Intel's Next-Gen Nova Lake Chips May Skip Game-Boosting X3D Cache Rival for Mobile SKUs
A new rumor suggests that Intel's upcoming Nova Lake CPUs may not feature the company's game-boosting X3D cache rival, bLLC, on mobile SKUs. Instead, the feature may debut on the Razor Lake-HX family.
Intel's next-generation Nova Lake CPUs are rumored to feature a game-boosting X3D cache rival called bLLC. However, a new report from tipster Jaykihn implies that Nova Lake mobile chips may skip this feature entirely.
According to the rumor, only Nova Lake desktop processors will be the lucky recipients of bLLC, and even then, only a few higher-end SKUs are expected to feature it. The current rumors suggest a single NVL-S tile houses 144MB of bLLC when fully equipped, so dual-tile variants will double that to a whopping 288MB.
In contrast, AMD's 3D V-Cache is exclusive to desktops, with the exception of the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D and Ryzen 9 9995HX3D chips, which were released in 2023 and today, respectively. These two chips act as exceptions because otherwise, the Red Team's additional cache is exclusive to desktops.
The rumor also suggests that Intel's Halo-tier competitor, which is said to debut with the Razor Lake family, will feature bLLC. Earlier this year, rumors suggested that Intel was developing Nova Lake-AX to take on AMD's dominance in the high-end APU space, but the project was subsequently cancelled. New information said Intel decided to pivot to Razor Lake for an "AX" category instead.
In the same thread, Jaykihn also claimed that Razor Lake will be fabricated on TSMC's N2X node across mobile and desktop. However, it's still unclear whether Nova Lake would use the in-house 18A process or TSMC's N2P. Initial rumors pointed toward yield issues forcing Intel to leverage TSMC's technology, but more recent claims suggest the company is confident in its own 18A tech for most of Nova Lake's tiles.
It's likely that the Blue Team will utilize some combination of in-house and outsourced fabrication. For Razor Lake, TSMC's process technology roadmap from earlier this year puts N2X in 2027, so the timelines align.
### Nova Lake and Razor Lake: A Comparison
| Feature | Nova Lake | Razor Lake | | --- | --- | --- | | bLLC | Desktop only, higher-end SKUs | Mobile and desktop | | Node | 18A or TSMC's N2P | TSMC's N2X | | Fabrication | In-house or outsourced | TSMC's N2X |
### The Future of Intel's CPU Lineup
The rumor suggests that Intel's next-generation CPU lineup will feature a combination of in-house and outsourced fabrication. The company is expected to utilize TSMC's N2X node for Razor Lake, while the Nova Lake family may use the in-house 18A process or TSMC's N2P.
The introduction of bLLC on desktop SKUs and its absence on mobile SKUs may indicate a shift in Intel's strategy. The company may be reserving this feature for higher-end SKUs, while mobile chips will rely on native L3 cache.
It's worth noting that AMD's 3D V-Cache is exclusive to desktops, with the exception of the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D and Ryzen 9 9995HX3D chips. Intel's decision to debut bLLC on desktop SKUs may be a response to AMD's dominance in the high-end APU space.
The future of Intel's CPU lineup remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the company is pushing the boundaries of what's possible with its next-generation CPUs.
