Intel Nova Lake Leak Points To Desktop Chip With 12 Xe3p GPU Cores

In recent years, processor models have broadly been like this: lots of cores with little integrated graphics, or a few cores with a big built-in GPU. This is because both AMD and Intel have shipped one design for desktops that includes integrated graphics as an afterthought, and another design for laptops that is closer to a proper SoC with a relatively capable integrated GPU since those machines don't necessarily have discrete GPUs.

Unlike AMD, Intel historically hasn't sold its mobile dies on desktop, but according to a new leak from prolific Intel leaksman Jaykihn, the company may be doing something even more interesting soon: selling a dedicated desktop CPU with a mobile-class integrated GPU. Different from AMD's strategy of shipping mobile chips on desktop interposers, the chip Jaykihn is describing is a standard Nova Lake (Core Ultra 400-series) desktop CPU that happens to include an Xe3p-based integrated GPU with 12 Xe-cores.

The savvy among you will have no doubt realized that 12 Xe3-cores is the same configuration as Panther Lake's Arc B390 GPU, although Nova Lake's Xe3p is the proper Celestial design rather than the self-admittedly half-step between Battlemage and Celestial used in the Arc B390. Not much is known about architectural changes from Xe3 to Xe3p, but leaker OneRaichu said back in January that Nova Lake could offer a 20-25% upgrade in iGPU performance over Panther Lake, which is plausible considering that the new GPU tiles are purportedly fabricated on Intel's own 18A process this time around instead of TSMC's N3E.


The specific chip that Jaykihn has leaked, which he explicitly says is a desktop Nova Lake CPU for the LGA 1954 socket, is a relatively small part with four Coyote Cove P-cores, eight Arctic Wolf E-cores, and the usual four LPE cores on the SoC tile. This matches one of the leaked configurations in yesterday's leak, but Jaykihn says that this chip was not listed in that leak and that it is a singular product offering, meaning no other desktop CPUs will come with the big GPU.

It seems relatively straightforward how Intel has created this product: take a standard Nova Lake desktop CPU and slap down the larger 12-core GPU tile instead of the smaller GPU tile (with two Xe-cores) used in every other model. However, Jaykihn says that the HX processors use a different base tile than the "S" family, which are the desktop processors. That may imply that this desktop 12-Xe GPU tile was created specifically for the NVL-S base tile, and that it won't fit on the "HX" base tile.

It's completely understandable that Intel wouldn't want to make a lot of these; the demand for a desktop CPU with relatively modest CPU capabilities and a relatively powerful integrated GPU is probably weak. There's definitely a delegation of dedicated integrated GPU gaming weirdos out there, though, and I happen to be a representative of same. That makes this chip pretty fascinating. Hopefully it's actually possible to purchase hot-clocked DDR5 CUDIMMs by the time this part arrives!