Intel Nova Lake Mobile CPUs Leak: Core Ultra 9 4995HX May Bring 28 Cores to High-End Laptops
Intel’s next-generation Nova Lake mobile lineup is starting to take shape, and early details point to a major performance push for premium laptops. Two upcoming chips from the Core Ultra 4000 family have reportedly surfaced: the Core Ultra 9 4995HX and the Core Ultra 9 4970H. Both are expected to sit near the top of Intel’s future mobile processor stack, targeting everything from enthusiast gaming laptops to powerful creator and workstation machines.
The most exciting model is the Intel Core Ultra 9 4995HX, which appears to be the flagship of the Nova Lake-HX series. This processor is expected to feature a 28-core layout, making it one of Intel’s most aggressive laptop CPUs yet.
The reported configuration includes 8 performance cores, 16 efficiency cores, and 4 low-power efficiency cores. The performance cores are said to use Intel’s Coyote Cove architecture, while the efficiency and low-power efficiency cores are expected to be based on the Arctic Wolf design. This combination should allow the chip to deliver strong multi-threaded performance while still improving efficiency for lighter workloads.
The Core Ultra 9 4995HX is also expected to include 2 Xe3 integrated GPU cores. While this is not meant to replace a dedicated laptop GPU in high-end gaming or workstation systems, it should still handle display output, media tasks, and light graphics workloads efficiently.
Intel’s Nova Lake-HX chips are reportedly based on a single compute tile design for laptops. That means they will not reach the extreme core counts expected from certain desktop Nova Lake models, which could scale much higher with dual compute tile configurations. Even so, a 28-core mobile CPU would represent a serious leap for performance-focused laptops.
Another important detail is cache. The same die is expected to feature up to 144 MB of large cache, which could help improve performance in gaming, productivity, rendering, and other bandwidth-sensitive workloads.
The second chip mentioned is the Intel Core Ultra 9 4970H, which is expected to be one of the fastest processors in the Nova Lake-H lineup. Unlike the HX model, this chip appears to focus more on balancing performance, efficiency, and stronger integrated graphics.
The Core Ultra 9 4970H is reportedly built with a 16-core configuration consisting of 4 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and 4 low-power efficiency cores. That keeps the total core count similar to current high-end H-series mobile chips, but the bigger change may come from the graphics side.
This processor is expected to feature up to 12 Xe3P integrated GPU cores. That could give the Core Ultra 9 4970H a significant boost in integrated graphics performance, making it more capable for thin performance laptops, premium ultrabooks, and systems that may not always rely on a discrete GPU.
The difference between Nova Lake-HX and Nova Lake-H will likely come down to power limits and target devices. Nova Lake-HX chips are expected to be designed for larger laptops with stronger cooling systems, including gaming notebooks, mobile workstations, and desktop-replacement machines. These processors may start around 55W and scale much higher, potentially reaching up to around 160W in demanding configurations.
Nova Lake-H chips, on the other hand, should target more balanced high-performance laptops. These models are expected to start around 28W and may scale up to roughly 115W depending on the laptop design and cooling capability.
Based on the reported lineup, Intel’s Nova Lake mobile family may include several configurations across different product tiers. The high-end HX series could include models with up to 8 performance cores, 16 efficiency cores, 4 low-power efficiency cores, and 2 Xe3 graphics cores. A lower HX variant may use 4 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, 4 low-power efficiency cores, and 2 Xe3 graphics cores.
For the H-series, Intel is expected to offer chips with up to 4 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, 4 low-power efficiency cores, and either 12 or 4 integrated graphics cores depending on the model. The U-series lineup may focus more heavily on efficiency, with configurations such as 4 low-power efficiency cores paired with 4 graphics cores, or 2 low-power efficiency cores with 2 graphics cores.
Manufacturing is another major point of interest. Nova Lake-HX processors are reportedly expected to use TSMC’s N2P process technology for final retail chips. Early samples were reportedly produced using Intel’s 18A-P process, but retail versions are expected to rely on the external node. The compute tile is said to measure around 14.8 mm by 6.6 mm, or about 97.68 mm².
If these details hold true, Nova Lake could be a major step forward for Intel’s laptop CPU roadmap. The Core Ultra 9 4995HX may bring desktop-class multi-core performance to premium mobile systems, while the Core Ultra 9 4970H could appeal to users who want a more balanced processor with stronger integrated graphics.
The first laptops powered by Intel Nova Lake-HX and Nova Lake-H processors are expected to appear around CES 2027. While major new dedicated GPU announcements are not currently expected alongside these chips, Nova Lake should still offer meaningful gains in CPU performance, integrated graphics capability, and platform efficiency.
For gamers, creators, engineers, and power users, Intel’s Core Ultra 4000 mobile lineup could become one of the most important laptop processor launches in the coming years. If the leaked specifications are accurate, the Core Ultra 9 4995HX and Core Ultra 9 4970H may help redefine what high-performance laptops can deliver.
