Intel plans to equip its Nova Lake processors with sixth-generation neural processing units rather than reusing components from the Panther Lake lineup. A Linux kernel patch submitted recently identifies a new PCI device with the NPU6 designation and corresponding firmware files. The company advances its neural processor with each product release, as demonstrated when Lunar Lake received fourth-generation units while Arrow Lake retained third-generation technology from Meteor Lake chips.
Panther Lake systems will deliver 50 AI trillion operations per second through fifth-generation neural processors arriving soon. Nova Lake launches next year with enhanced capabilities that should qualify machines for Copilot Plus certification. The manufacturer continues investing in artificial intelligence performance despite modest adoption rates for AI-enabled computers and strong demand for older Raptor Lake processors that reportedly led to price increases.
