Intel is seemingly upping the ante with its upcoming Nova Lake-S desktop processors, cramming up to 52 cores under the hood. Of course, not all of these will be performance-focussed, as efficient and low power cores take some of the spotlight. Even the entry models maintain this hybrid approach, allowing the system to operate most efficiently by sending each task to the appropriate core.
According to hardware leaker @g01d3nm4ng0 on X, Intel is set to squeeze up to 52 cores inside its Core Ultra 400S series, made of 16 P-cores, 32 E-cores, and four LP-cores. This new rumour reinforces previous leaks about Nova Lake-S, while providing more details regarding the variants we can expect to see.
From the looks of it, Intel should launch at least seven CPU models, including two Core Ultra 3, three Core Ultra 5, one Core Ultra 7, and one Core Ultra 9. Setting the baseline, the lowest model is expected to house 12 cores in total, comprised of 4P+4E+4LP cores. Compare that to the 52-core flagship and there will be a wide range that suits just about anyone. I just hope Windows will be able to manage the increased diversity in core designs, as the OS had a hard time during the initial introduction of Intel’s E cores.
Leaked specs also indicate that there is no major power demand increase, despite the additional cores. But as usual, the boost performance may push this envelope above 200W, or even 250W, which you’ll need to account for when picking the best cooler for the job. Despite the new socket LGA1954, you might be able to use existing LGA1851 coolers thanks to backwards compatibility, reducing the cost of entry to Nova Lake-S. Lastly, Nova Lake-S may get Xe3 graphics with Xe4 display engine, making it one of, if not the first series to feature a part from the brand’s Druid graphics architecture.
| Model | Cores | TDP |
|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 9 | 52C (16P+32E+4LP) | 150W |
| Core Ultra 7 | 42C (14P+24E+4LP) | 150W |
| Core Ultra 5 | 28C (8P+16E+4LP) | 125W |
| Core Ultra 5 | 24C (8P+12E+4LP) | 125W |
| Core Ultra 5 | 18C (6P+8E+4LP) | 125W |
| Core Ultra 3 | 16C (4P+8E+4LP) | 65W |
| Core Ultra 3 | 12C (4P+4E+4LP) | 65W |
If all these claims are correct, AMD may have something to worry about, as even Zen 7 isn’t expected to pack this many cores. To be fair, AMD is only using the equivalent of Intel’s P cores, plus, unless something changes, Ryzen processors should still support Hyper Threading, unlike Intel, which remains missing on modern chips.
In any case, we should be fixed next year, where Intel Nova Lake-S and AMD Zen 6 CPUs are set to clash for your cash. So, stay tuned, because things are about to heat up, metaphorically speaking.
