AMD Zen 6 and Intel Nova Lake CPUs reportedly arriving late, delayed to CES 2027 — next-gen chips rocked by industry turmoil
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Image credit: Intel / AMD
The state of the PC industry is one of confusion, with the AI boom still ongoing despite limited real‑world benefits. RAM prices have tripled, and SSD and GPU prices are also rising【source】. New information suggests that upcoming CPUs from AMD and Intel are also being delayed.
AMD Zen 6 Delay
A staggered launch for Zen 6 was likely planned, but the current manufacturing crisis appears to have pushed its mainstream desktop release beyond 2026. An older roadmap leak for AMD’s mobile CPUs listed Zen 6 as a 2027 release【source】, so the exact timing for the “Olympic Ridge” desktop SKU has never been confirmed. The assumption that it would line up with Intel’s Nova Lake may no longer hold.
Intel Nova Lake Delay
Leaker Golden Pig Upgrade claimed on Weibo that Intel’s next‑gen desktop CPUs (codenamed “Blue Team”) will be released in 2027【source】, despite earlier statements from CEO Lip‑Bu Tan indicating a year‑end launch【source】. There remains a possibility that initial Nova Lake variants could appear in Q4 2026, with the Nova Lake‑S refresh officially unveiled at CES 2027.
Image credit: Future
Intel has not yet announced its Arrow Lake refresh and has recently launched Panther Lake for mobile devices. The delay appears tied to Intel’s recent shift of production capacity from consumer chips to data‑center CPUs【source】, a move mirrored across the industry as companies prioritize AI‑related revenue.
Speculative Details
- Zen 6: Leaked configurations suggest a new 12‑core CCD, enabling a 24‑core Ryzen flagship【source】.
- Nova Lake: Rumors point to a top‑end 52‑core desktop CPU with up to 288 MB of bLLC cache, potentially drawing up to 700 W under PL4 power limits【source】.
Both families promise major architectural improvements, setting the stage for a competitive next generation of desktop processors.