Intel is aiming for a newer and better NPU for the upcoming Nova Lake CPU family and won't be relying on the same gen NPU as Panther Lake.
Latest Linux Kernel Patch Reveals Nova Lake to Offer 6th Gen NPU for Improved AI Capabilities
It's clear that Intel doesn't want to stick to the same gen NPU and wants to transition to a newer NPU on every successive generation. Even the Core Ultra 200V, i.e., Lunar Lake, brought a newer gen NPU vs Arrow Lake despite the fact that both launched around the same time frame. Arrow Lake, on the other hand, utilized the same Gen 3 NPU or NPU3 as found on Meteor Lake CPUs, but Intel transitioned to a newer NPU4 on the Lunar Lake processors.
One report has confirmed that Intel won't be using the same NPU on upcoming Nova Lake processors as on the Panther Lake series. This makes sense because Nova Lake will be arriving next year, while Panther Lake is around the corner. The latter will be shipped with 5th Gen NPU or NPU5, while the latest Linux Kernel patch revealed that the Nova Lake will utilize the 6th Gen NPU or NPU6.
Phoronix spotted the 15-line patch, which was submitted recently to the Linux Kernel source tree, confirming the news. The patch added support for a new PCI Device ID that identifies an Intel "NPU6" component (device ID series 60xx), and the corresponding firmware blob named pu_60xx_v1.bin. However, the rest of the patch uses the existing code paths for the prior generation, i.e., NPU5.
That said, it indicates that Intel wants to continue to push AI abilities on its newer chips, even though the adoption rate for AI PCs isn't huge at the moment. Despite the fact that Intel is reportedly seeing consistent and good demand for its Raptor Lake chips, due to which it is reported to have increased the CPU costs, Intel is still aiming for higher AI TOPS for its next-generation processors.
Panther Lake's NPU5 delivers up to 50 AI TOPS, and the NPU5 should bring even higher, enabling Nova Lake-based systems ready for Copilot+ certification. We don't know exactly how much uplift we can see on Nova Lake, but considering Intel isn't retaining NPU5 beyond one generation, Nova Lake should bring significantly better AI capabilities.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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