Intel’s upcoming desktop processor, codenamed Nova Lake-S, is expected to bring a leap forward in PCIe 5.0 connectivity. According to information shared by Jaykihn, it would offer up to 32 PCIe Gen5 lanes, compared to 20 on Arrow Lake.
The processor alone would provide 24 PCIe 5.0 lanes, allowing for the connection of a Gen5 x16 graphics card as well as two Gen5 x4 SSDs. The chipset would add 8 additional lanes, bringing the total to four Gen5 x4 SSDs. For users not targeting PCIe 5.0, 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes will remain available.
The socket would change (LGA-1954), requiring new motherboards. However, compatibility with LGA-1700 coolers and DDR5 memory would be maintained, with announced support for 8000 MT/s modules.
In terms of architecture, high-end processors could reach 52 cores, divided between 16 P-Cores, 32 E-Cores, and 4 LP-Cores, compared to 24 cores for Arrow Lake.
Finally, several GPU/SSD combinations are possible: one x16 GPU + two SSDs, two x8 GPUs + two SSDs, or even four x4 GPUs + two SSDs, although this last configuration seems unrealistic for everyday use.
