Intel Nova Lake Desktop CPUs to Feature PCIe 5.0 for One GPU and Up to Four M.2 SSDs
More information is emerging about the upcoming Intel Nova Lake-S, a platform that will not see the light of day until at least 2026. After learning that it will come in configurations with up to 52 cores and that its native memory speed will start at 8,000 MT/s, we now know that it will include enough PCIe 5.0 lanes to install one graphics card along with 4 M.2 SSD storage units using this faster interface.
PCIe 5.0 and Chipset Details
According to a post on X/Twitter, the Nova Lake processors for desktop systems will feature 24 PCIe 5.0 lanes, enough for a next-generation graphics card, along with 2 M.2 SSD units that generally use 4 lanes each. Additionally, we expect Intel to launch a new chipset in the 900 series for these processors. This chipset will offer an additional 8 PCIe 5.0 lanes that can be used for two more SSD units or to install PCIe 5.0 x8 cards. The DMI (Direct Media Interface) will also feature 4 lanes with this interface for communication between the CPU and the chipset.
In addition to the PCIe 5.0 lanes, the chipset will offer 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes, 14 USB 2.0 ports, 5 USB 3.2 20 Gbps ports, 10 USB 3.2 10 Gbps ports, and 10 USB 3.2 5 Gbps ports.
It seems that these upcoming Nova Lake processors will feature great connectivity, with options for numerous USB ports and faster SSDs. However, it remains to be seen whether they will be compatible with even faster interfaces such as Thunderbolt 5.
