The big picture: Intel is reportedly preparing five 900-series chipsets for its upcoming Nova Lake desktop processors. These new chips will succeed the 800-series platform, which supports Arrow Lake-S and Arrow Lake Refresh desktop CPUs. The motherboards will also debut the LGA 1954 socket, replacing the LGA 1851.
According to tipster Jaykihn, the 900-series platform will have five PCH variants: Z990, Z970, W980, Q970, and B960. All five are expected to appear on next-gen LGA 1954 motherboards, set to launch alongside Nova Lake-S later this year. The chipsets will reportedly differ in several areas, including the number of supported PCIe 5.0 lanes and overclocking capabilities.
The top-end Z990 and Z970 chipsets will both support CPU and memory overclocking. However, while the Z990 enables both core multiplier and base clock overclocking, the Z970 only allows multiplier OC. The Z990 will also offer 48 PCIe lanes, two USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 ports, 12 PCIe 5.0 lanes, 12 PCIe 4.0 lanes, eight SATA 3.0 ports, and up to five USB 3.2 20 Gbps ports.
Intel 900 Series Chipset Specifications. pic.twitter.com/vJzhBQWk4o
– Jaykihn (@jaykihn0) February 9, 2026
The Z970 will sit just below the Z990, offering many of the same features as the flagship chip but without any PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Instead, it will provide 14 PCIe 4.0 lanes, four SATA ports, one USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 port, and up to two USB 3.2 20 Gbps ports. The W980, meanwhile, will match the Z990 in specifications but will lack any overclocking capabilities.
The Q970 is expected to offer similar I/O connectivity to the Z970, though it will not support overclocking. Rounding out the lineup is the entry-level B960, which also foregoes CPU overclocking. It will, however, still support memory OC, albeit with significantly reduced connectivity compared to the Z-series chips.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has confirmed plans to launch Nova Lake in the second half of 2026. These processors will be built on the company's 18A process node, use the new LGA 1954 socket, feature up to 52 CPU cores, and include Xe3 graphics.
Intel is also reportedly planning to follow a strategy similar to AMD's, supporting the LGA 1954 socket across at least four CPU generations. After Nova Lake, the roadmap includes several new server and HEDT processors on the 18A node, such as Diamond Rapids and Clearwater Forest in 2026, followed by Coral Rapids in 2028/2029.