The list of Intel Nova Lake-S Xe3 desktop GPUs supported by Linux has grown in a recent Linux kernel driver patch that will make it to Linux 7.3. The driver update adds device IDs labelled 0xD74A and 0xD748 and drops 0xD744, bringing the list of total Nova Lake-S desktop GPUs supported by Linux to seven. This doesn't necessarily confirm the number of SKUs that will be available in the upcoming Xe3 series, however, it is an indication that Intel may be working on as many as seven SKUs that may or not make it to market. Intel also improved its media engine, with the Protected Xe Path no longer requiring HuC firmware to be loaded in kernel—it will be moved to user space instead.

Previous rumors indicated that Nova Lake-S would be using Xe3 graphics for the Core Ultra 400-series desktop CPUs, which is the same graphics tech used in the current Panther Lake Arc B300-series iGPUs and the Arc G3 Extreme SoC that has made its way into a number of gaming handhelds. It's unclear if Intel will include its most powerful Arc B390 iGPU in the desktop line-up, but Nova Lake-S is expected to have a focus on AI-accelerated workloads, which would benefit from additional GPU cores, aside from the built-in NPU. Recently, news also broke that Intel was preparing two gaming-specific SKUs with massive bLLC cache for the Nova Lake-S line-up. For more information about the latest driver update, check the full notes in the pull request.