A 24-core Intel gaming CPU with AMD 3D V-cache style tech is coming, says rumor

A new rumor suggests that a next-gen Intel CPU with technology to rival AMD's gaming processors is on the way. The details about future Nova Lake gaming CPUs, while very much unconfirmed so far, suggest that the company is ready to finally challenge the dominance of AMD's 3D V-cache technology. That includes a 24-core CPU with a bigger L3 cache, potentially allowing for truly competitive gaming performance against AMD's best for the first time in several years.

The best that Intel has to offer simply hasn't been good enough in recent years when it comes to gaming, so this would be a very welcome change if it's true. The performance tests in our Intel Core Ultra 7 265K review were unimpressive at launch, with our best gaming CPU guide led instead by AMD options with 3D V-cache, such as the AMD Ryzen 9800X3D.

This rumor comes via regular Intel tech leader OneRaichu, straight from the rumor mines on X (formerly Twitter). In an X post, OneRaichu mentions two CPU configurations: 12/32 and 8/16. Most recent generations of Intel processors have largely come in a hybrid configuration, with Performance (P) and Efficient (E) cores, where the P-cores are largely designed for high-performance tasks like gaming, while E-cores are useful for multi-threaded work.

This rumor suggests that a CPU with 16 P-cores and 32 E-cores, along with a chip containing eight P-cores and 16 E-cores, is set to launch. While the post doesn't mention Nova Lake specifically, it does mention that the 8/16 configuration CPU will have a "BLLC version," referring to a big Last Level Cache, or larger L3 cache.

For context, a large L3 cache allows for more data to be stored on the CPU directly, making it less likely your CPU will need to revert to using your PC's slower RAM. A bigger L3 cache is largely the reason why AMD has had such success with CPUs like the 7800X3D, which introduces an extra 64MB L3 cache, alongside the existing 32MB, on top of the CPU's eight cores. In our tests, this bigger L3 cache enables the CPU to offer much better gaming performance through reduced latency.

This isn't the first time we've heard this rumor, either. A rumour about an Intel 3D V-cache equivalent last month suggested that an 8P/12E Intel CPU would feature a big last level cache. Meanwhile, rumours about an Intel CPU with bigger cache capacity were mentioned by Intel itself last year, although at the time, the chipmaker suggested it would be aimed at the server market, and not desktop PCs.

This is a promising sign that Intel is cooking up a decent AMD 3D V-cache competitor, but nothing is confirmed just yet. We'll be eager to test such a CPU when, or if, Intel launches one, however.

Luckily, you don't need to wait for next-gen to experience serious gaming performance. Our best gaming PC guide has a number of powerful, pre-built options for your gaming setup to suit a range of budgets.

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