Nova Lake: PassMark Leak Puts Intel 28 Core Sample Ahead in Single Thread

By Indie Kings | October 26, 2026

Updated October 26, 2026: A 28 core Intel Nova Lake-S engineering sample has appeared in PassMark's advanced test listing with a single thread rating of 5,210, about 3 percent ahead of the Core Ultra 9 285K. The same listing shows a multi thread result that trails both Arrow Lake's flagship and Ryzen's top part, and every figure comes from September 2026 engineering samples rather than production silicon.

Image: a silicon wafer via Wikimedia Commons.

A 28 Core Sample Tops Single Thread

Single thread performance has been Arrow Lake's relative strength, and a new leak suggests Nova Lake extends that lead only modestly. A 28 core Nova Lake-S engineering sample has appeared in PassMark's advanced test listing with a single thread rating of 5,210, as reported by VideoCardz on October 26, 2026. For context within the same database, the Core Ultra 9 285K measures 5,059 single thread, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D sits at 4,805, and the Core i9-14900KF posts 4,635. That places the Nova Lake sample about 3 percent ahead of Arrow Lake in single thread, a real but small step rather than a generational jump. The comparison has one useful property: these are all PassMark single thread ratings produced by the same testing suite, so the relative distances carry more weight than any of the raw numbers would in isolation. It is also worth stressing what this listing is not. The submissions are dated September 2026 and describe engineering samples, so the figures are not production silicon results, and the clock behavior of a sample often differs from what a retail part ships with.

Where Multi Thread Stands

The multi thread side of the listing is less flattering for Intel. The 28 core sample posts an overall CPU Mark of 61,509, which lands it above the Core i9-14900KF at 58,074 but below both modern flagships it would face at retail: the Core Ultra 9 285K at 67,274 and the Ryzen 9 9950X3D at 72,065. Read plainly, a part with 28 cores does not lead the multi thread table of this comparison, and that pattern more often points to early sample clocks or a conservative configuration than to a finished product's behavior. The leak also includes a second, smaller entry. An 8 core embedded Nova Lake sample recorded 5,085 single thread and 23,478 overall, so its single thread result sits close to the 28 core flagship sample's 5,210 even though the overall marks are far apart. That proximity hints either that the single thread story is consistent across the Nova Lake stack or that both samples run similar clocks, and the available data does not settle which explanation is right. Until more submissions appear, the multi thread picture should be treated as the softest part of this leak.

Timeline and Caveats

On timing, the expected shape of the launch is coming into focus. The 28 core flagship is expected late January through March 2027, K models in March or April, and 16 and 8 core parts late March through May 2027. Partner roadmaps point to a Q1 2027 launch on the LGA1954 socket, which would make this the first generation on that platform. Two honesty notes belong in every writeup of this leak. First, VideoCardz' story was corrected from 24 core to 28 core as more data arrived, a useful reminder that early leaks get revised and that the first figure attached to a rumor is not automatically the final one. Second, everything here comes from engineering samples entered into an advanced test listing, meaning the silicon was never meant for sale, and its scores may not reflect launch drivers, retail firmware, or final clocks. Whether Nova Lake's modest single thread gain and its trailing multi thread number survive to production is exactly the kind of detail those revisions decide, so both enthusiast camps should hold their conclusions loosely.

Leak Figures at a Glance

Item	Detail
Leaked sample	28 core Nova Lake-S engineering sample, PassMark advanced test listing
Single thread rating	5,210
Overall CPU Mark	61,509
Core Ultra 9 285K	5,059 single thread, 67,274 overall
Ryzen 9 9950X3D	4,805 single thread, 72,065 overall
Core i9-14900KF	4,635 single thread, 58,074 overall
Single thread position	About 3 percent ahead of Arrow Lake in the same database
Multi thread position	Above the 14900KF at 58,074, below the 285K and the 9950X3D
Second sample	8 core embedded Nova Lake, 5,085 single thread, 23,478 overall
Data status	Submissions dated September 2026, engineering samples, not production silicon results
Launch windows	28 core flagship late January through March 2027; K models March or April; 16 and 8 core parts late March through May 2027
Platform	Q1 2027 launch on the LGA1954 socket per partner roadmaps
Correction note	VideoCardz' story was corrected from 24 core to 28 core as more data arrived

FAQ

What leaked?
A 28 core Nova Lake-S engineering sample appeared in PassMark's advanced test listing, showing 5,210 single thread and an overall CPU Mark of 61,509.

Is it faster than the Core Ultra 9 285K?
In single thread, yes, by about 3 percent, 5,210 against 5,059 in the same database. On the multi thread CPU Mark, no, since the sample posts 61,509 against the 285K's 67,274.

Are these final performance figures?
No. The submissions are dated September 2026 and describe engineering samples, so they are not production silicon results and final clocks or firmware could change them.

When does Nova Lake launch?
Partner roadmaps point to Q1 2027 on the LGA1954 socket, with the 28 core flagship expected late January through March 2027, K models in March or April, and 16 and 8 core parts late March through May 2027.

Why did some early reports say 24 cores?
VideoCardz' story was corrected from 24 core to 28 core as more data arrived, which is a reminder that early leaks get revised as fuller listings show up.

What is the second sample in the listing?
An 8 core embedded Nova Lake sample, which recorded 5,085 single thread and 23,478 overall, placing it far below the flagship in multi thread but close to it in single thread.

Bottom Line

Reading this leak as a verdict on Nova Lake would be a mistake, but it is still a useful data point. The single thread number says Intel is iterating on Arrow Lake's strongest attribute rather than transforming it, about 3 percent over the 285K in the same database. The multi thread result is the more telling detail: 61,509 for a 28 core part trails both flagship competitors it will face at retail, and that pattern more often reflects sample clocks than final potential. The September 2026 sample date and the correction from 24 core to 28 core both argue for patience before drawing firm conclusions. What looks solid is the trajectory, with LGA1954 arriving in Q1 2027, the flagship first, then the K and mainstream parts. Expect the numbers to move before launch, and treat today's figures as an early sketch rather than a scorecard.

Sources

VideoCardz, "Intel Core Ultra 4000 Nova Lake-S leak: 28-core CPU beats Core Ultra 9 285K in single-thread test" by WhyCry (PassMark figures, sample configurations, launch windows, correction note), published October 26, 2026, accessed 26 October 2026
PassMark advanced test listings, the primary data source for the Nova Lake-S samples and the comparison processors, accessed 26 October 2026