL-S 52C DS | Q2/Q3 2027 (late May to Sep. 27) |
Intel initially claimed that Nova Lake would arrive in 2026. However, it’s likely the ongoing memory crisis has played some part in these alleged launch timings, given the current price of building a DDR5 system.
It’s also possible that the launch of Arrow Lake Refresh and Panther Lake played their part in pushing Nova Lake back a touch. Meanwhile, AMD is preparing its answer to Intel’s upcoming processors via Zen 6, with Epyc CPUs arriving imminently.
We expect to learn more about Nova Lake at CES 2027. Until that time, check out our best CPU guide for recommendations on the top processors you can buy today.
