Intel confirmed its subsequent main consumer CPU structure throughout a convention name immediately: “Nova Lake,” which can debut in 2026.
The information was delivered by Michelle Johnston Holthaus, who heads Intel Product, and David Zinsner, who together with Holthaus is serving as co-chief govt officer of Intel after Pat Gelsinger was requested to step down on the finish of 2024. Thursday marked the primary earnings name for the co-chiefs, who fielded questions from Wall Avenue analysts after reporting earnings for the fourth quarter of 2024. The corporate stated that the seek for a everlasting CEO continues.
In broad strokes, Intel’s roadmap for 2025 and 2026 is about: Panther Lake will debut later this 12 months, Holthaus stated, adopted by Nova Lake in 2026. Whereas Panther Lake will largely be made inside Intel, versus exterior fabs, Nova Lake will nonetheless be break up between Intel’s personal foundry enterprise in addition to exterior sources, presumably TSMC.
“2026 is much more thrilling from a consumer perspective as Panther Lake achieves significant volumes and we introduce our subsequent technology consumer household, code title Nova Lake,” Holthaus stated. “Each will present sturdy efficiency throughout your complete PC stack with considerably higher prices and margins for us, enhancing our aggressive place and reinforcing our worth proposition to our companions and clients.”
Historically, Intel launches a brand new processor structure within the second half of every 12 months. This seems to be the sport plan for 2025, as Panther Lake will launch in the course of the second half of 2025. That’s in line with what Holthaus informed reporters at CES in early January, the place she stated Intel was already sampling the half. Holthaus acknowledged the elevated competitors from AMD and Qualcomm, and that revenue margins on its Lunar Lake components have been decrease due to the built-in reminiscence.
Panther Lake will likely be fabricated on Intel 18A, the final of Intel’s “5 course of nodes in 4 years” technique. The manufacturing of a lot of the silicon throughout the varied chiplets will likely be achieved internally, as a part of Intel’s foundry enterprise. For Nova Lake, “we’ll have dies each inside and outdoors [the company] for that course of,” Holthaus stated, with out describing the chip additional.
Panther Lake, Nova Lake return to Intel’s fabs
Intel stated in February of final 12 months that it could kind a subsidiary devoted to its foundry enterprise. In Sept. 2024, Intel made that subsidiary impartial, with its personal board of administrators. Through the name, Holthaus indicated that Intel Foundry is being handled identical to every other silicon provider.
“As CEO of Intel Product, I’ll at all times make course of know-how choices based mostly on what’s greatest for my clients,” she stated. “And Intel Foundry might want to earn my enterprise each day, simply as I must earn the enterprise of my clients.”
“A stronger Intel Product mixed with a extra aggressive Intel Foundry is a recipe for achievement for Intel total,” Holthaus added.
Holthaus indicated, nevertheless, that she believed Intel’s foundry enterprise would achieve success, however solely slowly, noting that a part of incomes clients belief is a sluggish ramp, with decrease preliminary volumes. “We gained’t win each deal out of the gates,” she stated. “We’ll be selective and targeted on areas the place we’re assured that we could be a significant contributor to the success of our buyer.”
Intel executives stated that they proceed to be “engaged” with the Trump Administration. The Division of Commerce, as a part of the U.S. Chips Act, has paid Intel $1.1 billion in the course of the fourth quarter and $1.1 billion in January, as a part of a complete $7.86 billion in grant cash.
For the fourth quarter, Intel misplaced $100 million on income of $14.3 billion, down 7 %. Intel’s Shopper Computing Group, the house of its PC chip enterprise, made $8.0 billion, down 9 %.