Intel Moon Lake and Wildcat Lake Refresh get rumored launch windows

Intel’s upcoming Moon Lake and Wildcat Lake Refresh processors have received tentative launch windows. According to hardware leaker Jaykihn, the two processor families could arrive several months apart in 2027, with some notable differences in their manufacturing processes. Responding to a question on X, Jaykihn stated that Wildcat Lake Refresh is currently expected to launch in Q2 2027, while Moon Lake is targeting Q4 2027. 

The tipster also revealed that Wildcat Lake Refresh’s compute tile will reportedly use Intel’s newer 18A-P process, whereas Moon Lake will rely on the standard 18A node. Intel previously confirmed that 18A-P entered risk production in June 2026. The enhanced process offers improvements in performance and thermal characteristics over the original 18A technology.

As previously reported, Moon Lake could be Intel’s next ultra-low-power processor family targeting inexpensive laptops and passively cooled devices. The chips are rumoured to feature up to four Darkmont low-power efficiency cores, with no performance cores. Their default power rating is reportedly just 6 W.

Wildcat Lake Refresh, meanwhile, targets a somewhat more powerful segment. Earlier leaks suggest that the processors could feature up to four performance cores and four low-power efficiency cores, effectively doubling the performance-core count of existing Wildcat Lake processors. Support for Intel vPro and configurable power limits reaching 35 W has also been suggested.

Intel also has several other processor families in development. Its upcoming Nova Lake-S desktop lineup is expected to introduce new Coyote Cove performance cores and Arctic Wolf efficiency cores, with select models reportedly featuring a large last-level cache (bLLC) to compete with AMD’s Ryzen X3D processors. Meanwhile, Nova Lake-HX is expected to bring the architecture to high-performance laptops under the Core Ultra 4000-series branding. 

There is also the ambitious Nova Lake-AX project, now known as Razor Lake-AX. Originally rumoured as Intel’s answer to AMD’s Strix Halo processors, it is expected to feature powerful integrated graphics. Intel has reportedly acknowledged Razor Lake-AX on its robotics roadmap for 2028, although its availability in conventional laptops remains uncertain.

If that wasn't enough, Raptor Lake-HX is also set to make a comeback (again), this time under the Core 2000 HX banner. Essentially, buyers will have to pay extra attention to the CPU model number because a wrong pick will leave you with what is essentially a three-generation-old architecture.