Intel says Nova Lake development is ahead of schedule and will use its enhanced 18A-P process, as the company shifts some consumer-chip capacity towards data-centre processors amid a weaker PC outlook.
Intel’s next desktop chips, Nova Lake, will be the first client processors to use the company’s enhanced 18A-P manufacturing process, according to remarks from chief executive Lip-Bu Tan during Intel’s third-quarter 2026 earnings update. Tan said the company expects to reveal further details at CES in January, and described development of the new architecture as running ahead of schedule.
The move gives Nova Lake a prominent role in Intel’s process roadmap. Intel says 18A-P is a direct successor to 18A, with the same design rules, so existing intellectual property and flows can be reused without a full redesign. The company says the node delivers about 9% better performance at the same power, or around 18% lower power at the same speed, thanks to a series of transistor, interconnect and thermal changes.
Those claims place Nova Lake in a broader transition across Intel’s product stack. Intel has already used 18A in Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake, but the company is now positioning 18A-P as the more refined option for later products. Intel also said partner interest in early plans has been stronger than it was for the previous generation, which the company characterised as roughly double the level seen at launch.
At the same time, Intel is adjusting manufacturing plans to reflect a weaker personal-computer market. David Zinsner, Intel’s chief financial officer, said some wafer capacity originally associated with consumer parts will be redirected towards Granite Rapids data-centre processors. Reuters reported that the company expects the PC market to remain under pressure, with Zinsner warning that the total addressable market for PCs could fall by about 12% in 2026 and by another 10% in 2027 unless memory availability and pricing improve.
The shift highlights the pressure on Intel’s consumer business as component shortages and higher memory prices make buyers more cautious. Intel said demand for some chips remains strong, but the company’s comments suggest it is prioritising areas where supply can be deployed more profitably in the near term. That makes Nova Lake’s move to 18A-P significant not only as a technical milestone, but also as a sign of how Intel is balancing future client products against the demands of its data-centre business.
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