Contrary to many expectations, the Intel Panther Lake architecture might be exclusive to mobile platforms. As for desktops, we should get a refresh after the initial launch of Arrow Lake. These refreshed Arrow Lake CPUs will then supposedly be followed by Nova Lake.

According to Jaykihn, Nova Lake, Intel's next-generation desktop processor, is set to follow the Arrow Lake Refresh, with the possibility of Nova Lake PCs hitting the market as soon as 2026. This new architecture was previously spotted in Dell's leaked roadmaps, where it was suggested that the laptop manufacturer plans to unveil laptops featuring this architecture in 2027.

While details on Nova Lake are scarce, it is rumoured to incorporate Panther Cove P-cores and Arctic Wolf E-cores. As for its naming, it's expected to be marketed as the Core Ultra 400 series. Meanwhile, the 300-series should feature Panther Lake and Arrow Lake-Refresh CPUs.

Moreover, Jaykihn also stated that Panther Lake will be “mobile-only”, suggesting it will be a direct successor to Lunar Lake. Although nothing is official, rumours claim these CPUs will feature the new Cougar Cove P-Cores, updated E-Cores, and Celestial “Xe3” integrated graphics. A release in late 2025 or early 2026 is highly likely.

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KitGuru says: Considering the company's history, a refresh to Arrow Lake isn't a complete surprise. Fortunately, it seems that Intel only plans to refresh the architecture once, rather than repeating missteps after Skylake.

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