Nova Lake’s introduction in the Linux Kernel patches signals a farewell to Intel’s Family 6, a classification that has housed numerous processor generations over the years.
Recent developments from Intel highlight significant progress with Nova Lake, a processor set to succeed Panther Lake and span both desktop and mobile platforms. This new addition has begun to appear in Linux Kernel patches, offering a glimpse into its future classification and capability.
For those familiar with Intel’s processor families, Family 6 has been a staple, encompassing recent generations like Alder Lake, Raptor Lake, and Arrow Lake. However, Nova Lake marks a new era, transitioning to Family 18 due to the extensive use of Family 6 over the past two decades.
These kernel patches for Nova Lake are foundational, providing basic identifiers for future recognition. In an interesting twist, not only is Nova Lake adopting this new family classification, but the upcoming Diamond Rapids server CPUs are also shifting to Family 19. This move aims to streamline the identification of server and client CPUs.
The Kernel patches have identified two main families within Nova Lake: the mainline Nova Lake categorized under Family 18, Model 1, and the Nova Lake L, tailored for low power/mobile use, identified as Family 18, Model 3. Future updates will rely on these identifiers, impacting areas like graphics, power management, and networking. While Nova Lake’s launch is anticipated around 2026, further kernel updates are expected in the coming months.
Nova Lake has been a recurring topic, with various versions like Nova Lake S for desktops, Nova Lake HX for high-performance laptops, and the rumored Nova Lake AX, potentially rivaling Strix Halo. Notably, Nova Lake is expected to feature an impressive core count of up to 52, alongside a unique hybrid iGPU architecture, potentially integrating the Xe4 Druid for display and media capabilities.
