Intel Nova Lake 8P+12E CPU Rumoured to Keep Its Full 36MB L3 Cache

Fresh details are beginning to emerge around Intel's upcoming Nova Lake desktop processors, and one particular 8P+12E configuration is drawing attention because Intel may be keeping more cache intact than previously expected.

According to new information shared by serial hardware leaker Jaykihn, an upcoming Nova Lake SKU featuring 8 Performance cores, 12 Efficiency cores and four Low-Power Efficiency cores could retain the same 36MB of L3 cache found on the larger 8P+16E version.

That may sound like a relatively small architectural detail, but cache capacity can have a noticeable impact on gaming and latency-sensitive workloads, particularly as Intel prepares to introduce much larger cache configurations elsewhere in the Nova Lake family.

Intel May Disable E-Cores Without Cutting L3 Cache

The processor in question is reportedly derived from a larger 8P+16E+4LP-E configuration.

Rather than manufacturing a completely separate design, Intel is expected to disable one cluster containing four E-cores, leaving the chip with:

The interesting part is what apparently happens to the cache.

Previous speculation suggested Intel could reduce the L3 cache alongside the disabled E-core cluster. Instead, the new rumour claims the processor will continue carrying the full 36MB L3 allocation.

That would give the reduced-core SKU the same L3 capacity as the higher-core model, potentially giving it a slightly more favourable cache-per-core ratio.

For anyone unfamiliar with Intel's terminology, the naming is fairly straightforward. P-cores are the high-performance cores, E-cores handle heavily threaded workloads more efficiently, while LP-E cores are designed around lower-power background activity.

Nova Lake is expected to continue expanding Intel's hybrid architecture by combining all three types.

Not Every Reduced-Core SKU Will Lose Cache

The reported behaviour apparently isn't limited to the 8P+12E processor.

Another Nova Lake configuration featuring 4P+4E+4LP-E is said to retain 18MB of L3 cache, matching the cache capacity of the larger 4P+8E+4LP-E version.

Again, Intel would essentially be disabling CPU cores without reducing the associated last-level cache.

This could be beneficial for lower-tier processors because the remaining cores would still have access to the same overall L3 capacity.

The information reportedly applies to the standard Nova Lake processors without Intel's rumoured bLLC implementation, and similar configurations are expected to appear within the high-performance Nova Lake-HX mobile lineup as well.

However, Intel doesn't appear to be following this policy universally.

Some Nova Lake SKUs Will Still Get Less L3

One configuration reportedly breaks the pattern.

The rumoured 6P+12E+4LP-E processor is expected to feature 27MB of L3 cache rather than 30MB.

That means Intel is apparently making cache decisions on a model-by-model basis rather than simply maintaining identical L3 capacity whenever cores are disabled.

There could be several reasons for this.

Intel may be trying to create clearer performance separation between SKUs, optimise die configurations or simply work around how cache slices are physically associated with different parts of the silicon.

Without Intel publishing detailed Nova Lake architecture information, it is difficult to know exactly how those decisions are being made.

Still, it reinforces the idea that core count alone won't tell the full story when comparing Nova Lake processors.

Nova Lake Is Expected to Become Core Ultra 400 Series

Nova Lake is widely expected to arrive commercially under Intel's Core Ultra 400 Series branding, continuing the company's current naming structure.

That would make Nova Lake effectively Intel's Series 4 generation of Core Ultra processors.

The architecture is shaping up to be a significant step beyond current Intel desktop designs, with previous reports pointing toward substantially higher core counts and several entirely new internal components.

One of the most ambitious rumours suggests Intel could produce a Nova Lake SKU carrying as many as 52 CPU cores.

That would represent an enormous increase in total thread-processing resources for a mainstream Intel desktop platform.

Obviously, those 52 cores wouldn't all be conventional high-performance cores.

The total would be achieved through Intel's hybrid combination of P-cores, E-cores and LP-E cores.

Coyote Cove and Arctic Wolf Are Expected to Replace Current Core Designs

Nova Lake is also expected to introduce new CPU architectures.

The Performance cores are reportedly called Coyote Cove, while the Efficiency cores are known as Arctic Wolf.

These will replace the core architectures used in Intel's preceding generations and will likely bring improvements in instructions per clock, power efficiency and scheduling behaviour.

Intel's hybrid CPU strategy increasingly depends on the operating system and hardware scheduler knowing which workloads belong on which cores.

High-priority foreground workloads can run on powerful P-cores, while highly parallel or less demanding work can be distributed across E-cores.

The LP-E cores add another layer to that strategy by providing an extremely efficient place to run lightweight background tasks.

Theoretically, that allows the processor to keep its larger cores asleep more often and reduce idle or low-load power consumption.

NPU 6 Will Continue Intel's AI Push

Nova Lake is also expected to incorporate Intel's next-generation NPU 6.

Dedicated neural processing hardware has quickly become a standard part of modern PC processors as Microsoft and software developers increasingly introduce local AI functionality.

Intel has already been steadily increasing NPU performance across its Core Ultra generations, and Nova Lake is expected to continue that progression.

For desktop enthusiasts, the NPU may not initially seem as important as CPU or GPU performance.

But local AI capabilities are becoming increasingly integrated into applications such as image processing, video conferencing, transcription, content creation and operating-system features.

