Intel's next-gen Nova Lake will finally tackle AMD's Ryzen X3D, but only with pricey 'K' models — 144MB Big Last Level Cache response to 3D V-Cache will only come on unlocked desktop parts

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Following the Arrow Lake refresh, Intel is set to debut Nova Lake sometime in 2026 as its true next-gen desktop architecture. Nova Lake should bring massive improvements across the board, one of which is the inclusion of bLLC (Big Last Level Cache), serving as Intel's answer to AMD's 3D V-Cache tech. Previously, it was reported that we'll see up to 144 MB of total L3 cache thanks to bLLC on certain Nova Lake chips, and now seasoned leaker Jaykihn is claiming those will be unlocked SKUs.

bLLC will only be present on unlocked SKUs.November 25, 2025

Nova Lake supposedly tops out at 52 cores, with the flagship SKU carrying 16 P-cores, 32 E-cores, and 4 LP-E cores, split across two 28-core compute tiles. Each tile already has its own integrated L3 cache, with the bLLC taking it even further. The extra L3 cache in AMD's X3D chips sits either above or beneath the CCD, using hybrid bonding. On the other hand, Intel already has bLLC in its Clearwater Forest server chips, but they use 2.5D packaging where the LLC tile sits alongside the compute tiles on an interposer.

Nova Lake will be fabricated on Intel 18A, and it remains to be seen whether Intel will use the same packaging techniques. According to Jaykhin, though, the bLLC is part of the compute tile, but that leads to another interesting detail stemming from the core layout. If the bLLC is on the compute tile and the higher-end SKUs use two of them, it implies that a dual-bLLC solution could exist somewhere down the line with even more L3 cache. For now, bLLC on just one compute tile seems to be speculation.

Lunar Lake Compute Tile — (Image credit: Fritzchen Fritz)

So far, leaks suggest that only the midrange 8P+16E/12E-core SKUs (Core Ultra 5) will get the bLLC upgrade, since they'll use a single compute tile. These are rumors after all, so there's no confirmation whether higher-end SKUs with more cores will be entirely cut off from featuring bLLC; previously, one leaker mentioned a 180 MB Core Ultra 9 SKU could make it to market.

Keeping the 144 MB number in mind, that would beat even AMD's current-gen flagship Ryzen 9 9950X3D's L3 cache count by 48 MB, since that has 32 MB of L3 cache, boosted to 96 MB total with 64 MB added as 3D V-Cache. Funnily enough, Intel has previously explored using 2.5D/TSV packaging to add extra cache on top of CPU cores all the way back in the Broadwell era, but it never materialized beyond internal testing.

Those Ryzen 9000X3D chips are also unlocked, meaning you can overclock them to your heart's desire. When 3D V-Cache debuted on Ryzen 5000, AMD locked the CPUs, saying that the voltage regulation required to enable the extra cache was simply too precise to allow user tweaking. So, if this Nova Lake rumor is to be believed, at least Intel will start off on the right foot, achieving parity right away with AMD's X3D by having it on unlocked SKUs first.

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Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.

34 Comments Comment from the forums

Dustyboy1492

Looking great, good chance of taking back the gaming crown.
Reply
TerryLaze

Admin said:
Intel has long lacked a true rival to AMD's X3D chips that feature heaps of L3 cache, which helps boost performance in games. It seems like that is all set to change with Nova Lake, set to debut next year, reportedly featuring 144 MB of bLLC (Big Last Level Cache) that will see it race past even AMD's current-gen 3D V-Cache flagships.

Intel's next-gen Nova Lake will finally tackle AMD's Ryzen X3D, but only with pricey 'K' models — 144MB Big Last Level Cache response to 3D V-Cache... : Read more
Extreme doubt...unless priced at $1200....
an 8P/16E (4lp) core CPU with a big cache will already be faster enough to sell extremely well.

Nova Lake supposedly tops out at 52 cores, with the flagship SKU carrying 16 P-cores, 32 E-cores, and 4 LP-E cores, split across two 28-core compute tiles

Reply
usertests

It's not exactly a crazy revelation, it's a premium product.

TerryLaze said:
Extreme doubt...unless priced at $1200....
an 8P/16E (4lp) core CPU with a big cache will already be faster enough to sell extremely well.
The 144 MiB figure is for one bLLC tile. Two of them would be 288 MiB. There have been leaks suggesting dual-bLLC:

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-dual-x3d-and-intel-nova-lake-dual-bllc-leaks-surface-almost-simultaneouslyhttps://www.tweaktown.com/news/106923/intel-nova-lake-cpu-full-leak-52-cores-bllc-is-intels-answer-to-x3d-cache-lga-1954-socket/index.html
Prior to those leaks, we had a leak of two single-bLLC SKUs: 8P/16E and 8P/12E:

https://www.hwcooling.net/en/bllc-in-nova-lake-cpus-intels-answer-to-amd-x3d-processors/
Those two are the most likely to actually exist IMO.
Reply
TerryLaze

usertests said:
The 144 MiB figure is for one bLLC tile. Two of them would be 288 MiB. There have been leaks suggesting dual-bLLC:
Yeah, that's why the article says (that the rumor says) that only an core 5 will have the cache because it would only have one compute tile.
Which is even crazier, intel would only put new tech on the highest tier.

