Intel prepares for Raptor Lake Next and Nova Lake hardware transitions

Intel is reportedly preparing for upcoming hardware transitions involving both the existing LGA 1700 platform and the future LGA 1954 socket. Leaks suggest a new family of desktop processors, dubbed Raptor Lake Next, may extend the life of the LGA 1700 platform into early 2027. One rumored model could replace the Core i5-14600K, featuring an upgraded configuration of 8 Performance-cores and 8 Efficient-cores for a total of 16 cores and 24 threads.

Simultaneously, preparations for Intel’s Nova Lake-S processors are underway, expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. Shipping manifests from Taiwan and Vietnam have identified six ASRock motherboard models equipped with the high-end Z990 chipset. These boards, including variants like the Taichi Creator and Steel Legend WiFi, are designed for the new LGA 1954 platform. The Z990 chipset is expected to offer increased PCIe 5.0 lanes compared to the previous Z890 generation.