Intel to debut Nova Lake architecture on desktop platforms first

Intel is advancing its upcoming processor architectures, with a strategic focus on the desktop market for its Nova Lake series. Robert Hallock, Intel Vice President, confirmed that the new CPU cores will debut on desktop platforms before reaching data centers, a move that contrasts with AMD’s strategy of prioritizing server-side launches for its Zen 6 architecture.

Technical leaks regarding Nova Lake-S indicate that Intel is testing 24-core and 28-core configurations. These processors are expected to feature the AVX-512 instruction set and may include Big Last-Level Cache (bLLC) technology to compete with AMD’s 3D V-Cache. While desktop models may feature up to 288MB of cache, reports suggest mobile versions might rely on standard L3 cache to optimize for different thermal and power constraints.

Additionally, Intel is reportedly developing a more budget-friendly chip based on the Panther Lake architecture specifically for the gaming handheld market. This lower-end chip, potentially featuring four performance cores and four efficiency cores with four Xe3 GPU cores, aims to reduce the high cost of portable gaming devices by offering a more affordable alternative to the high-performance Arc G3 series.