Intel's next-gen desktop processors leak with a whopping number of cores

Intel's third-generation Core Ultra processors for desktop computers are on the way. If the latest leak is true, we are up for some significant updates in the Core Ultra 300 Series. @g01d3nm4ng0 on X posted a list of Intel's upcoming desktop processors, which includes seven SKUs ranging from entry-level Core Ultra 3 models to the flagship Core Ultra 9 with a rather whopping number of cores.

According to the leak, the top-end model will feature 52 cores without hyperthreading. However, those cores are not like "classic" cores found in HEDT chips like AMD's Threadrippers. Instead, those 52 cores are divided into three categories: performance, efficiency, and low-power. The upcoming Core Ultra 9 reportedly features 16 performance cores, 32 efficiency cores, and 4 low-power cores. The cheapest Core Ultra 3 has four of each, 12 cores in total.

Low-power cores are new to Intel's desktop processors. The current Core Ultra 200 chips feature the same hybrid configuration that was introduced with the 12th-gen Alder Lake chips: performance cores for demanding tasks and efficiency cores for lightweight tasks (up to 24 cores). Now, Intel wants to improve the efficiency of its chips further by adding another set of low-power cores, which were first introduced in the first-gen Core Ultra mobile chips (Meteor Lake).

@jaykihn0 adds that Intel Nova Lake-S will support 8000 MT/s memory speed by default and 32 PCIe Gen 5 lanes and 16 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, totalling 48 lanes in CPU + chipset configuration.

Today's leak aligns with previous reports about the upcoming Intel Nova Lake-S processors. However, Intel enthusiasts should probably get ready to switch platforms again, as the Nova Lake-S generation is rumored to require a brand-new LGA1954 socket.