Intel’s Arrow Lake-S Desktop CPU lineup, launched recently, has faced significant challenges in the gaming performance arena, falling short against AMD’s dominant Zen 5 lineup. Despite Intel’s efforts to optimize Arrow Lake-S with faster memory support and fabric speed tuning, AMD has captured record market share and revenue growth, leaving Intel in a tough spot. However, Intel is not backing down from the desktop CPU market and is already gearing up for a significant comeback with its upcoming Nova Lake-S Desktop CPUs, slated for launch in mid to late 2026.
Before Nova Lake-S arrives, Intel is preparing an interim release with the Arrow Lake-S Refresh. This lineup, built on the LGA 1851 socket, was initially rumored to include an upgraded Neural Processing Unit (NPU). However, recent updates confirm that Intel has scrapped those plans, focusing instead on boosting clock speeds and leveraging a more mature process technology. While the Arrow Lake-S Refresh is expected to deliver incremental performance improvements, it’s clear that Intel’s bigger ambitions lie with Nova Lake-S.
Intel’s Nova Lake-S Desktop CPUs are poised to redefine the company’s competitive standing. The lineup will introduce Coyote Cove Performance Cores (P-Cores) and Arctic Wolf Efficiency Cores (E-Cores), with configurations scaling up to an impressive 52 cores in dual compute tile designs and 28 cores in single compute tile variants. A confirmed 28-core variant will feature an 8 P-Core, 16 E-Core, and 4 Low-Power E-Core (LP-E Core) configuration, paired with at least 4 Xe3 integrated GPU cores. This chiplet-like tile design underscores Intel’s commitment to innovative architectures.
While specific details on clock speeds, thermal design power (TDP), and process technologies remain undisclosed, rumors suggest that Nova Lake-S will be manufactured using TSMC’s advanced nodes, diverging from Intel’s in-house 18A process. This outsourcing decision aligns with Intel’s recent strategy to leverage external foundries for certain products, while the 18A process is already powering other projects like Panther Lake and Clearwater Forest, the latter boasting up to 288 E-Cores.
Interestingly, the 28-core CPU dies developed for Nova Lake-S will also be utilized in the Nova Lake-HX lineup for enthusiast-grade mobile CPUs. However, the dual compute tile configuration is not expected to make its way to mobile platforms, according to recent leaks. This shared design approach highlights Intel’s efforts to streamline its architecture across desktop and mobile segments, maximizing efficiency and performance.
Intel’s Nova Lake-S Desktop CPUs have already reached the Pre-Qualification Sample (PQS) stage, indicating that the chips have moved beyond the engineering phase and are progressing toward production. This milestone suggests that Intel is on track for a mid to late 2026 launch. Motherboard manufacturers are expected to tease compatible platforms at Computex 2026, setting the stage for Nova Lake-S’s debut.
| # | Nova Lake-S | Arrow Lake-S |
|---|---|---|
| Core Count (Max) | 52 | 24 |
| Thread Count (Max) | 52 | 24 |
| Max P-Cores | 16 | 8 |
| Max E-Cores | 32 | 16 |
| Max LP-E Cores | 4 | 0 |
| DDR5 (1DPC 1R) | 8000 MT/s | 6400 MT/s |
| PCIe 5.0 Lanes (Max) | 36 | 24 |
| PCIe 4.0 Lanes (Max) | 16 | 4 |
| Socket Support | LGA 1954 | LGA 1851 |
| Max TDP | 150W | 125W |
Source : X86 is dead&back