Intel's new Nova Lake CPU is reportedly being made on TSMC N2 right now, pointing to a hybrid 18A node and late 2026 launch

(Image credit: Intel)

It hasn't exactly been the best year for Intel. The chip giant has faced major struggles recently with chips flopping and fab partners seemingly nowhere to be found. Even Bill Gates has lamented the current state of the company, but maybe the upcoming Nova Lake-S CPUs, will turn all that around.

We've seen a lot of rumours around the Nova Lake launch, and while some make more sense than others one has likely been confirmed. According to SemiAccurate (Via TechPowerUp) the next generation CPUs have been taped out on TSMC's N2 node in fabrication centres in Taiwan.

Well, kind of. SemiAccurate is actually pretty slim on the details.

"Intel taped out a major product a few weeks ago, a little late but they got there. SemiAccurate took longer than usual to confirm this one but we finally did.

"Sorry, no hints this time." reads the website. I guess that is semi-accurate.

Assuming this is the Nova Lake chipset, this likely confirms the hybrid nature of the tech, using a mix of both the N2 node as well as Intel's highly anticipated 18A node. It could be Intel has gone with a mix due to a lack of faith in the 18A, or just to maximise manufacturing capabilities with more fallback on the established N2 nodes.

The chase of Intel's 18A node is an interesting one. We expected to see these chips launch in PCs but it seems Intel just didn't have the faith to launch them. Of course with these CPUs only being taped out now, these processors could be a fair way off, with at least a few months being the norm from taped to manufacturing, let alone retail availability.

We'll likely be waiting at least a year to get our hands on these, but with delays around the 18A chipset maybe it'll be even longer. Hopefully we'll see the 18A powered Nova Lake chips before the end of 2026.

In terms of performance, the numbers look good. The CPUs are reportedly delivering up to 25% faster processing with up to 36% more efficiency than before. Intel's new chips are also rumoured to have over double the cores of its previous Arrow Lake's offerings. And though we'll probably be waiting another year for them, a new chip being taped down is always cause for celebration.

Best CPU for gaming 2025

👉Check out our full guide👈

1. Best overall: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

2. Best budget: Intel Core i5 13400F

3. Best mid-range: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

4. Best high-end: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D

5. Best AM4 upgrade: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D

6. Best CPU graphics: AMD Ryzen 7 8700G

Hope’s been writing about games for about a decade, starting out way back when on the Australian Nintendo fan site Vooks.net. Since then, she’s talked far too much about games and tech for publications such as Techlife, Byteside, IGN, and GameSpot. Of course there’s also here at PC Gamer, where she gets to indulge her inner hardware nerd with news and reviews. You can usually find Hope fawning over some art, tech, or likely a wonderful combination of them both and where relevant she’ll share them with you here. When she’s not writing about the amazing creations of others, she’s working on what she hopes will one day be her own. You can find her fictional chill out ambient far future sci-fi radio show/album/listening experience podcast right here. No, she’s not kidding.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.