Intel has confirmed that Nova Lake will include products made both at Intel and at TSMC. A separate report says Intel is evaluating its 14A process against a TSMC option, but Intel has not publicly confirmed that Nova Lake will use 14A. The confirmed statement establishes a mixed manufacturing approach, not a final process-node choice.
What Intel has confirmed about Nova Lake manufacturing
On Intel’s Q1 2025 earnings call, CFO David Zinsner said: “So when you look at Nova Lake, you’ll see product both at TSMC and you’ll see product internal to Intel.” The remarks were reproduced in an earnings-call transcript. They confirm that Intel expected Nova Lake products to come from both external and internal manufacturing; they do not identify which Intel process node would make any particular product.
Zinsner also said Intel expected a greater aggregate number of Nova Lake wafers to use Intel processes than Panther Lake wafers. That comparison is at the product-family level. It does not say that Nova Lake wafers will use 14A, nor does it provide a per-SKU manufacturing breakdown.
Is Intel evaluating 14A for Nova Lake?
Secondary reports have described an Intel 14A-versus-TSMC evaluation for Nova Lake, but the specific claim is presented as rumor or early reporting, not an Intel announcement. Intel’s public remarks cited above confirm mixed Intel and TSMC manufacturing, not a Nova Lake design choice involving 14A.
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Intel has separately said that 14A is in development and that it is engaging potential foundry customers. In its April 29, 2025 Foundry Direct Connect announcement, Intel said early 14A process design kit (PDK) material had been distributed to lead customers and multiple customers intended to build test chips. Intel’s Q1 2026 filing later described progress on 14A development and design milestones toward potential significant customers. These are foundry-wide milestones; neither disclosure names Nova Lake.
Intel’s process roadmap includes 14A, but does not map Nova Lake to it. The roadmap also says plans and performance estimates are subject to change.
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What is still unknown
The public evidence cited here does not establish the exact TSMC node contemplated in the reported evaluation or a final process assignment for individual Nova Lake products. It also does not establish Nova Lake tape-out status, yields, production volumes, or a fixed retail launch date. There are no substantiated Nova Lake-specific figures here comparing performance, power, manufacturing cost, capacity, or schedule between 14A and a TSMC option.
Those are the comparisons that would matter in assessing a final choice: performance at a defined power target, power at a defined performance target, yield and volume readiness, cost and capacity, and schedule. Without product-specific figures, it would be misleading to claim that either process is faster, more efficient, cheaper, or more ready for Nova Lake.
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When is Nova Lake expected?
Intel executives placed Nova Lake in 2026 during the Q1 2025 earnings call, as reflected in the transcript. That is a dated expectation, not a guaranteed retail launch date. It does not resolve which process will be used for each product.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the distinction matters
Intel’s 2025 annual filing discusses the strategic importance of continuing next-generation process development and the possibility that Intel may rely on third-party foundries such as TSMC for products beyond 18A/18A-P in some scenarios. That context helps explain why Intel could consider more than one manufacturing path, but it does not confirm a Nova Lake-specific 14A decision.
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For now, the reliable conclusion is narrower than the headline rumor: Intel has said Nova Lake will use both Intel and TSMC manufacturing, while the reported 14A evaluation remains unconfirmed by Intel.
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