Thursday, July 17th 2025
Intel "Nova Lake-AX" Specifications Surface: 28 CPU Cores, 48 Xe3 GPU Cores, and LPDDR5X
Yesterday, we covered the leak of Intel's plan to take on AMD in the APU space with a "Nova Lake-AX" SoC that features a relatively powerful CPU core configuration paired with an enhanced Xe3 GPU core cluster. Today, one of the most reliable leakers, Raichu, confirms what the new Nova Lake-AX configuration could look like. When it comes to the CPU, the AX SKUs will feature a downsized CPU cluster, utilizing only a single tile with eight "Coyote Cove" P-cores and 16 "Arctic Wolf" E-cores, alongside the four-core LPE island, totaling 28 cores. Where the Nova Lake-S is expected to have up to two of those CPU tiles, the AX variant cuts out the second tile to make space for one of the biggest iGPUs we've seen Intel put in its SoCs.
Coming in at 384 Execution Units (EUs), this roughly translates into 48 Xe3 cores, assuming the standard eight EUs per Xe core configuration. However, there could be some internal changes to the way Xe3 cores handle render slices, so the total number of Xe3 cores remains unknown, except for the 384 EU count. Intel is also pairing this SoC with LPDDR5X memory, which operates at 9,600 or 10,667 MT/s, providing sufficient bandwidth to the 28 CPU cores and 384 EUs over a 256-bit bus. Additionally, Raichu claims that the launch is uncertain, which means that Intel is likely evaluating the platform for profitability if it decides to produce it in high volumes. Similarly to AMD's APU, there could be significant interest, so we will have to wait and see if Intel greenlights the project for the masses. The picture below is our own modification of Arrow Lake-H breakdown, and not what the actual Nova Lake-AX SoC would look like.
Sources:
Raichu, via VideoCardz
Coming in at 384 Execution Units (EUs), this roughly translates into 48 Xe3 cores, assuming the standard eight EUs per Xe core configuration. However, there could be some internal changes to the way Xe3 cores handle render slices, so the total number of Xe3 cores remains unknown, except for the 384 EU count. Intel is also pairing this SoC with LPDDR5X memory, which operates at 9,600 or 10,667 MT/s, providing sufficient bandwidth to the 28 CPU cores and 384 EUs over a 256-bit bus. Additionally, Raichu claims that the launch is uncertain, which means that Intel is likely evaluating the platform for profitability if it decides to produce it in high volumes. Similarly to AMD's APU, there could be significant interest, so we will have to wait and see if Intel greenlights the project for the masses. The picture below is our own modification of Arrow Lake-H breakdown, and not what the actual Nova Lake-AX SoC would look like.
27 Comments on Intel "Nova Lake-AX" Specifications Surface: 28 CPU Cores, 48 Xe3 GPU Cores, and LPDDR5X
Yeah, Raichu mentioned 384EUs, which would mean 6x more than Lunar Lake(Arrow Lake) or 2.4x than B580, but let's be realistic.
There is not enough BW for that, B580 has 456 GB/s while this one only 341GB/s with 10,667 MT/s LPDDR5X.
Then there is still the question of size, B580 with only 160XVEs is already 272 mm² using 5N from TSMC.
Yeah, this would use N3 or N2, so there will be significant reduction in size not to mention some things would be on a different tile, but with 384XVEs(EUs), It should be still >150-200mm2 in my opinion and that's still huge when this is just the GPU tile.
I think those 384EUs are equivalent to 192EUs, but more capable, something like AMD did with RDNA3 and dual-issue.
Nothing else really makes sense to me to be truthful.
Of course-- they still need to compete at the software level if they want to take on AMD.
Will be interesting to see.
just 4 more actual cores from previous gen, hmmm..
Backside Power Delivery may allow voltage reduction, and therefore lower heat.
Higher shader execution units than the bandwidth or TDP allows still provides performance in modern shader-heavy games.
2x performance of a B580, in a cost effective APU is ideal for a next-gen Xbox.
They're going to need to fix this and fix it properly to be taken seriously, these are well into "send them back" territory now. Odd because I can't remember serious intel GPU driver issue for desktop use in the 20+ years they've been shipping integrated graphics, chipset and CPU based.