Recently exposed manifests reveal that Intel has begun shipping test samples of its next-generation server and desktop processors. While much about these upcoming CPUs remains uncertain, their eventual launch could be a defining moment for Intel’s 18A process node and its foundry business.
The shipments reportedly occurred last month, but the manifests were recently uncovered by leaker x86deadandback. He suspects that two listings for 500W A0 chips correspond to Clearwater Forest processors. Another shipment from the same period is explicitly marked as a Nova Lake CPU intended for R&D, suggesting that both product lines have reached a critical development milestone.
Clear as water: A0 500W
Big (SRAM in Base DIE) Boys Don’t Cry 🙂https://t.co/iBQy1vMkcJ pic.twitter.com/GisHMS9fXf
– X86 is dead&back (@x86deadandback) January 20, 2025
Intel unveiled Clearwater Forest last fall, positioning the upcoming Xeon server CPUs as a cornerstone in its strategy to compete with AMD and TSMC. Although TSMC has maintained the semiconductor market’s pole position for years, Intel hopes to leapfrog the Taiwanese giant with its next node.
Clearwater Forest and the laptop-focused Panther Lake CPUs mark the debut of Intel’s 18A node. With PowerVia backside power delivery and performance improvements from the RibbonFET gate-all-around architecture, Intel hopes the node will compete against TSMC’s 3nm and 2nm chips.
Following a turbulent year that forced CEO Pat Gelsinger to resign, the company is betting heavily on 18A to prove that it can remain in the foundry business. Last month, Intel confirmed that third-party customers have successfully powered on 18A samples, suggesting that development is progressing smoothly.
Don’t Stop!😎 Intel Nova Lake! pic.twitter.com/4EB5xy2BzM
– X86 is dead&back (@x86deadandback) January 21, 2025
Intel has also confirmed that Clearwater Forest will feature stacked cache technology similar to AMD’s 3D V-Cache. However, unlike AMD’s implementation – which has significantly boosted gaming performance – Intel’s version will be exclusive to server processors. Both Clearwater Forest and Panther Lake are anticipated to launch later this year.
Meanwhile, Nova Lake is expected to follow Panther Lake, potentially arriving in 2026. Although details about Nova Lake remain sparse, it is rumored to succeed the recently launched Arrow Lake desktop processors and may include laptop variants. Details regarding Nova Lake’s semiconductor node also remain unclear, but it could use Intel’s 14A or TSMC’s 2nm.
TSMC’s 2nm N2 node, like Intel’s 18A, will employ gate-all-around architecture to significantly improve performance and power efficiency. Mass production of TSMC’s 2nm chips is set to begin in late 2025. Other competitors, including Samsung and Rapidus, are also working on similar technologies. However, Samsung faces challenges with low yields, while Rapidus is expected to lag behind TSMC by at least two years.