Shipping Log Leak Uncovers Intel’s Plans for High-Performance Laptops Featuring Nova Lake “HX” Processors

Intel is gearing up for a significant push in the high-performance mobile segment with the upcoming Nova Lake series, as indicated by the latest shipping manifest from the NBD.

Intel Nova Lake-HX Surfaces in Latest NBD Shipping Manifest

The company has commenced testing its power delivery systems specifically for the Nova Lake processors. Recent documentation reveals that Intel is leveraging its internal tooling and interposers to evaluate the performance of the Nova Lake “HX”chips. For those familiar with Intel’s branding, this HX designation is tailored for high-performance laptops.

Intel is believed to be preparing the next generation of Nova Lake for both desktop and mobile platforms. The desktop line will adopt the Nova Lake-S nomenclature, while the high-performance mobile version will be referred to as Nova Lake-HX. According to the manifest, the Nova Lake-HX will come equipped with a larger package than the current Arrow Lake-HX CPUs, indicating a significant upgrade in design.

Nova Lake HX NBD — Image Credit: @x86deadandback

Notably, the Nova Lake HX will utilize the BGA2540 socket, which is 20% larger than the BGA2114 used in Arrow Lake HX and approximately 29% larger than the BGA1964 found in Raptor Lake-HX processors. This same socket design is anticipated for the Panther Lake mobile chips. In contrast, the desktop Nova Lake S will employ a slightly expanded LGA 1954 socket, maintaining its dimensions consistent with the preceding LGA 1851 and LGA 1700 models, thus offering compatibility for existing CPU coolers.

In terms of specifications, the mobile Nova Lake-HX is expected to mirror the core configurations of its desktop counterpart, Nova Lake-S. Recent reports suggest that the Nova Lake S desktop processors may feature up to 52 cores, hinting at a robust performance boost in the mobile segment.

Nova Lake Platform PCIE and USB Specifications pic.twitter.com/wgG2u5xINN

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The flagship Nova Lake-HX is anticipated to feature a core configuration of up to 16 Performance cores and 32 Efficient cores, positioning it as a formidable player in multithreaded applications, surpassing the capabilities of Arrow Lake-HX. The highest core count in the latter is attributed to the Core Ultra 9 285HX, which offers a total of 24 cores.

Furthermore, Nova Lake is expected to support up to 36 PCIe 5.0 lanes, a feature currently aligned with the desktop lineup, suggesting notable enhancements over Arrow Lake-HX for the HX series. Enthusiasts can look forward to the anticipated release of the Nova Lake series, which includes both desktop and mobile variants, set for next year.

For further updates, refer to the source: @x86deadandback

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