Please note that this post is tagged as a rumor .
Latest Nova Lake-S rumors: up to 52 cores and 288MB bLLC cache on Core Ultra 400 K chips
A new Nova Lake-S leak claims Intel is preparing “bLLC” (Big Last Level Cache) for its next desktop lineup, with the top unlocked SKUs reaching 52 cores and up to 288MB of extra cache. The report comes via leaker @Haze2K1.
bLLC is described as an extra last level cache layer, and current reporting says it is limited to unlocked “K” models. The same leak also repeats a three tier core layout, with P-cores, E-cores, plus 4 LPE cores (low power efficient cores) on these desktop parts.
Rumored Core Ultra 400K SKUs with bLLC:
- Core Ultra 9 (dual compute tile): 52 cores (16+32+4 LPE) , up to 288MB bLLC
- Core Ultra 9 (dual compute tile): 42 cores (14+24+4 LPE) , up to 288MB bLLC
- Core Ultra 7 (single compute tile): 28 cores (8+16+4 LPE) , up to 144MB bLLC
- Core Ultra 7 (single compute tile): 24 cores (8+12+4 LPE) , up to 144MB bLLC
Nova lake-s with big last level cache:
16p 32e 4lpe
14p 24e 4lpe
8p 16e 4lpe
8p 12e 4lpe— Haze (@Haze2K1) December 17, 2025
Platform chatter stays consistent with earlier rumors: Nova Lake-S is expected to land on LGA 1954 with a 900-series chipset, and one claim says Intel may use Samsung 8nm for the PCH.
Intel has already pointed to Nova Lake as a late-2026 desktop product on its roadmap, but none of these core and cache numbers are confirmed by Intel yet.
| Intel Desktop Platforms Specs (Rumors) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | Codename | Socket | CPU Cores | GPU | NPU | BLLC |
| 12th Gen Core Alder Lake-S | Alder Lake-S | LGA-1700 | 16 (8P + 8E) | Xe-LP | ❌ | ❌ |
| 13th Gen Core Raptor Lake-S | Raptor Lake-S | LGA-1700 | 24 (8P + 16E) | Xe-LP | ❌ | ❌ |
| 14th Gen Core Raptor Lake-S Refresh | Raptor Lake-S Refresh | LGA-1700 | 24 (8P + 16E) | Xe-LP | ❌ | ❌ |
| Core (Ultra) 200 Arrow Lake-S | Arrow Lake-S | LGA-1851 | 24 (8P + 16E) | Xe-LPG | NPU3 | ❌ |
| Core (Ultra) 200 Arrow Lake-S Refresh | Arrow Lake-S Refresh | LGA-1851 | 24 (8P + 16E) | Xe-LPG | NPU3 | ❌ |
| Core (Ultra) 400 Nova Lake-S ⬅️ | Nova Lake-S | LGA-1954 | 52 (16P + 32E + 4 LP-E) | Xe3(p)-LPG | NPU6 | ✅ |
Source: @Haze2K1
