Intel Core Ultra 400: Intel's new processors to compete with AMD

You have surely seen the article announcing that the Core Ultra 400 would be twice as large as AMD chips. This mainly comes from leaks around the silicon surface called the die:

• Without its integrated XXL cover (bLLC), a Nova Lake tile would be around 110 mm².
• With bLLC, it would fall around 150 mm².
• By comparison, an AMD Zen 6 CCD with 12 cores would be around ~76 mm², according to the same leaks.

So yes, in terms of physical size, Intel would be large (about ~45% more per tile), but "twice" only works if we compare certain extreme versions with certain AMD configurations. It is therefore exaggerated to say "twice as large in general", especially since AMD could also increase the surface area with its own designs.

One die larger, it can mean more potential power, but also more expensive to produce and a higher risk of defects on the wafer - which has a real economic impact for Intel.

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The major element that makes these chips "imposing" is the bLLC (big Last Level Cache). This is Intel's response to AMD's 3D V-Cache technology that boosts gaming performance by adding a large amount of L3 cache.

Unlike AMD, which vertically stacks this cache on the chip (which saves die area), Intel seems to want to integrate it directly into the chip itself, which largely explains the increase in size.

According to leaks:

• The bLLC version could reach up to 144 MB of L3 cache per tile.
• Several tiles could even be combined to go up to ~288 MB in total on some high-end models.

It is a design different from that of AMD, which vertically pools its cache. The advantage? Intel could reduce some memory bottlenecks before accessing RAM. The downside? It heats up and potentially consumes more if poorly optimized.

Some English articles remind that the components on both sides are not strictly comparable:

• The Intel Nova Lake chips contain 8 P-cores + 16 E-cores, which is not directly comparable to a 12 "pure" core AMD chip.
• AMD is also preparing its Zen 6 and X3D versions with massive caches that remain very effective for gaming.

In other words, a larger surface does not automatically guarantee real frontal dominance AMD could remain very competitive in terms of energy efficiency and performance per watt, especially in gaming.

The leaks around Intel Core Ultra 400 / Nova Lake show an aggressive strategy to make a comeback against AMD:

A day physically larger, especially with bLLC, which on paper promises severe performance.

A direct response to AMD's 3D V-Cache, with a different but potentially competitive approach.

Many rumors about the size of the chips, the amount of cache, and the number of cores, but few official confirmations.

Verdict without filter: all of this smells like a big technical battle for 2026 , but we are still in speculation. Intel is betting big, AMD is not standing still, and the real question will be: will all this "big format" silicon really translate into significant gains in real workloads (games, creation, AI, etc.)?