Intel is preparing the Core Ultra Series 4 ‘Nova Lake-S’ as its first desktop processor family designed to deliver native acceleration for Microsoft Copilot+. The neural processing unit in ‘Nova Lake’ offers throughput of 74 TOPS, which directly targets the Copilot+ specification by far exceeding the 40 TOPS required by Copilot+. Intel already satisfies this bar in the mobile segment with its ‘Lunar Lake’ processors, but the current ‘Arrow Lake-S’ and upcoming ‘Arrow Lake-S Refresh’ desktop parts reach only 13 TOPS because they rely on an older generation NPU derived from ‘Meteor Lake’.
Product segmentation within the Nova Lake-S lineup is expected, and it is not guaranteed that every desktop model will provide the full 74 TOPS rating, as some chips could ship with lower NPU throughput. However, there is enough headroom in the design for Intel to configure the range so that even the least expensive retail configuration can deliver at least 40 TOPS in order to satisfy Copilot+ requirements. This approach would let Intel scale features and performance across the stack while still maintaining baseline compatibility with Microsoft’s on-device Artificial Intelligence experience.
Competitive pressure is emerging from AMD, which could claim the distinction of shipping the first socketed desktop processor with a Copilot+ capable NPU. AMD is positioned to introduce its Ryzen Artificial Intelligence 400 series ‘Gorgon Point’ APUs for Socket AM5 before Intel brings Nova Lake-S to market. The AMD launch could occur ahead of Intel’s rumored late-2026 debut for the Core Ultra Series 4 desktop processors, potentially giving AMD an advantage in time-to-market for Copilot+ ready desktop silicon.
