PassMark Entry Logged Recently Points to Intel Nova Lake-S 28-Core Sample Winning on One Thread, Not on All of Them
A record that surfaced recently in the PassMark database looks like the first measurable glimpse of Intel's next desktop platform, Nova Lake-S, and the picture it draws is split down the middle: per-core speed edges past today's flagship parts, yet the fully loaded score still sits behind them. The hardware is an unidentified early sample, so the numbers read as a signal rather than a final result.
The sighting was made by a VideoCardz reader using the "Manage Baselines" function of PerformanceTest 11.1, where the chip is listed under the placeholder label "Intel 0000" and the oldest entry dates to September this year. Two 28-core records are on file, with single-thread marks of 5210 points and 5191 points.
Per-thread numbers: a slim margin over the incumbents
| Processor | Single-thread mark | Sample's lead |
|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra 9 285K | 5059 points | about 3% |
| Ryzen 9 9950X3D | 4805 points | 8.4% |
| Core i9-14900KF | 4635 points | 12.4% |
Measured against the comparison scores selected by the media, the Nova Lake sample comes out ahead by roughly 3%, 8.4% and 12.4% respectively.
Multi-thread and whole-platform results go the other way
In the multi-thread CPU Mark column the sample does not extend its advantage. Its best logged run is 61509 points, below the 67274 points of the Core Ultra 9 285K and the 72066 points of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and only clear of the 58074 points posted by the Core i9-14900KF.
The Memory Mark figure follows a similar pattern: 2523.4 for the sample against 3349.6 for the comparison system. Since that column captures a whole-machine result, the difference cannot be attributed to the processor alone. Details visible in the sample's screenshot include about 16GB of memory, a reported clock of around 3.3GHz and a boost reading close to 4.8GHz.
8-core entries add a note of caution
The same database also holds 8-core records. Their best single-thread figure, 5085 points, clears the Core Ultra 9 285K reference score by only about 0.5%, while the CPU Mark results scatter from 9004 to 23478 points — a spread wide enough to suggest inconsistent test conditions or differing development configurations.
What the leaked lineup implies, and what stays unconfirmed
An earlier leaked Nova Lake-S product table lists SKUs such as the Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC. The high-end parts are said to pair 8 performance cores with 16 efficient cores and 4 low-power efficient cores, and BFC may stand for a large last-level-cache variant. A separate leak claims the standard 4950K could also carry those 4 low-power efficient cores. None of that can be verified from the current benchmark entries, which name no retail model and give no way to confirm extra cache on the sample.
Platform-wise, Nova Lake-S is rumoured to use the LGA 1954 socket alongside 900-series chipset boards. Intel has confirmed Nova Lake for before the end of 2026, with the first desktop products widely expected in early 2027; a dual compute chiplet configuration reaching up to 52 cores is said to arrive afterwards. Every one of those details — model names, core counts, socket and timing — remains pending Intel's official word.
For readers planning a platform decision, the honest reading is that a single-thread lead on pre-release silicon is encouraging but incomplete: the multi-thread and memory columns are precisely where a chiplet-era desktop flagship has to earn its position, and early samples rarely mirror shipping parts. ItInsightsWorld will keep an eye on the database as more identifiable records appear, so treat the figures above as provisional for now.