According to channel Laurent’s Choice and its social media account LC Tech Leaks (and News), the first performance benchmarks for Intel’s upcoming Nova Lake desktop processors have surfaced online. The leaked data points to the Intel Core Ultra 9 4950K processor running on the LGA 1954 socket, offering an early glimpse at the core architecture and compute capabilities slated for the fourth-generation Core Ultra lineup expected late this year or early next year.
Core Ultra 9 4950K Architecture and Specifications
The leaked CPU-Z screenshot highlights the Intel Core Ultra 9 4950K featuring a total of 28 cores, broken down into 8 Performance cores (P-Cores), 16 Efficient cores (E-Cores), and an additional 4 Low-Power Efficient cores (LP E-Cores) located within the SoC section. According to the reporting, this represents the highest single CPU chiplet configuration for the desktop platform, matching the core counts found in current flagships like the Core i9-14900K and the Core Ultra 9 285K.
While the CPU-Z utility incorrectly displays a 1.8nm Intel manufacturing process due to a static database entry, the actual 8+16 core CPU chiplet utilizes TSMC’s 2nm fabrication node, though other components of the processor may still employ Intel’s 1.8nm technology. Alongside the hardware layout, Intel is reportedly shifting away from its three-digit naming scheme to a four-digit nomenclature. Chinese leaker Golden Pig Upgrade Pack notes that this four-digit structure will also apply to the Nova Lake HX laptop series to accommodate a broader portfolio of mobile parts.
Early CPU-Z Benchmark Performance Breakdown
The leaked metrics provide an initial look at raw computational output, though observers caution against drawing final conclusions from early silicon. According to Laurent’s Choice, the Core Ultra 9 4950K achieves a single-threaded score “close” to 1,000 points in CPU-Z, which likely places performance just below that threshold.
| Processor | Architecture | Single-Thread Score | Multi-Thread Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 9 4950K (Leaked) | Nova Lake | Near 1,000 pts | Near 20,000 pts |
| Core Ultra 9 285K (Guru3D data) | Arrow Lake | 907 pts | 18,990 bodů dle Guru3D |
| Ryzen 9 9950X (Guru3D data) | AMD Zen 5 | 908 pts | 17,117 bodů |
| Core i9-14900K (Guru3D data) | Raptor Lake Refresh | 924 pts | Not listed |
When stacked against current hardware reviewed by Guru3D, the anticipated single-threaded output represents roughly a 10 percent improvement over the Arrow Lake-based Core Ultra 9 285K and AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X, both of which hover around 907 to 908 points. Meanwhile, the multi-threaded benchmark is reported near 20,000 points, marking an incremental gain of about 5 percent over the Core Ultra 9 285K.
Pro Tip: Early benchmark leaks often rely on immature firmware and unoptimized memory training codes. Final retail silicon paired with mature motherboard BIOS updates frequently yields higher scores than initial engineering samples.
Potential Performance Bottlenecks and Future Outlook
Industry watchers point out that a modest 5 percent multi-threaded gain over the previous generation would be underwhelming for a platform moving from a 3nm process to a 2nm node. However, leakers note that testing platforms currently lack fully mature qualification samples (QS) with final retail branding. Furthermore, early performance limitations may stem from unoptimized memory controller firmware rather than architectural ceilings.
Leaker Jaykihna notes that Intel has not yet widely distributed fully qualified samples carrying final commercial names. Despite this, experts anticipate that Nova Lake’s real competitive edge in consumer markets may rely on gaming workloads rather than raw application benchmarks, particularly if variants equipped with large on-package cache (BLLC) mirror the gaming uplift seen in AMD’s 3D V-Cache processors.
What are your thoughts on Intel’s upcoming four-digit naming convention and early benchmark results? Let us know in the comments below, and explore our latest hardware coverage for more updates on upcoming CPU architectures.
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