Intel’s fastest Nova Lake laptop chip now has a name and a rough core count, with leaked details pointing to a Core Ultra 9 4995HX built around 28 CPU cores, more than any mobile processor Intel has shipped before. The figures come from leaker Jaykihn on X and haven’t been confirmed by Intel, so clock speeds, cache sizes and power limits remain unknown for now.
Key takeaways
- ✓The Core Ultra 9 4995HX reportedly uses an 8+16+4+2 layout for 28 total CPU cores
- ✓That is four more cores than current Arrow Lake-HX chips, thanks to a new LPE cluster
- ✓A second leaked chip, the Core Ultra 9 4970H, pairs 16 CPU cores with a 12-core Xe3P iGPU
- ✓The HX compute tile is built on TSMC's N2P node and measures roughly 98 square millimetres
- ✓Nova Lake-H and HX laptops are tentatively expected around CES 2027, unconfirmed by Intel
What has surfaced is the core layout itself, and it lines up neatly with earlier rumours about where Intel’s next generation of high-performance laptop chips is heading. For anyone tracking Intel’s roadmap beyond the current Arrow Lake-HX generation, the 4995HX looks like the clearest signal yet of what Nova Lake-HX will bring to gaming and workstation laptops.
Table of Contents
Inside the Core Ultra 9 4995HX’s core layout
According to the leak, the Core Ultra 9 4995HX uses an 8+16+4+2 configuration. That breaks down to 8 performance cores, 16 efficiency cores, 4 low-power efficiency cores, and 2 Xe3 graphics cores. Added together, the three CPU core types give the chip 28 total cores, four more than Intel’s existing Arrow Lake-HX flagship.
That extra headroom comes entirely from the LPE cluster, a block of low-power cores that Arrow Lake-HX simply doesn’t have. Intel has used LPE cores on desktop and other mobile chips before, so extending the idea to its HX laptop lineup isn’t a huge surprise, but it does mark a real structural change rather than just a clock speed bump. The overall ceiling also matches earlier Nova Lake reporting, including claims about earlier leaks pointing to the same 8P+16E+4LP ceiling for mobile parts. The 4995HX name itself fits reports that Intel plans to stretch its Core Ultra 4000 numbering down into HX mobile silicon as well, rather than reserving it for desktop chips alone.
The Core Ultra 9 4970H and the rest of the Nova Lake-H range
The same leak lists a second chip, the Core Ultra 9 4970H, aimed at Intel’s thinner H-series laptops rather than the beefier HX class. It reportedly uses a 4+8+4+12 layout: 4 P-cores, 8 E-cores and 4 LPE cores for 16 total CPU cores, paired with a 12-core Xe3P integrated GPU.
That CPU core count matches Panther Lake’s current flagship, the Core Ultra X9 388H, so any real-world gains on the 4970H would likely come from architecture rather than raw core numbers. Intel is expected to pair the chip with new Coyote Cove performance cores, Arctic Wolf efficiency cores, and the updated Xe3P graphics architecture, all of which should lift performance per core even without adding more of them.
The smaller 2-core iGPU on the flagship 4995HX looks thin by comparison, but that’s typical for HX-class chips. Laptops built around HX silicon almost always ship with a discrete GPU anyway, so Intel has little reason to spend extra silicon on integrated graphics that most buyers won’t rely on.
A smaller, denser chip built on TSMC’s N2P node
Jaykihn’s leak also included a size estimate for the finished 8+16 HX compute tile, putting it at roughly 14.8mm by 6.6mm, or about 98 square millimetres. That figure follows closely after die shots of both the Nova Lake-H and Nova Lake-HX chips reportedly surfaced, giving a first physical look at the silicon behind the leaked specifications.
The tile is said to be manufactured on TSMC’s N2P manufacturing node, continuing Intel’s pattern of leaning on outside foundries for its most demanding mobile dies. A compact compute tile matters for laptop designs specifically, since it leaves more board space and thermal budget for battery, cooling, and the discrete graphics card that most HX-class machines carry.
What the leak means for laptop buyers
| Chip | P-cores | E-cores | LPE cores | Total CPU cores | Integrated GPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 9 4995HX (Nova Lake-HX) | 8 | 16 | 4 | 28 | 2 Xe3 cores |
| Core Ultra 9 4970H (Nova Lake-H) | 4 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 12 Xe3P cores |
| Current Arrow Lake-HX flagship | 8 | 16 | 0 | 24 | No LPE cluster |
| Core Ultra X9 388H (Panther Lake) | 4 | 8 | 4 | 16 | Xe3P cores |
None of this is locked in until Intel says so, and that caveat matters more than usual here. Core counts, die sizes and naming can all shift between a leak like this and a final retail chip, so treat the 4995HX specifically as a strong early signal rather than a confirmed spec sheet.
Timing is similarly loose. Current reporting suggests first Nova Lake-H and HX laptops are tentatively tipped for CES 2027, which would put a new Intel flagship laptop platform roughly two years out from today’s Arrow Lake-HX machines. Buyers shopping now shouldn’t hold off on current thin laptops already running Intel’s latest silicon on the strength of a leak this far from launch, but anyone planning a high-end gaming or creator laptop purchase in 2027 now has a clearer idea of what Intel’s top mobile chip might look like under the hood.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Intel Core Ultra 9 4995HX?
It’s a leaked Intel mobile processor expected to top the Nova Lake-HX laptop lineup, reportedly carrying 28 CPU cores across performance, efficiency and low-power efficiency clusters for high-end gaming and workstation laptops.
When will Nova Lake laptops launch?
Current leaks point to CES 2027 for the first Nova Lake-H and HX laptops, though Intel hasn’t confirmed a date and the timing should be treated as tentative until official word arrives.
Has Intel confirmed the Core Ultra 9 4995HX?
No. The details come from leaker Jaykihn on X and unverified die shots. Intel has not confirmed the chip’s existence, its clock speeds, cache sizes or power figures.
How does the 4995HX compare to today’s Arrow Lake-HX chips?
It reportedly adds four more CPU cores than the current Arrow Lake-HX flagship, with the gain coming entirely from a four-core LPE cluster that Arrow Lake-HX lacks.
