According to well-known Intel leaker Jaykihn, Intel is preparing two "Nova Lake-S" CPU models with a 22-core configuration, enhanced by the big Last Level Cache (bLLC). These processors are part of the Core Ultra 5 400S family, and Intel is developing two mid-range configurations, each with 22 cores. Both models will feature 6 "Coyote Cove" P-Cores, 12 "Arctic Wolf" E-Cores, and 4 LPE-Cores. This design includes a single compute die aimed at mid-range gaming rigs. Alongside the 22 cores, Intel plans to add an extra 108 MB of bLLC cache to boost gaming performance, similar to AMD's approach with its Ryzen X3D gaming CPUs, which currently lead in gaming performance. Intel aims to match raw CPU compute power with newer CPU cores and use bLLC to improve latency-sensitive tasks like gaming. The only difference between the two new models is that one is an unlocked 125 W TDP version, part of the "K" overclockable family, while the other is a 65 W base TDP model.

Intel originally introduced the ATX12VO (ATX 12 Volt Only) standard in 2020, promising simplified PSU designs and efficiency improvements over the standard ATX standard, with the ATX12VO V2 standard arriving in 2022 with further efficiency improvements, especially when it comes to idle power draw. According to a recent leak by @momomo_us on X, ATX12VO appears to be getting yet another revision with further improvements to efficiency. It's not clear when Intel will officially announce the standard update, but the proximity to Computex suggests that a Computex 2026 launch may be possible.

The sub-$600 laptop wave is coming.

Tech companies are increasingly pivoting towards AI

Intel recently unveiled its "Wildcat Lake" Core 300 series of laptop processors, designed for the entry-level market with excellent CPU and GPU capabilities to meet basic needs. By combining two "Cougar Cove" P-cores with four LPE "Darkmont" cores, these processors should provide sufficient CPU power for basic tasks in the entry-level segment. Especially when paired with the NPU 5, Xe display and media engine, and a GPU featuring up to two Xe3 cores, this SoC should handle tasks with ease, including some very light entry-level gaming. Today, the first benchmarks appeared, showcasing what this CPU is capable of and how it compares to industry-leading solutions in this price range, such as Apple's newest MacBook Neo, thanks to the initial PassMark benchmark results.

Intel Foundry has been delivering some interesting research lately, and the newest installment is the world's thinnest gallium nitride (GaN) chiplet, with the base silicon measuring just 19 micrometers in thickness. The company manufactured a 300-millimeter GaN-on-silicon wafer, which is one of the first combinations of GaN with traditional silicon logic on a single chip. In traditional manufacturing setups, GaN is reserved for power electronics and is not mixed with silicon-based computational logic. However, Intel has managed to combine GaN semiconductors for power delivery with silicon-based compute logic, meaning that power chips can now perform basic computations and actions on their own, without needing a separate chip to dictate behavior.

The SpaceX-Tesla chip project central to Elon Musks robot and space catapult dreams now has Intel as a partner.

Driver 32.0.101.8629 WHQL is now available for download with gaming support for Intel's latest Pro-grade graphics cards, the B70 and B65.

One less SCIP deal for Intel?

Intel's "Wildcat Lake" processors, part of the Core 300 series non-Ultra family, have been leaked by a reputable source Jaykihn0 on X, revealing the entire lineup across various configurations and SKUs. The lineup includes six SKUs across the Core 3, Core 5, and Core 7 tiers, all designed to operate within a 15 to 35 W TDP range. Each model features a hybrid core configuration, pairing two "Cougar Cove" P-cores with four low-power efficiency cores, completely omitting the traditional "Darkmont" E-cores. Boost clocks range from 4.3 GHz on the entry-level Core 3 304 up to 4.8 GHz on the Core 7 360. All six SKUs share 6 MB of L3 cache, a single NPU tile, and integrated Xe3 graphics. The leak suggests that Intel is bringing architecture closely related to the Core Ultra 300 "Panther Lake" mobile platform into the embedded and industrial space, or perhaps into low-cost laptop configurations that don't require the power of "Panther Lake," appealing to buyers seeking budget-friendly options.

The Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus is the least affected, with just a $15 price hike.

