Intel “Nova Lake” 400K CPUs to consume over 700W of power!
Expect huge power draw from Intel’s 52-core Nova Lake CPU flagship
According to the leaker kopite7kimi, the next-generation CPU flagship from Intel will have a HUGE maximum power draw. With 52 total cores, Intel’s next-generation “Nova Lake” flagship will reportedly be able to draw over 700 watts of power. This is for a dual Compute Tile K-series unlocked Intel processor.
Today’s flagship-level Intel desktop CPUs are 24-core designs with eight P-cores and sixteen E-cores. This is true for the last three generations of Intel desktop CPUs, including the i9-13900K, the i9-149ooK, and the Ultra 9 285K. With Nova Lake, rumour has it that Intel plans to release single compute tile Nova Lake CPU models with eight P-cores and sixteen E-cores and dual compute tile models with up to 16 P-cores and 32 E-cores. These CPUs will all feature an additional 4 LP-E-Cores on their I/O dies. This gives Intel’s Nova Lake CPU lineup a maximum CPU core count of 52 cores.
More cores, more POWER!
With Intel more than doubling its CPU core counts with its flagship-level Nova Lake CPUs, it is unsurprising that maximum CPU power levels are increasing. After all, a more than 2x increase without an increase in power draw would be a miracle in the modern era. Either that or each and every CPU core in this new CPU is hugely power-limited.
It is likely that Intel’s new high core count Nova Lake CPUs will act as a new performance tier for Intel, filling a similar niche to its older Skylake-X and Cascade Lake series processors. However, unlike these older CPUs, all of Intel’s Nova Lake CPUs should support the same socket. With this, Intel is delivering more scalability across its next-generation CPU socket.
If peak power draw can exceed 700 watts with Nova Lake, Intel will soon be creating demand for newer, more performant CPU cooling solutions. That said, this level of power should only be necessary for Intel’s flagship dual-chip CPU models. Intel’s more mainstream CPU models should consume much less power.
The power consumption of a full-load NVL-K is over 700 watts.
— kopite7kimi (@kopite7kimi) February 10, 2026
Intel’s first Nova Lake CPUs are due to be released later this year. However, we expect Intel’s 2026 launch to be limited to certain product categories (maybe enthusiast desktops). The product line should expand in 2027 across more product categories.
With planned desktop and mobile launches, Nova Lake should be a return to form for Intel. That said, there’s more to CPUs than core count alone. Does Nova Lake have what it takes to regain ground from AMD? Will Nova Lake appeal to gamers? Can their high-core-count models draw the workstation market away from Ryzen/Threadripper?
You can join the discussion on Intel’s huge TDP limit for its Core Ultra “Nova Lake” flagship on the OC3D Forums.
