Monday, June 16th 2025
Intel "Nova Lake-S" Series: Seven SKUs, Up to 52 Cores and 150 W TDP
Rumors of Intel's "Nova Lake-S" processors are increasing, meaning that the design is nearing completion. Expected to arrive in the second half of 2026, Nova Lake-S will offer configurations ranging from mainstream quad-core models to a flagship with 52 cores. Initial information suggests that Intel will employ a tile-based design, separating LPE cores from P-Cores and E-Cores to optimize flexibility and yield. At the top of the lineup is the rumored Core Ultra 9 model, possibly designated 385K. It will combine 16 P-cores, 32 E-cores, and four LPE-cores for a total of 52 cores, as previously rumored. With a TDP of 150 W, it will be the most powerful SKU Intel prepared for this generation. Below the flagship, Intel appears to be planning a Core Ultra 7 SKU with 14 P-cores, 24 E-cores, and four LPE cores, totaling 42 cores.
The Core Ultra 5 series may include three variants: a 28-core version with eight P-cores, 16 E-cores, and four LPE-cores; a 24-core version with eight P-cores, 12 E-cores, and four LPE-cores; and an 18-core model with six P-cores, eight E-cores, and four LPE-cores. Entry-level Core Ultra 3 parts would feature either a 16-core configuration with four P-cores, eight E-cores, and four LPE-cores, or a 12-core option with four P-cores, four E-cores, and four LPE-cores, both targeting a 65 W power envelope. All desktop SKUs are expected to feature four LPE cores on a separate die, suggesting a multi-tile package similar to Meteor Lake. Power demands will range from 65 W in entry-level segments to 150 W for high-end parts. Intel is reportedly preparing a new LGA 1954 socket even as it readies an Arrow Lake-S refresh for late 2025. Intel has also reportedly designated Xe3 "Celestial" for graphics rendering and Xe4 "Druid" for media and display duties.
Sources:
chi11eddog on X, via VideoCardz
The Core Ultra 5 series may include three variants: a 28-core version with eight P-cores, 16 E-cores, and four LPE-cores; a 24-core version with eight P-cores, 12 E-cores, and four LPE-cores; and an 18-core model with six P-cores, eight E-cores, and four LPE-cores. Entry-level Core Ultra 3 parts would feature either a 16-core configuration with four P-cores, eight E-cores, and four LPE-cores, or a 12-core option with four P-cores, four E-cores, and four LPE-cores, both targeting a 65 W power envelope. All desktop SKUs are expected to feature four LPE cores on a separate die, suggesting a multi-tile package similar to Meteor Lake. Power demands will range from 65 W in entry-level segments to 150 W for high-end parts. Intel is reportedly preparing a new LGA 1954 socket even as it readies an Arrow Lake-S refresh for late 2025. Intel has also reportedly designated Xe3 "Celestial" for graphics rendering and Xe4 "Druid" for media and display duties.
104 Comments on Intel "Nova Lake-S" Series: Seven SKUs, Up to 52 Cores and 150 W TDP
Minus four lanes for DMI leaves 32 lanes for everything else/actual use, i.e. it would theoretically be possible to have a graphics card at x16 and up to four x4 M.2 slots with no dreaded lane sharing.
This would be glorious if true and I hope that AMD will at least be able to match this with consumer ZEN 6 (plus new boards).
I think these new Intel CPU's are DOA honestly for mainstream desktops. Software cant even work properly with P and E cores let alone another one mixed in.....and games......well pfft. If this was to go against threadripper then I can see it make more sense, but for mainstream desktop.....nope sorry, pointless! where 8 Cores can do everything you need today and tomorrow.
And there's also a strong argument about how many people don't need AMD to increase the core count if you look at the current reviews of 32-core TR vs consumer CPUs. But if the core count increases on the mainstream platform, apps might be developed to take advantage of that.
www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/amd-ryzen-threadripper-7000-content-creation-review/
Besides, that also means that the high-end core count of today will be the mid-range core count of tomorrow. You don't have to buy the Core Ultra 9. The new Core Ultra 5 seems very solid for most people.
Intel used to make them for workstations, generally 45W chips.
A higher core count is great if you are an encoder or crunching or running benchmarks. But my rig (and I assume most profiles too) is not at 100% core load all the time. Even when gaming or working with productivity apps, I feel 'perceived performance' like snappiness in apps and in the OS comes solely from brute single core performance (when using a modern CPU with a high enough core count, of course).
So giving a normal mainstream user (normal productivity, gaming, IMHO 90th percentile of all user profiles) a better performance than today's modern CPUs must come from single thread improvements.
That's what Apple understood years ago.
Just look at the M4 Max and the architecture. A small package but so much horsepower in SC, it's a great design. I hope AMD and Intel don't forget that, because statistically, for most users higher core counts won't dramatically change the contemporary user experience on AM5 or LGA1700/1851 that much (unless, of course and as said above, you crunch for a life). That's all IMHO, and your mileage may vary, depending on what you do with your computer.
I want that for x86 :)