Intel’s next-gen Nova Lake-HX processors are shaping up to be a powerhouse for high-performance laptops, according to a leaked shipping manifest.
These new chips aim to blur the line between desktop and mobile computing by pushing core counts and I/O support to new levels.
The Nova Lake family will span both desktops (Nova Lake-S) and laptops (Nova Lake-HX), with the mobile HX series specifically targeting enthusiast-grade portable machines. Notably, Nova Lake-HX chips will use a significantly larger BGA2540 socket-around 20% bigger than Arrow Lake-HX’s BGA2114-suggesting beefier power delivery and thermal requirements. It’s the same socket expected for future Panther Lake mobile chips, showing Intel’s long-term roadmap.
Compared to the previous Arrow Lake-HX lineup, Nova Lake-HX is expected to deliver a huge boost in multithreaded performance. Reports indicate configurations with up to 16 Performance cores and 32 Efficient cores-a total of 48
. This dwarfs Arrow Lake-HX’s top Core Ultra 9 285HX, which maxes out at 24 cores.
Why so many cores? Intel is dropping Hyper-Threading and leaning into high-efficiency E-cores to manage thermals and parallel processing without overloading power budgets. Enthusiasts have already seen performance and thermal gains by undervolting and disabling Hyper-Threading on Raptor Lake, so this new approach may make sense for mobile platforms.
Additionally, Nova Lake-HX may finally give Intel laptops parity with desktops when it comes to connectivity. We’re talking PCIe 5.0 lanes, USB4/TB4 support, and more-an area where AMD’s mobile offerings like Strix Halo still lag behind. Intel’s unified approach to I/O across platforms means better small-form-factor options without skimping on features.
Intel clearly isn’t backing down, despite criticisms around E-cores and thermal limitations. The company is betting on its hybrid architecture and packaging advancements to offer top-tier mobile performance-without turning your laptop into a space heater. Nova Lake CPUs, for both desktop and mobile, are expected to launch next year.