28-core CPU with Xe3P graphics could rival AMD’s Strix Halo—but may never launch
Nova Lake-AX: Intel’s Strix Halo Rival That May Never See Daylight
A major leak has pulled back the curtain on Intel’s Nova Lake-AX, a high-performance chip positioned as a potential Strix Halo competitor. But while the specs are ambitious, so is the uncertainty—sources suggest the chip may be cancelled or indefinitely delayed.
Powerful Specs Designed to Compete
The leaked configuration paints a picture of a seriously capable SoC:
- CPU Cores:
- 8 P-cores (Performance)
- 16 E-cores (Efficiency)
- 4 LP E-cores (Low Power)
- Total: 28 cores, 28 threads
- Memory:
- LPDDR5X at 9600–10667 MT/s
- 256-bit memory bus for massive bandwidth
- GPU:
- Xe3P (Celestial) iGPU with 384 Execution Units
This design, on paper, would match or even exceed AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo), especially in terms of memory throughput and integrated GPU capability.
What’s Holding It Back?
Despite the hardware promise, leaker @OneRaichu indicates that Nova Lake-AX might never be released. While no official reason has been given, speculation ranges from manufacturing constraints and platform readiness to internal strategic shifts at Intel.
This is echoed by leaker HXL, who claims that AMD’s Medusa Halo, the successor to Strix Halo, may also have been quietly cancelled.
Why This Matters
If both Nova Lake-AX and Medusa Halo are shelved, Apple’s M-series and AMD’s existing Strix Halo chips may continue to dominate the AI-accelerated, high-efficiency computing space. Intel’s delay gives it no current answer to Apple’s unified architecture or AMD’s AI-oriented mobile chips.
However, with Nvidia’s N1x platform also pushed to 2026, Intel still has time to resurrect Nova Lake-AX—if development resumes. And if it does, it would likely enter the market as the first true 28-core hybrid mobile platform with a cutting-edge integrated GPU and blazing-fast LPDDR5X support.
What’s Next?
Intel has not confirmed any of these leaks. Still, with Nova Lake’s mainstream rollout expected in 2026, there’s a slim window for Nova Lake-AX to return from development limbo—potentially as a halo-tier flagship chip for premium laptops or AI-capable workstations.
