Intel’s Nova Lake-S Leak Reveals Two 18-Core Chips With Big Cache, 125W and 65W Variants
A correction from a well-known Intel leaker has upended the specs of two rumoured Nova Lake-S desktop chips, revealing they will pack 22 cores rather than the 18 first reported. The processors are still expected to sit within the Core Ultra 5 tier of Intel’s next-generation Core Ultra 400 family and will reportedly ship in 125W unlocked and 65W locked variants, according to hardware leaker Jaykihn.
On July 3, 2026, the leaker Jaykihn, known for Intel roadmaps, corrected a previously published core configuration for two alleged Nova Lake-S processors, changing the originally stated 6 performance, 8 efficiency, and 4 low-power cores to 6 P, 12 E, and 4 LP-E cores. That revision matters because with six P-cores and twelve E-cores, the actual Compute Tile would amount to 18 compute cores, and together with the four LP-E cores, this yields the advertised total of 22.
Two Nearly Identical 22-Core SKUs, Split by Power and Overclocking
Tom’s Hardware, citing the same Jaykihn post, reports that each chip features a 22-core config comprising 6 P-Cores, 12 E-Cores, and 4 LP-E cores on a single tile, with access to up to 144MB of bLLC, and the rumor indicates one unlocked SKU with a 125W TDP and a locked SKU with a 65W TDP, with seemingly no other differences between the two. VideoCardz frames the split the same way, noting the difference between the two SKUs is said to be power and multiplier support, with one model listed as a 125W unlocked part and the other a 65W non-K version.
Not everything lines up cleanly, though. Igor’s Lab points out that Jaykihn’s correction explicitly names “U5” for the 125-watt configuration, usually read as Core Ultra 5, but for the 65-watt version the same post says “U9,” and a Core Ultra 9 with only six P-cores and a nominal power draw of 65 watts would hardly fit the previously assumed product segmentation. The outlet adds that VideoCardz treats both variants as Core Ultra 5 models, so it is plausible “U9” is merely another typographical error, though this remains unconfirmed.
bLLC Cache Sizing Still a Moving Target
The headline technology here is bLLC, Intel’s “Big Last Level Cache” design widely read as its answer to AMD’s 3D V-Cache. TechSpot describes it as Intel attaching a large block of big Last Level Cache, or bLLC, to these chips, part of a wider push into cache-heavy silicon for gaming workloads. VideoCardz notes that earlier leaks pointed to up to 144MB of bLLC for single compute tile models, which would place these Core Ultra 5 models below the higher-end dual compute tile parts while still giving them access to the larger cache design, though it stresses that the exact cache size for this SKU is unknown at this moment.
Igor’s Lab flags an added wrinkle: preliminary tables list the 6+12+4 configuration at a lower figure than the oft-quoted 144MB ceiling. As the outlet puts it, the preliminary model overview lists the 6+12+4 configuration with bLLC at 108 MB, and whether this refers only to the additional large cache, a combined cache value, or an older table version is not explained clearly. Until Intel publishes anything official, exact cache figures for this specific SKU should be treated as provisional.
Coyote Cove and Arctic Wolf Cores, LGA 1954 Socket
Architecturally, both chips are said to pair Intel’s next-generation Coyote Cove performance cores with Arctic Wolf efficiency cores, a combination TechSpot describes as 6 “Coyote Cove” P-cores, 12 “Arctic Wolf” E-cores, and 4 LP-E cores, a mix that suggests a design balancing compute throughput with background and low-power tasks. The platform itself is also changing: Nova Lake-S is expected to require Intel’s new LGA 1954 socket alongside faster memory support, a shift TechSpot links to a dual-lever loading mechanism similar to what the company has used on its high-end desktop and workstation platforms, with pin counts nearing 2,000 meant to ensure stable contact for larger packages.
These 22-core parts sit in the middle of a much larger Nova Lake-S stack. Higher up, TechSpot reports other leaks point to configurations with up to 52 cores on the same platform, with peak power draw approaching the mid-400 W range for top-end, overclockable chips. Tom’s Hardware adds that timing for the whole family remains fluid, noting rumors indicate a CES 2027 announcement is imminent for Intel’s next-gen family, but the ongoing component crisis could throw things off.
Why Local PC Builders Should Watch the Cache War
For Kiwi and Australian PC gamers, mid-tier chips like these rumoured Core Ultra 5 parts historically define the sweet spot for local build guides, sitting well under flagship pricing while still chasing AMD’s cache-driven frame-rate advantage. If Intel does bring bLLC down to a 65W, non-overclocking SKU rather than reserving it for premium K-series parts, it could reshape the value proposition for compact, efficient gaming rigs assembled locally — though, as every outlet tracking this leak stresses, none of it is official until Intel says so itself.
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