Intel's top-tier Nova Lake mobile processor, identified as the HX variant, is said to boast 28 CPU cores and 4 Xe cores. Reports suggest that the entire lineup of these processors is confined to a single compute tile.
Intel is set to unveil its latest lineup of chips, the Nova Lake, which promises to be a significant leap forward in terms of performance and efficiency. The Nova Lake lineup will introduce new microarchitectures, including Coyote Cove P-Cores, Arctic Wolf E-Cores, and Skymont-based LP-E cores.
The top-end model, Nova Lake-HX, is positioned as the successor to Intel's Wildcat Lake platform. This powerhouse chip will feature a total of 28 CPU cores, comprising 8 Performance cores (P-Cores), 16 Efficiency cores (E-Cores), and 4 Low-Power Efficiency cores (LP-E Cores). Additionally, it will include a quad-core Xe3 iGPU.
The Nova Lake-H and Nova Lake-U variants will target different laptop segments, with fewer cores but maintaining a similar heterogeneous multi-core design. While the exact core counts for these are less detailed, they are expected to follow the pattern of efficient P-core and E-core mixing, likely with fewer LP-E cores and generally fewer total cores than the HX model.
The P-Cores and E-Cores in these chips come from ongoing Intel design lines. The E-cores are based on the Arctic Wolf design, featuring improvements such as a wider front-end decode (9-wide decode clustered 3×3) and enhanced backend including larger vector registers and support for wider floating-point operations like AVX512.
Intel is also expected to incorporate a new "Unified Core" architecture in future designs, blending features of P and E-cores but still fundamentally based on scaled-up E-core architecture. This unified core will likely feature SMT (Simultaneous Multithreading), AVX512 support, and a larger L3 cache optimized for gaming and productivity workloads, showing a 10-15% IPC uplift compared to previous cores like Griffin Cove.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Nova Lake chips is the use of multiple CPU chiplets ("compute tiles") within client desktop CPUs, resembling AMD’s chiplet strategy. Each tile can host up to 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores, with an additional SoC tile containing the LP-E cores. This multi-tile approach aids in scaling core counts beyond previous generations.
As for the graphics side, the Xe3 GPU cores in the Nova Lake lineup are from Intel's Celestial architecture. The Nova Lake-H SKU (graphics focused) will have a total of 16 CPU cores (4 P-Cores, 8 E-Cores, 4 LP-E Cores, and 12 Xe3 GPU cores), while the Nova Lake-U SKU will have a total of 8 CPU cores (4 P-Cores, 0 E-Cores, 4 LP-E Cores, and 4 Xe3 GPU cores). The lowest end Nova Lake-U SKU will have a total of 6 CPU cores (2 P-Cores, 0 E-Cores, 4 LP-E Cores, and 2 Xe3 GPU cores).
It's worth noting that unlike its desktop counterpart, Nova Lake mobile will not use two compute tiles. Also, the table provided shows a comparison of the specs for different Nova Lake SKUs, but it's important to note that this is a rumor and subject to change before the actual release of Nova Lake.
In addition to the Nova Lake lineup, Intel is currently in the chip making business and is also working on its upcoming Panther Lake (mobile) lineup, set to release later this year. The Panther Lake will introduce Intel's 18A process node, which is set to debut in the second half of this year.
As of the latest leaks, no information about Nova Lake-AX chips has been provided. Stay tuned for more updates on Intel's exciting new lineup of chips!
Gadget enthusiasts can eagerly anticipate the integration of advanced technology in the latest Nova Lake lineup from Intel. With the Westmere Lake, Skylake, Kaby Lake, Coffee Lake, and Comet Lake already showcasing significant performance gains, the Nova Lake chips boast improvements such as data-and-cloud-computing optimization through the use of P-Cores, E-Cores, and LP-E cores, as well as cutting-edge graphics provided by the Xe3 iGPU and Xe3 GPU cores. This innovative blend of gadgets and technology is poised to redefine productivity and entertainment on devices equipped with these next-generation chips.
