Linux 7.0 launches with enablement for Intel Nova Lake, AMD Zen 6 — major kernel update expected in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora 44 first
Published: (February 23, 2026 at 01:24 PM EST)
1 min read
Source: Tom's Hardware
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Image credit: Getty Images
Release Overview
Linux 7.0‑rc1 has been officially released, bringing a large set of new features and changes. According to Phoronix, the kernel focuses on preparing for upcoming AMD and Intel hardware, including Nova Lake and Zen 6. While the kernel is bleeding‑edge and not all distributions will adopt it immediately, it is expected that the upcoming Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora 44 will be among the first to ship with Linux 7.0.
CPU Enablement and New Features
- Intel Nova Lake, Diamond Rapids, and AMD Zen 6 chips are now supported.
- Intel TSX is tuned to auto mode, improving performance on newer Intel CPUs.
- DSA 3.0 accelerators are included to offload tasks to dedicated silicon on newer Xeon processors.
- Turbostat now reports L2 cache statistics for newer Intel CPUs.
- NTB driver support and performance‑event handling added for Diamond Rapids Xeon CPUs.
- LPSS driver and sound support added for Nova Lake chips.