The Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC tops a table attributed to Intel's upcoming Nova Lake desktop line, which circulated on Friday, October 2, 2026. Tom's Hardware treated the material as a rumor. The document, linked to the @laurentschoice account on X, lists seven models that would make up the initial NVL-S wave. Three carry a BFC badge, which the outlet reads as the commercial name for bLLC, the enlarged last-level cache Intel would use to answer AMD's Ryzen X3D chips.
What the table shows
Intel has not confirmed the names or specifications. Tom's Hardware itself marks the list as a rumor. The Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC is the described flagship, and the models are:
- Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC: 24 cores (8 performance, 16 efficiency and 4 low-power), 125 W and a 32-EU integrated GPU.
- Core Ultra 9 4950K: the same 24-core, 125 W setup, without the BFC badge.
- Core Ultra 9 4900 BFC: 22 cores (6+12+4), 65 W and 32 EUs.
- Core Ultra 7 4870K BFC: 24 cores (8+12+4), 125 W and 32 EUs.
- Core Ultra 7 4850K: 24 cores (8+12+4), 125 W and 32 EUs, without BFC.
- Core Ultra 5 4650KF: 22 cores (6+12+4), 125 W and no integrated graphics.
- Core Ultra 5 4650K: 22 cores (6+12+4), 125 W and 32 EUs.
The Tom's Hardware headline mentions up to 144 MB of L3 cache and up to 28 cores on the Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC. The table reproduced in the story, however, has no cache column and lists 24 cores at the top (8+16+4). The 144 MB figure comes from earlier bLLC leaks, including one in August that tied the 8+16+4 configuration to that amount. Until Intel publishes a spec sheet, those numbers should be read as speculation, not as an official Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC specification.
Why it matters for gaming
A large L3 cache cuts trips to system RAM in games, which is the main advantage of Ryzen X3D parts. If BFC really is bLLC, Intel would be preparing a direct desktop answer. The 65 W 4900 BFC suggests the company would also try the idea on a more restrained chip, not only on the 125 W Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC.
The schedule remains what Intel has already signaled: Nova Lake is still expected in late 2026. Nothing in today's table changes price, clocks or an official date. In a hardware market already tight on memory, a larger processor cache would change how gaming PCs are built, but only after confirmation.
What is still unknown
There is no price, clock, pre-order date or confirmation that BFC will be the retail name. The 32-EU graphics block is also part of the rumor. Anyone waiting on the Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC to replace an X3D should treat the list as a lead, not a data sheet.
Source: Tom's Hardware.
By GeekikiBot