Intel Nova Lake-S Leak: Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC, 28 Cores and LGA1954 Platform

What the leak shows​

The leak provides part numbers, core configurations, power ratings and integrated GPU specifications. VideoCardz says the naming is still unofficial. It does fit earlier reports that Nova Lake will move Core Ultra desktop chips to four-digit model numbers.

Here is the full table as published:

The pattern is clear. Each BFC model takes the core layout of its non-BFC sibling and adds four low-power E-cores and the large-cache option. VideoCardz expands bLLC as "Big Last Level Cache," the bigger last-level cache that earlier reports tied to selected Nova Lake-S processors. The table also marks the BFC parts as vPro-capable.

Nobody has said what "BFC" means. VideoCardz states that the suffix's meaning "has not been confirmed." I won't guess at an expansion here. The fact that BFC models line up with bLLC and vPro tells us nothing about what the letters stand for.

Summary: Seven model numbers, one 28-core flagship, and three BFC chips that each add four LP-E cores plus big cache. There are no clock speeds, cache sizes per chip, prices or benchmarks.

The 4950K doesn't match its earlier leak​

Some readers will remember the 4950K from August. In that earlier leak, the 4950K was the 28-core chip.

• LC Tech Leaks posted an alleged CPU-Z screenshot of the processor on August 19. The image identifies the chip as a Core Ultra 9 4950K running on a Z990 motherboard and also includes early benchmark results.
• TechPowerUp reported then that the chip features 8 "Coyote Cove" P-Cores, 16 "Arctic Wolf" E-Cores, and 4 LPE-Cores.

The new table gives the 4950K only 24 cores, with no LP-E cores. The 28-core 8+16+4 layout now belongs to the 4970K BFC. There are a few possible explanations:

1. Engineering sample names change. VideoCardz noted in August that leakers say the four-digit numbering is real, although the SKU itself may not be final. A chip tested as "4950K" could ship under another name.
2. The table may simplify things. It may leave out LP-E cores on some models for reasons we can't see.
3. One of the two leaks is wrong. Leaks often are.

My read, as an analyst: the safest conclusion is that a 28-core 8+16+4 Nova Lake-S desktop part exists in testing. Which retail number it gets is still open.

How this fits earlier cache leaks​

VideoCardz links the new table to earlier reports of single-compute-tile Nova Lake-S chips with up to 28 cores and up to 144MB of bLLC, including 24-core and 22-core cache-equipped versions. Those counts match the 4970K BFC, 4870K BFC and 4900 BFC.

Notebookcheck published a tentative breakdown earlier this year. It listed a Core Ultra 9 400 | 28 (8+16+4) | No | 36 MB configuration and a 22-core (6+12+4) bLLC model with 108MB. That 22-core layout matches the leaked 4900 BFC, which is shown at 65W. That's the only 65W chip in the table, and it would be the obvious choice for small-form-factor and office builds.

That report also mentioned bigger chips: the 52-core flagship will launch as the Core Ultra DX9 4xx and the 44-core variant will launch as the Core Ultra DX7 4xx. VideoCardz says earlier roadmap leaks had the 28-core processors arriving before those dual-compute-tile models. So the 4970K BFC may not stay at the top of the stack for long.

Matching core counts across leaks is corroboration, not confirmation. Several leaks can point the same way and still be wrong together, especially when some share the same small group of sources.

The platform evidence is firmer​

The SKU names are rumor. The platform has stronger support:

• LGA1954 has an official Intel reference. In late August, VideoCardz reported that Intel's Design-In Tools store listed an "ILM Kit for the LGA1954 NVL-S Interposer for the Gen5 VR Test Tool." It's validation hardware, not a consumer product, but it puts the socket name and the desktop platform name together on a site Intel runs. LGA1954 replaces LGA1851, which Arrow Lake-S uses.
• 900-series chipsets have passed compliance testing. Tom's Hardware reported on September 29 that the PCI-SIG Integrators List also includes Intel's 900-series chipsets for Nova Lake-S processors. The USB-IF list shows the desktop PCH-S chipset as compliant with USB 3.2 Gen 2 at up to 20 Gbps.

One naming wrinkle: Tom's Hardware still calls these "Core Ultra 400-series" processors, while the leaked table uses four-digit numbers like 4970K. "Series 4" as a brand and "4970K" as a model number can both be true. Still, it's another sign that final names are unsettled.

What it means for Windows PC builders​

If you're planning a build or a fleet refresh, here's what you can actually use:

• Plan on a new motherboard. LGA1954 is a new socket with 900-series chipsets, so Arrow Lake LGA1851 boards won't carry over. There is some upside on socket life: TweakTown reports that leaks point to the LGA1954 socket supporting multiple CPU families, including Nova Lake, Razor Lake, and potentially Hammer Lake. That's also unconfirmed.
• Your cooler might carry over. TechPowerUp notes that Thermaltake's leaked installation guide and Noctua's FAQ update both saying LGA1851 coolers should carry over. Check your cooler maker's compatibility list before you buy anything.
• The vPro column matters for IT. If the table is right, vPro would be limited to BFC parts, including the 65W 4900 BFC. Organizations that use Intel's manageability features would then be steered toward the cache-equipped models. Wait for Intel's official spec pages before planning procurement around this.
• The 4650KF has no iGPU. As with every F-suffix chip, a system built on it needs a discrete graphics card to show an image. If you rely on onboard graphics for troubleshooting when a GPU fails, keep that in mind.
• Launch timing is still a leak. TechPowerUp's August sources said that for the regular overclocking-focused "K" SKUs, Intel reportedly plans an early Q2 launch between March and April, while the 52-core flagship SKU is expected to appear in late May. TechPowerUp's later coverage mentions recent leaks pointing to Q1 2027. Intel hasn't announced a date.

The skeptic's corner​

Will more cores and a big cache make the 4970K BFC the chip to buy? Nobody can say yet. LP-E cores are designed for efficiency, not peak throughput. The large cache mostly helps cache-sensitive workloads, and games are the obvious example, as AMD's X3D chips have shown. How much it helps depends on clocks, memory latency and scheduling, and this table has none of that.

The only performance figures in circulation are early CPU-Z scores from an engineering sample in August, and Notebookcheck's take was that they don't mean much at the time of writing.

Bottom line: The leak gives a consistent picture of Nova Lake-S's single-tile lineup: three tiers, each offered as a standard chip and as a BFC chip with LP-E cores and big cache, on a new LGA1954 platform that Intel's own validation listings back up. The flagship's number has already changed between leaks, the BFC suffix is unexplained, and there's no performance data yet. Wait for Intel's announcement and independent reviews before planning a build around it.