Intel Confirms Arrow Lake Refresh and Nova Lake in 2026: Prepare Your System with Maxtor High-Performance Thermal Paste
Intel has confirmed its plans to launch an updated desktop platform with Arrow Lake silicon. The company earlier admitted that Arrow Lake did not meet expectations and was delivering lower-than-expected performance. To improve market response, Intel introduced Core 200S Boost and worked with partners to support faster DDR5 memory. Those waiting for major changes in the desktop market can now look toward late 2026 and early 2027. That is when Intel plans to release its Nova Lake family. An Arrow Lake Refresh is also scheduled, but Intel made clear that this update is meant to patch gaps in its desktop lineup rather than compete head-on with AMD's Ryzen series.
During the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, John Pitzer, Intel's VP of Corporate Relations, confirmed that Arrow Lake Refresh will launch in the first half of 2026 on the existing LGA1851 platform. These chips are expected to stay under the Core Ultra 200 branding, while Panther Lake will move to Core Ultra 300 later in 2026.
Nova Lake, most likely labeled as Core Ultra 400, will arrive in late 2026 and extend into 2027. The platform moves to a new LGA1954 socket and, according to leaks, could scale up to 52 cores on flagship desktop SKUs. Intel expects to launch higher-end "K" models first, with mainstream and entry-level variants following as the lineup ramps. Intel also confirmed that Nova Lake will use at least one 18A-based tile. This process node is currently allocated for Panther Lake notebooks, but starting in 2026 it will also serve Nova Lake desktop and notebook CPUs, along with the Clearwater Forest and Diamond Rapids server products.
As Intel pushes core counts and performance to new heights with Arrow Lake Refresh and Nova Lake, effective thermal management becomes increasingly critical. Higher core densities and boosted clock speeds generate more heat, demanding superior cooling solutions to maintain stability and extend hardware life.
Maxtor Thermal Paste is engineered to meet the cooling demands of next-generation processors. With high thermal conductivity and excellent stability under load, Maxtor ensures efficient heat transfer from your CPU to the cooler, preventing throttling and supporting sustained high performance. Whether you are upgrading to Arrow Lake Refresh or preparing for the high-core-count Nova Lake platform, Maxtor provides the thermal solution you need for optimal operation.
Choose Maxtor Thermal Paste for reliability and performance. Protect your investment in Intel’s upcoming CPU generations and keep your system running cool under pressure.
