Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan previously said that the next-generation Nova Lake-S desktop processor (Core Ultra 400) would debut at the end of 2026, but according to the latest leaked launch timeline, the actual release will land in the first quarter of 2027, meaning interested enthusiasts may have to wait a bit longer. Additionally, the first wave is expected to be the 28-core version, while the much-anticipated 52-core flagship reportedly won’t appear until later in 2027.
Intel Core Ultra 400 reportedly won’t go on sale until Q1 next year! Nova Lake-S begins mass production at year-end, 52-core flagship requires further waiting
According to Tom’s HardwareLeaker wxnod posted a photo on X that appears to be from an Intel China partner’s briefing, breaking down the upcoming launch timeline for Nova Lake-S into several phases:
- Enter mass production in Q4 2026.
- In the first quarter of 2027, the unlocked version of the 28-core model will launch first.
- The model with up to 52 cores is scheduled for a subsequent release after 2027.
- The follow-up products Razor Lake and Hammer Lake are scheduled for after Q4 2027.
Image source: @wxnod
However, it’s worth noting that this slide is not an official product roadmap released by Intel, and the visuals don’t look like an official Intel presentation either. Tom’s Hardware speculates that it may have been compiled by motherboard makers or OEM partners based on internal information. Although the content largely aligns with past leaks, model numbers, launch months, and product configurations could still change before release, so it’s best to treat this as reference for now.
Intel’s past official statements about Nova Lake have consistently indicated a debut at the end of 2026. For example, in CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s prepared remarks for the Q2 2025 earnings call, he mentioned that Nova Lake is “expected to launch at the end of 2026.” Then, during the Q4 2025 earnings call in January 2026, he again mentioned that the next-generation Nova Lake would arrive at the end of 2026.
Although the leak says it will launch in Q1 2027, the two accounts are not necessarily conflicting, because Intel could first announce the Nova Lake-S processor in late 2026, begin mass production and shipping to partners, and then officially start selling in Q1 2027.
In terms of specifications, according to current leaks, the 28-core Nova Lake-S processor will feature 8 Coyote Cove performance cores, 16 Arctic Wolf efficient cores, plus 4 low-power efficient cores. Intel’s current flagship Core Ultra 9 285K has 8 performance cores and 16 efficient cores, totaling 24 cores, so the extra 4 cores in the next generation mainly come from low-power cores, rather than increasing the number of performance cores from 8.
The most anticipated version is the 52-core model, which is rumored to place two compute dies—each with 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores—into a single processor, plus 4 low-power efficiency cores, for a total of 52 cores. Compared to the 24-core Core Ultra 9 285K, that’s more than double the core count.
Another key point of Nova Lake-S is that some high-end models are rumored to feature a “super-large cache” bLLC to directly counter AMD’s X3D.
In recent years, whenever gaming processors come up, the choice has almost always been the AMD Ryzen X3D series. By using 3D V-Cache to increase the cache capacity the processor can quickly access, it reduces time spent waiting for system memory, which is especially helpful for frame rates and stability in certain games. This time, Nova Lake-S is also rumored to include bLLC.
Current data shows that the 28-core version may be equipped with 144MB of bLLC, while the 52-core model tops out at 288MB. For reference, the Core Ultra 9 285K’s official specs are 36MB of Intel Smart Cache and 40MB of L2 cache.
Source: KOCPC Chinese