Review: More cores, higher clocks, lower prices

Intel has reportedly informed its major PC clients of a planned 10% price increase on its consumer CPUs. According to industry sources cited by ET News, this price hike will affect Intel's Core Ultra family of processors, which power hundreds of millions of PCs worldwide. As a result, PC OEMs may need to alleviate the increased material costs by promoting their AI PCs and premium devices more aggressively. To maintain positive margins, these OEMs will likely have to raise prices further and emphasize their higher-end AI PC offerings to capture better margins.

Intel has quietly rolled out a new mobile CPU in the Raptor Lake lineup, the Core i7-13645HX. The chip is built with Intel's 10 nm process and splits its 14 cores across six Performance cores and eight Efficient cores, just like the Core i7-13650HX. That means both share the same 20-thread count, 24 MB of Smart Cache, max turbo clock at 4.9 GHz, and power specs: 55 W base, 157 W peak. However, there are some differences. The i7-13645HX supports DDR5-5600, up from 4800 on its older sibling. With that comes also an increase in memory bandwidth to 89.6 GB/s, up from 76.8 GB/s. It also sports a more capable Intel UHD Graphics P730 with 32 execution units versus just 16 on the i7-13650HX. The older part still has a slight edge in efficiency: its E-cores can boost to 3.6 GHz, while this one tops out at 3.5 GHz. But for users who need faster memory and better integrated graphics, especially those running light gaming or video workloads, the new chip might be the better choice.

Panther Lake's secretes unveiled.

Craig Barrat to become new chairman of Intel.

Intel's flagship "Bartlett Lake-S" processor—Core 9 273 PQE—has reached enthusiasts who are testing whether any consumer motherboard can boot the CPU and utilize its 12 P-Core gaming performance. According to Overclock.net user "Talon2016," who managed to obtain a sample of the LGA-1700 flagship CPU SKU, the processor won't boot using a consumer ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex motherboard. These CPUs are designed for edge and embedded deployments with specialized platforms that lie outside the consumer sector. This high-TDP PQE variant has a base power of 125 W, powering a 12 P-Core variant with 24 threads and a base frequency of 3.4 GHz. This model can boost all 12 cores to 5.3 GHz, while a single thread can reach up to 5.9 GHz independently for tasks requiring intensive single-threaded performance. It is equipped with 36 MB of L3 cache and an integrated GPU with 32 EUs of Xe-LP graphics.

Intel's latest graphics driver brings XeSS Multi-Frame Generation support to even more of its graphics lineup, including Arc discrete GPUs.

The Competition Commission of India alleges Intel abused its dominant position in the boxed processor market.

Intel might undo the efficiency gains of Arrow Lake.

As February has just started, Valve finished processing data for the January edition of the Steam Hardware and Software Survey. One of the few interesting takeaways is that for the first time in months, Intel's share of consumer CPU usage has seen an uptick, instead of the slow decline it has been experiencing. According to the January update, Intel's CPU share among Steam platform users has grown to 56.64%, representing a small but pleasant increase of 0.25% over the December data. On the other hand, AMD recorded a slight decrease of 0.19%, now standing at 43.34% of the market. This means that Intel's market share has increased for the first time in months, as data from September reported a market share of 58.61%, then October showed 57.82%, 57.30% in November, and 56.39% in December. The chain of declining share has finally stopped, suggesting that Intel could have a chance to rebound in the consumer market section.

Chipzilla touts 4 TB of DDR5 and 128 lanes of PCIe 5 for less than the House of Zen just in time for memory winter

44 years ago, this crafty collection of 134,000 transistors would mark a major inflection point in the PC industry.

Intel's concluded its Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings call, revealing interesting things about its foundry operations and node selection. When talking about the upcoming 14A node, Intel confirmed that the node is on track for 2027, with yields that are in good shape. However, the bulk of the 14A external capacity Intel will dedicate depends on customers willing to sign manufacturing contracts first, before Intel spends insane amount of funds required to expand manufacturing capacity. Intel CEO Lib-Bu Tan noted "Engagements with potential external customers on Intel 14A are active. We believe customers will begin to make firm supplier decisions starting in the second half of this year and extending into the first half of 2027. We also have the opportunity to provide strong differentiation in advanced packaging, particularly with EMIB and EMIB-T."