So far, leaks suggest that only the midrange 8P+16E/12E-core SKUs (Core Ultra 5) will get the bLLC upgrade, since they'll use a single compute tile.

Reply
usertests

TerryLaze said:
Yeah, that's why the article says (that the rumor says) that only an core 5 will have the cache because it would only have one compute tile.
Which is even crazier, intel would only put new tech on the highest tier.
I see it as copying the 9800X3D strategy, and it may have similar pricing ($500).

There's no game that needs more than 8P+16E cores. And the second tile might introduce complications (or not, who knows). But 7800X3D/9800X3D are the smash hits for AMD, and that's what single-tile bLLC would be directly competing with (or a 12-core single CCD Zen 6 version).

They can make something with 16P+32E + single or dual bLLC... but honestly, maybe they shouldn't. It would be high cost, low volume, definitely approaching $1000 (single-bLLC) or even $1200 (dual-bLLC) like you say.
Reply
TerryLaze

usertests said:
I see it as copying the 9800X3D strategy, and it may have similar pricing ($500).

There's no game that needs more than 8P+16E cores. And the second tile might introduce complications (or not, who knows). But 7800X3D/9800X3D are the smash hits for AMD, and that's what single-tile bLLC would be directly competing with (or a 12-core single CCD Zen 6 version).
The AMD x3d strategy hurts amd sales a lot because everybody only wants these mid priced x3d CPUs, there is no reason to copy a bad strategy.
The only reason AMD has the 8core x3d CPUs (ccds) is because that's what the consoles have so that's what they have.
Having the big cache on only one 8p/16e core9 cpu will be enough to upsell plenty of people into buying it and going to more cores on a desktop would make no sense at all.
Maybe, big maybe, a 8p/32e core if that's somehow possible.
Reply
Thunder64

TerryLaze said:
The AMD x3d strategy hurts amd sales a lot because everybody only wants these mid priced x3d CPUs, there is no reason to copy a bad strategy.
The only reason AMD has the 8core x3d CPUs (ccds) is because that's what the consoles have so that's what they have.
Having the big cache on only one 8p/16e core9 cpu will be enough to upsell plenty of people into buying it and going to more cores on a desktop would make no sense at all.
Maybe, big maybe, a 8p/32e core if that's somehow possible.

The top 15 best selling CPU's on Amazon are AMD, three of which are 3D cache models. The extra cache just gives users another choice.

Also, consoles do NOT use x3D. They use normal Zen 2 with a cut down FPU (for the PS5 at least).
Reply
TerryLaze

Thunder64 said:
The top 15 best selling CPU's on Amazon are AMD, three of which are 3D cache models. The extra cache just gives users another choice.
Amazon amd cpu revenue for a normal month are about 7-8milion...it's not going to tell you anything about sales, amd did 9bil revenue last quarter.
https://www.accio.com/business/amazon-cpu-top-seller
Thunder64 said:
Also, consoles do NOT use x3D. They use normal Zen 2 with a cut down FPU (for the PS5 at least).
But they do have unified memory which showed amd that copying stuff around is what slows things down the most and the big cache prevents a lot of that.
I just meant that the 8core ccds in general are because of the consoles.
Reply
thestryker

TerryLaze said:
Extreme doubt...unless priced at $1200....
an 8P/16E (4lp) core CPU with a big cache will already be faster enough to sell extremely well.
The leak indicates it will only be in single Compute Tile SKUs which tells me they're shifting the way they do things. I'm betting Intel will have 4 (maybe 5) different core counts of unlocked SKUs (2 with dual Compute Tiles and 2 single). If they do this cache strategy my assumption is that the versions with cache will cost about the same as the ones with two Compute Tiles. I'd bet that manufacturing cost wise it's probably cheaper for Intel to make big cache CPUs than dual Compute Tile ones which should make this a good strategy.

Keep in mind that while enthusiast sales are driven by gaming there's a very big audience that does other things that need more cores. These dual Compute Tile parts may also have a sufficiently sized L3 cache to end up being not much slower (I don't recall any leaks regarding cache size other than the "big"). If they moved from 3MB per core/cluster to 4MB that would put the top SKU at 96MB L3.

Even if they don't have a meaningful gaming advantage over Zen 6 X3D they should have a multithreaded advantage over any of the single CCD parts (basing this on the 265K being faster than the 9900X in everything Intel is competitive in). That should help out on the pricing front as it is a competitive advantage. Intel has had superior platforms since 12th Gen (exception being PCIe 5.0 SSDs on 12th-14th) aside from socket longevity which I don't really think is a big selling point (though it is for some people).
Reply
Thunder64

TerryLaze said:
Amazon amd cpu revenue for a normal month are about 7-8milion...it's not going to tell you anything about sales, amd did 9bil revenue last quarter.
https://www.accio.com/business/amazon-cpu-top-seller
But they do have unified memory which showed amd that copying stuff around is what slows things down the most and the big cache prevents a lot of that.
I just meant that the 8core ccds in general are because of the consoles.

Not at all. First Zen 2 was made up of 2x 4-core CCX's per CCD. The 8 core CCD didn't come until Zen 3. Also Zen 2 went up to 16 cores so an 8 core variant was always part of the plan.
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