Intel is rumored to finally compete with AMD’s X3D CPUs through the upcoming Nova Lake CPU series, expected to be launched in 2026 or early 2027.

AMD introduced its first X3D processor, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, in April 2022, capturing the attention of high-end gamers with its 3D V-Cache technology. The latest speculation suggests that Intel’s forthcoming Nova Lake CPUs will embody a similar cache system called big Last Line Cache (bLLC), which would enhance gaming performance by reducing memory latency.

Previous announcements from Intel indicated hesitation in utilizing such technology for consumer CPUs. However, the competition from AMD could push Intel to incorporate this advancement into their upcoming models.

This new structure is intended to rival AMD’s approach, which has recently improved thermal performance by relocating cache memory beneath CPU chiplets in the newest X3D series.

The effectiveness of adding cache is contingent on its latency; AMD’s memory architecture is optimized for low latency, but it remains to be seen if Intel’s implementation will offer similar performance gains in gaming scenarios.