Early benchmark results for Intel's upcoming Nova Lake-S desktop processors have appeared in the PassMark database. A 28-core engineering sample achieved a single-core score of 5210 points, surpassing the Core Ultra 9 285K by 3 percent and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D by 8 percent.
Despite strong single-core performance, the 28-core sample's multi-core score reached a maximum of 61509 points. This result is 8.5 percent lower than the Core Ultra 9 285K and 15 percent lower than the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. The lower multi-core output is attributed to the sample's limited boost clock of 4.8GHz.
The Nova Lake-S architecture will utilize the LGA1954 socket and introduce large-capacity last-level cache, with dual-compute chip models offering up to 288MB of cache to compete with AMD's 3D V-Cache technology.
Intel plans to launch the 28-core version in the first quarter of 2027. A flagship SKU featuring dual-compute chips and up to 52 cores is scheduled for release in mid-2027, targeting the high-end desktop market.