Instead of using the CPU or GPU for every AI task, an NPU can handle certain workloads using considerably less power.

DDR5-8000 Support Could Be Another Major Upgrade

Memory support is another area where Nova Lake could move forward.

Reports suggest native support for DDR5 speeds reaching 8,000MT/s.

That's a considerable amount of memory bandwidth for a mainstream desktop platform, although final speeds will naturally depend on motherboard design, memory controllers and DIMM configurations.

Fast DDR5 could become particularly important if Nova Lake really does scale to extremely high core counts.

Dozens of CPU cores require enormous amounts of data, and feeding them efficiently means memory bandwidth becomes increasingly important.

It could also complement Intel's cache strategy.

The closer frequently used data remains to the CPU cores, the less often the processor needs to access comparatively slower system memory.

That brings us to perhaps the most intriguing Nova Lake rumour of all.

Intel's Big Last-Level Cache Could Be Its Answer to AMD X3D

Some Nova Lake processors are reportedly being developed with something called bLLC, or big last-level cache.

The concept appears to be Intel's answer to AMD's extremely successful 3D V-Cache technology.

AMD's Ryzen X3D processors have repeatedly demonstrated just how valuable huge amounts of cache can be for gaming.

By stacking additional cache onto the processor, AMD can dramatically reduce how often CPU cores need to access slower system memory.

Intel may be preparing a different implementation with a similar overall objective.

Rumours suggest certain Nova Lake configurations could carry as much as 288MB of combined L2 and L3 cache.

That is an enormous figure for a mainstream desktop CPU.

Why Huge Cache Can Matter So Much for Gaming

Games frequently work with large collections of data that need to be accessed repeatedly and quickly.

This includes things such as world information, physics calculations, AI behaviour and draw-call data.

If more of that information can remain inside fast on-chip cache rather than repeatedly travelling out to system memory, CPU latency can decrease.

That is one reason AMD's X3D processors often deliver disproportionately large gaming improvements despite not necessarily having the highest clock speeds.

Nova Lake processors equipped with bLLC could potentially give Intel a much stronger response in that area.

Importantly, though, the newly leaked 36MB and 18MB figures refer to non-bLLC Nova Lake models.

Intel may therefore end up dividing the lineup into conventional cache configurations and premium high-cache variants.

That could resemble how AMD separates regular Ryzen processors from its Ryzen X3D products.

Retaining L3 Cache Could Make Lower-Core Models More Interesting

If Intel really does keep 36MB of L3 on an 8P+12E Nova Lake processor, the resulting SKU could become particularly interesting.

A slightly reduced core count isn't always a major disadvantage for gaming.

Many games don't use every available CPU core effectively anyway.

What can matter much more is strong per-core performance, low latency and sufficient cache.

If the 8P+12E model keeps the same 36MB of L3 as its larger sibling, users could potentially receive much of the same gaming behaviour while paying less.

Of course, heavily threaded productivity applications would still benefit from the additional E-cores of higher-end models.

It is essentially a question of workload.

Intel Could Be Creating a Much More Complicated Product Stack

Nova Lake is already shaping up to have a potentially complicated selection of processors.

Intel could be combining:

That provides Intel with enormous flexibility when creating different price points.

But it could also make comparing processors increasingly difficult for buyers.

A CPU with fewer cores could potentially have more cache than expected, while another apparently similar SKU may have reduced L3.

If bLLC enters the equation as well, simply looking at names such as Core Ultra 7 or Core Ultra 9 may not tell consumers everything they need to know.

Detailed specifications could matter considerably more.

Nova Lake Could Become One of Intel's Most Important Gaming Generations

The broader picture is becoming increasingly interesting.

High core counts are useful, but Intel appears to be paying much more attention to cache as well.

AMD has demonstrated through several generations of X3D processors that gaming workloads can benefit enormously from large caches.

If Intel introduces Nova Lake with new Coyote Cove P-cores, Arctic Wolf E-cores and optional massive bLLC configurations, the company could be preparing its strongest attempt yet to challenge AMD's gaming leadership.

That competition would ultimately be good for PC enthusiasts.

Instead of the two manufacturers competing almost entirely on clock speeds and core counts, cache design is becoming another major battleground.

Final Thoughts

The reported decision to keep 36MB of L3 cache on an 8P+12E+4LP-E Nova Lake processor may seem like a relatively minor specification, but it hints at a broader change in how Intel could structure its upcoming lineup.

Rather than automatically reducing cache whenever cores are disabled, Intel appears willing to preserve additional L3 capacity on certain models.

That could make some lower-core configurations considerably more attractive, particularly for gaming and latency-sensitive workloads.

And that's before Intel's rumoured big last-level cache even enters the picture.

If the more extreme reports surrounding as much as 288MB of combined L2 and L3 cache are accurate, Nova Lake could mark a significant shift in Intel's approach to gaming CPUs.

For now, though, all of these details remain unofficial.

But with Core Ultra 400 Series, Coyote Cove, Arctic Wolf, NPU 6, DDR5-8000 and potentially enormous cache configurations all being linked to Nova Lake, Intel's next major desktop generation is becoming increasingly interesting long before the first chips actually reach store shelves.