Intel's "new" four-digit Core Ultra 4000 naming apparently isn't limited to desktop chips. Prominent leaker Jaykihn says on X that "Nova Lake-HX" laptop processors will use the same four-number format, while H-series and suffix-less mobile chips continue with the three-digit naming of the previous generation. The clarification follows a leaked list of seven "Nova Lake-S" desktop processors that showed names like Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC and Core Ultra 7 4870K BFC. In that list, the BFC suffix seems to mark the models with bLLC (big last-level cache). As for the mobile versions, HX chips have traditionally been BGA versions of Intel's desktop silicon, so it looks like Intel is grouping them with Nova Lake-S instead of the other laptop chips. Those would presumably fall under Core Ultra 400, although Jaykihn didn't name the series.

The HX claim isn't entirely new, either. When the Core Ultra 9 4950K surfaced in a CPU-Z leak in August, leaker Golden Pig Upgrade had already mentioned Core Ultra 4000HX naming for laptops. Jaykihn also seems to have cleared up one detail from the desktop list. Apparently, the non-BFC models keep their four LPE cores, even though the leaked table didn't show them for every SKU. We haven't seen any HX model names yet, and Intel hasn't confirmed the naming change. Nova Lake-S qualification samples are already showing up in HWiNFO, and reports point to an early 2027 launch. As if Nova Lake-S reusing Haswell's 4000-series numbering wasn't enough, laptop buyers will probably have to deal with two naming schemes in one generation.

Update Oct 17th: Leaker Jaykihn has now retracted part of that statement. Apparently, H-series and suffix-less Nova Lake Mobile CPUs also utilize the four-number "Ultra 4000" naming scheme.