Now that we know Intel is reportedly getting ready to challenge AMD's X3D chips, gamers might start clamoring to buy Intel processors again. And if that happens, they'll need a cooler, because if there's one thing a good CPU can do, it's run hot.
To that end, Noctua has just quietly shared some good news for those who are already on an Intel platform: its coolers will still work with Intel's upcoming LGA1954 socket.
The company wrote on its FAQ page that the same coolers that have worked with the LGA1700 (Intel Alder Lake and Raptor Lake), as well as LGA1851 (Intel Arrow Lake), will remain compatible once the next gen rolls around.
Noctua products aren't exactly cheap, but they're powerful, which is why we deem the Noctua NH-D15 to be the best CPU air cooler. But it's one pricey beast. It costs $180 on Amazon right now, and Black Friday PC gaming deals seem to have had no impact on its price tag.
Intel Nova Lake really does sound exciting, so this is good news for gamers who are willing to give Intel another go. Arrow Lake's gaming performance was disappointing, but Intel seems to be making big strides toward ensuring that Nova Lake—aka Core Ultra 400 series—doesn't repeat those mistakes.
Rumoured to launch in late 2026, Nova Lake is said to be boosting the cache in a big way, which is something that helped AMD pull ahead in the first place. The top chip is said to sport up to 52 cores and 288 MB of combined cache. Oof, that's a lot.
On the other hand, Intel fans are once again being put through a test of patience, because even though the coolers may stay the same, the motherboards won't. Arrow Lake's LGA1851 socket will still welcome another refresh (Intel Core Ultra 300), but after that, it's game over, as Intel will move on to LGA1954.
Being able to at least save money on the cooler is a nice bonus. The other good part is that if Noctua's coolers will remain compatible with LGA1954, chances are that other manufacturers also won't gatekeep Nova Lake.
A CPU cooler is one of those things that can migrate with you from build to build, so this will be a neat little perk and a bit of savings when Intel Nova Lake hits the shelves around a year from now.