Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 4000 series naming convention appears to extend beyond desktop processors. Prominent leaker Jaykihn has reported on X that the "Nova Lake-HX" mobile processors will adopt the same four-digit naming format, while H-series and other mobile chips will retain the traditional three-digit naming from the previous generation.
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This clarification follows a leak that listed seven "Nova Lake-S" desktop processors, including models such as Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC and Core Ultra 7 4870K BFC, with the BFC suffix indicating models featuring big last-level cache (bLLC). Historically, HX chips have been BGA versions of Intel's desktop processors, suggesting that Intel is categorizing them alongside Nova Lake-S rather than with typical laptop chips, which may fall under the Core Ultra 400 branding, although Jaykihn did not specify this.
The HX naming isn't entirely novel; earlier leaks, including one from August by leaker Golden Pig Upgrade, had already hinted at Core Ultra 4000HX naming for laptops. Furthermore, Jaykihn clarified that the non-BFC desktop models will maintain their four LPE cores, even if this was not evident in all leaked SKUs. Currently, no HX model names have been released, and Intel has not confirmed any changes in naming conventions.
Qualification samples for Nova Lake-S have begun appearing in HWiNFO, and reports suggest a potential launch in early 2027. This shift in naming, along with the reuse of the 4000-series numbering from Haswell, means that laptop buyers might encounter two different naming schemes in the same generation.