Intel’s Arrow Lake desktop CPUs have much more interesting integrated GPUs than the previous Core processors, but they’re derived from the 1st gen Arc graphics, lagging behind the Lunar Lake processors that include the Xe2 architecture like the new Arc “Battlemage” cards. However, it appears the upcoming Nova Lake generation due out next year could mark a significant leap forward in integrated GPU capabilities and be quite compelling.
On X (formerly Twitter), the insider going by the nick Jaykihn – who has previously leaked numerous accurate details about upcoming Intel processors and clearly has well-placed sources – has spoken up again. According to their sources, Nova Lake desktop processors (“Nova Lake-S”) will bring major upgrades in GPU and multimedia features.
New graphics architecture
With the graphics core, Intel is not only catching up – it’s going beyond. The Xe2 architecture will be skipped entirely on the desktop, and integrated GPUs in Nova Lake processors will already be based on the new Xe3 architecture, which should still be hot off the press by the time these CPUs launch. This is the architecture that, in discrete Arc graphics cards, carries the codename Celestial (the “C” generation, denoting the third).
It’s not yet clear what architectural innovations and improvements Celestial will bring, but Intel will likely aim to improve both the efficiency of the architecture and the performance per unit at a given clock speed. It’s also expected they’ll try to raise clock speeds. Celestial could potentially bring Intel closer to AMD and Nvidia in terms of GPU architecture. Support for newer technologies – like those in DXR 1.2 (especially Opacity Micromaps) – is also anticipated.
Read more: DXR 1.2: New tech for better ray tracing graphics performance
And even newer multimedia
That said, Celestial appears to only provide the 3D core and compute units. According to Jaykihn, Nova Lake will also incorporate elements of the next-generation Xe4 architecture. That architecture corresponds to the fourth-generation discrete “Druid” Arc graphics cards (assuming those make it to market and Intel doesn’t cancel them).
The multimedia blocks and display outputs are expected to be based on Xe4 / Druid. That’s a good thing, as it increases the chances of features like HDMI 2.2 output being supported. A newer multimedia block should also mean richer features and broader format support. Nova Lake will likely inherit playback support for the VVC format from Xe2 / Battlemage-based Lunar Lake CPUs, but the media engine in Xe4 could theoretically also support encoding to that format.
According to another source (leaker going by Bionic_Squash), “professional codecs” will be supported. Unfortunately, this isn’t explained further, so it’s unclear whether that includes formats like Red Digital Cinema’s Redcode RAW or Apple’s ProRes. Among CPU and GPU vendors for PCs, Intel already has some of the best – if not the best – multimedia support. So it’s quite possible that Nova Lake will be the most capable platform for hardware video playback and encoding at launch.
The use of two different architectures may stem from Nova Lake once again being a chiplet-based processor. The Xe3-based integrated GPU – which resides in a separate tile – might indicate that this part of the CPU was developed earlier. Meanwhile, the media engines and display outputs are placed in the SoC chiplet, so the presence of newer IP there is notable. It suggests that the SoC chiplet design is more recent and possibly a higher priority.
Intel’s chance to return to the spotlight
Nova Lake desktop processors should also be noteworthy in terms of performance, as Intel is reportedly planning to integrate up to 48 cores in desktop models. Together with the low-power LP E-Cores in the SoC chiplet, that could total up to 52 cores. These CPUs could thus dominate the desktop in multithreaded performance – though potentially at the cost of high power consumption (speculated to be between 300 and 400 W, though that remains to be seen).
On the other hand, the chips are expected to be built on TSMC’s cutting-edge 2nm process, and if Intel also manages to improve the architecture’s energy efficiency, then even doubling the core count compared to today’s Arrow Lake processors might not result in extreme power consumption (at least not beyond the 320 W or more seen in some Raptor Lake chips).
It’s already more or less confirmed that Nova Lake-S will require a new socket (meaning a new motherboard will be needed) – specifically the LGA 1954. However, the physical size of the processor will remain the same, so cooler compatibility is likely to be preserved.
These processors and motherboards based on the LGA 1954 platform are expected to launch in the second half of 2026.
- Tip: Intel Nova Lake CPUs to use a new socket, LGA 1851 is done
- Tip: Intel Nova Lake to keep compatibility with LGA 1700/1851 coolers
Sources: Jaykihn (1, 2), Bionic_Squash
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
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