An Intel Nova Lake-S processor with 52 cores has leaked

New details about Intel's next-generation desktop platform have just surfaced in a shipping manifest, giving us another glimpse at the upcoming “Nova Lake-S” architecture. The documentation mentions a 52-core CPU, likely the flagship of the series, as well as the 28-core variant that we previously reported on. 

The NBD manifest (via VideoCardz) explicitly lists the new socket as LGA-1954 and confirms its dimensions as 45 x 37.5mm. This is identical to the size of the current LGA-1851 socket used for Arrow Lake-S. While this doesn't mean the CPUs will be cross-compatible between the two sockets, the mounting mechanism could be the same, meaning it should support coolers designed for its predecessors. This is good news for anyone who has invested in a high-end air or liquid cooler for their current system and wants to update to a more recent CPU.

The appearance of the 52-core chip in the manifest corroborates earlier leaks. If those previous reports are accurate, this flagship CPU will feature a configuration of 16 P-cores, 32 E-cores, and an additional 4 LP E-cores on the SoC tile. The document also lists the 28-core variant that was spotted last week.

This leak is a strong indication that Intel's roadmap is on track for the 2026 launch of Nova Lake-S, which is set to be the desktop debut of the company's 18A process node. While the performance of the new architecture remains a mystery, the possible confirmation of cooler compatibility is a welcome development that will make the eventual upgrade path much smoother for enthusiasts.

KitGuru says: A 52-core CPU in the mainstream market is definitely interesting. However, we wonder how many users can actually take advantage of this many cores.

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