The first purported image of an Intel Nova Lake-S Desktop CPU for the LGA 1954 socket has leaked online.
Intel Nova Lake-S Desktop CPU Samples Are Here, First Chip Pictured For LGA 1954 Sockets
Intel Nova Lake Desktop CPUs are slated for launch in early 2027, which we mentioned in our roundup post at Computex. These chips are already circulating in the form of early samples to various partners & now, we have our first look at what the next-gen desktop processors look like.
Posted on X, we have our first pictures of an Intel Nova Lake-S Desktop CPU. There are no details on the specifications, but the backside does confirm that this is indeed a chip for LGA 1954 sockets. Nova Lake-S seems to move the notches from the left side (Arrow Lake-S) to the right side, which means that you will not be able to insert them into an older socket. Well, the physical size of the new chips won't allow that either. Other than that, there are at least 35 caps on the backside versus 36 on the current-gen Core Ultra 9 285K.
The layout of the pins is also very different, with more contact pads on the edges than current offerings. The user also states that the front side almost looks identical to Intel's Alder Lake "12th Gen" processors. These chips will be compatible with the LGA 1954 socket, and will be supported on both 1L/2L ILM socket configurations.
Quick Rundown on Intel's Biggest Desktop Platform Update In Years
The Intel Nova Lake Desktop CPUs will be branded under the Core Ultra Series 4 or Core Ultra 400 family. This family will feature two new core architectures, the Coyote Cove P-Core and Arctic Wolf E-Core. The family will also use a mix of Xe3 and Xe3P iGPU architectures.
Nova Lake desktop lineup will feature two variants: Single-Compute Tile and Dual-Compute Tile. The single compute tile variants will feature up to 28 cores and bLLC models with up to 144 MB cache. The dual compute tile variants will feature up to 52 cores and bLLC models with up to 288 MB cache. Intel's Nova Lake CPUs are expected to arrive in early 2027, featuring support on 900-series motherboards with LGA 1954 sockets. Expect more information in the coming months.
AMD Olympic Ridge vs Intel Nova Lake-S:
| CPUs | Intel Core Ultra 400 | AMD Ryzen 10000? |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Nova Lake-S | Olympic Ridge |
| Architecture | Coyote Cove (P-Core) Arctic Wolf (E/LP Core) | Zen 6 |
| CPU Process | TSMC N2P | TSMC N2P |
| Core Count (Max) | 52 | 24 |
| Thread Count (Max) | 52 | 48 |
| Max P-Cores | 16 | 24 |
| Max E-Cores | 32 | N/A |
| Max LP-E Cores | 4 | N/A |
| Max Cache (L2+L3) | 160-320 MB | 96 MB L3 |
| Max bLLC Cache | 144-288 MB | 64 MB per stack? |
| DDR5 (1DPC 1R) | 8000 MT/s CUDIMM - Yes | 7200 MT/s? CUDIMM - Yes |
| PCIe 5.0 Lanes (Max) | 36 | TBD |
| PCIe 4.0 Lanes (Max) | 16 | TBD |
| Socket Support | LGA 1954 | AM5 |
| Max TDP (PL1) | 125-175W | 125W+ |
| Max Power | ~700W (Dual) ~350W (Single) | TBD |
| Launch | 2H 2026 | 2H 2026 |
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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