With the advantage of 3D V-Cache, AMD's desktop U has been beating Intel to the ground in terms of gaming performance in the past two years.But Intel will not always be content with others, and finally came up with the ultimate move against X3D - bLLC (Big Last-Level Cache, large last-level cache).

As an enhanced cache technology developed by Intel for its next-generation Nova Lake-S (Core Ultra 400 series) desktop processors, bLLC can be said to be specifically designed for AMD 3D V-Cache.

Well-known whistleblower Jaykihn has released the complete configuration details of the Nova Lake-S desktop processor bLLC large last-level cache, with a maximum capacity of 288MB, which is a full 80MB more than AMD's newly released Ryzen 9 9950X3D2.

Completely different from AMD's 3D stacked cache route, Intel's bLLC adopts a purely planar "large flat layer" design.It does not use stacked packaging, but directly integrates the large-capacity cache into the computing module (Compute Tile), relying on the chip area to hard-change performance..

Because it is integrated at the same layer, bLLC theoretically has lower latency, which is expected to solve the shortcomings of Intel's current processors in gaming scenarios, such as high latency and weak cache structure.

According to the news, the area of ​​the standard computing module is 98mm², and the version equipped with bLLC is directly increased to 154mm², with the area soaring by 36%. The bLLC cache of a single computing module can reach up to 144MB, and the 52-core model of dual computing modules doubles to 288MB.

It is understood that the entire Core Ultra 400 series desktop CPU has planned at least 13 SKUs, covering all grades from Ultra 3 to Ultra 9.

In terms of power consumption,The flagship model has a maximum TDP of 175W, while the TDP of the remaining models ranges from 35W to 125W.The entry-level Ultra 3 and Ultra 5 have a TDP of 35W, while the unlocked version can go up to 65W. The standard version has a TDP of 125W, and some models also offer a 65W energy-saving version.

The entire series provides the F model without core display. The core display comes standard with 2 Xe3 GPUs. Special models with higher specifications of core display will be launched in the future.

Jaykihn announced the caching details of five SKUs:

Core Ultra X (52 cores) - 288 MB

Core Ultra X (44 cores) - 264 MB

Core Ultra 9 (28 cores) - 144 MB

Core Ultra 7 (24 cores) – 132 MB

Core Ultra 9 (22 cores) - 108 MB

The x86 desktop market in 2026 is destined to be a head-to-head cache war. AMD filled up the 3D V-Cache to dual CCDs, and Intel directly used a powerful flat large cache to do wonders.

For DIY players, the fiercer competition between Intel and AMD will only bring higher performance and more cost-effective choices.