Intel’s next wave of desktop processors is starting to take shape, with recent leaks revealing early details about the Arrow Lake-S Refresh and the far more ambitious Nova Lake-S. Shipping manifest data confirms that both families are in the pre-qualification sample stage, signaling that testing is already well underway.
Arrow Lake-S Refresh will act as a transitional update, keeping the LGA 1851 socket and offering higher clock speeds but not much in the way of architectural innovation. Some of the originally planned upgrades, such as improved NPUs, have reportedly been dropped, making this refresh more of a fine-tuning effort than a major overhaul.
Nova Lake-S, however, is generating much greater excitement. Early reports point to a configuration with up to 28 cores, combining high-performance P-cores, efficiency-focused E-cores, and additional low-power LP-E cores. Integrated graphics are also set to improve, with at least four Xe3 units expected. More powerful versions are rumored to scale up to 52 cores, potentially positioning Nova Lake-S as one of Intel’s most advanced desktop CPUs to date.
The platform itself is also evolving. Nova Lake-S will transition to a new LGA 1954 socket alongside a 900-series chipset that brings wider support for PCIe Gen 5 and faster memory standards. These changes signal a push toward a more future-proof ecosystem, which Intel hopes will reestablish its competitive edge.
What makes Nova Lake-S particularly noteworthy is its manufacturing process. Pre-qualification samples are reportedly being produced using TSMC’s cutting-edge 18A node, with the possibility of a hybrid approach that also leverages Intel’s own 18A technology. This move underscores Intel’s strategy of blending internal and external manufacturing to ensure scalability and performance gains.
If Intel stays on schedule, Nova Lake-S could hit the market in mid to late 2026. Industry watchers are already expecting motherboard makers to tease compatible boards at next year’s Computex, giving enthusiasts a first look at what could be the start of a new desktop performance era.
While Arrow Lake-S Refresh looks like a minor stepping stone, Nova Lake-S appears poised to redefine Intel’s desktop lineup with higher core counts, a fresh socket design, and state-of-the-art fabrication. For PC enthusiasts and gamers, the next two years may mark a dramatic shift in what desktop CPUs are capable of.
