Intel’s upcoming Nova Lake-S desktop CPUs, rumored to launch in 2026, could introduce a brand-new LGA1954 socket, marking yet another socket change for the company’s consumer platform. According to leaked shipping manifests and documentation from NBD.ltd shared by VideoCardz, Intel has begun distributing early test kits labeled “NVL-S” — a strong indication that motherboard vendors and partners are already preparing for the next generation of CPUs.
The LGA 1954 socket would feature 1,954 electrically active contact pins, which is a notable jump from the current LGA 1851 socket used with Arrow Lake desktop CPUs. The total pin count could exceed 2,000 when debugging or non-functional pins are considered, and the larger socket may support new I/O features, increased power delivery, and more advanced chiplet designs.
While Intel has not confirmed any details, this shift suggests that users who adopt Arrow Lake may find themselves needing a new motherboard once Nova Lake arrives. This may frustrate enthusiasts who hoped that LGA 1851 would have a multi-generation lifespan, similar to LGA 1700 that offered support for 12th, 13th and 14th-gen CPUs.
Intel hasn’t officially shared specifications for its upcoming Nova Lake CPUs, but early leaks and rumors suggest some major design changes. According to a report from earlier this year, the flagship Nova Lake chips could feature up to 52 cores combining 16-performance cores, 32-efficiency cores, and 4-low power efficiency (LPE) cores. Even lower-tier models are expected to retain a significant number of efficiency and LPE cores, with some reportedly including just 4-performance cores.
Some leaks also point to a dual-CCX (core complex) layout, similar to AMD’s chiplet-based Ryzen CPUs. This may be paired with a large 144MB L3 cache tile, potentially offering a gaming performance boost similar to AMD’s 3D V-Cache.
As for core architecture, the performance cores are rumored to use Coyote Cove, while the efficiency cores will adopt a new Arctic Wolf design, both succeeding the Panther Lake generation’s Cougar Cove and Darkmont cores.
There’s also speculation that Nova Lake may feature an off-die memory controller, which could introduce added latency. However, reports suggest that Intel has engineering solutions in place to offset any negative performance impact.
Although official specs remain unannounced, the introduction of LGA 1954 alongside a completely reworked CPU architecture hints at a significant evolution for Intel’s desktop lineup. More details are expected to surface as we approach 2026.
