Skip to main content

What is Cache Memory: Definition & What is L1 L2 L3 Cache?

Cache Memory Definition: What is L1 L2 L3 Cache?


Most of you guys already know about the term 'cache Memory' or 'CPU Cache' but for those who are always confused between cache memory and primary memory(RAM), don't worry folks you are at the right place. Whenever we talk about the term memory in a PC/Desktop/Laptop first thing came to our mind is the primary or main memory RAM (DDR RAM, LPPDDR RAM) which is actually not wrong but there are other types of memory modules in your system. When we ask someone about the memory of their system they just told us the capacity, clock speed of their RAM (Random Access Memory) which is basically a standard DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) module which is referred to as the main memory of your computer/Laptop.

So before we find out what cache memory/CPU cache is? First, let's see the different kinds of memory one would find on their computer. 

But before we go ahead make sure you follow the blog on Twitter and also press that bell icon so you are the first to know whenever a new article publishes. With that said let's move on to what we came here for today.

Types of memory in a computer system

There are a total of three types of memory in our computer system. The first type of memory is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD). This kind of memory is non-volatile in nature. Non-volatile means that data is retained even after there is no power is being provided to the chip, A typical hard disk drive contains a mechanically rotating disk, known as platters. The typical rotating speed of these HDDs is varied from 5400rpm to 7200rpm. Due to the presence of mechanical moving parts these drives are quite slow when it comes to fetching and executing a program code by CPU. The read and write speed of a normal hard disk ranges between 80 to 150Mbps which is much lower when we look at the clock speed of a CPU which normally ranges from 1Ghz to 4Ghz. So even if the processor is capable to execute data at a much faster speed, it can't do so because of the slow processing speed of hard disk drives. Due to this much gap between the speeds of HDD and CPU, the CPU won't be able to get the data at the desired speed.

This is where the second type of memory comes into play which we knew as RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM is faster when compared to a hard disk drive, this is the reason RAM is capable of providing the data to the CPU at a much faster rate, compared to HDD. But somehow, it can't match up to the clock speed of the CPU because the typical speed of the RAM is in the range of 450Mhz to 1000Mhz. But nowadays in modern computers or laptops, the newer generation of RAM like DDR3, DDR4, DDR5 is capable of delivering the data at much higher speeds ranging somewhere between 1600Mhz to 2600Mhz. But the modern-day processors are no longer single-core processors. Nowadays each and every Desktop/laptop is using multi-core processors like dual-core, quad-core, and even octa-core. When all the cores are asking for data at the same time, this is where our traditional RAMs failed to deliver the data asked by cores at the same time at higher speeds. 

So this is the place where our 'Cache Memory' or 'CPU Cache' comes into play. So let's take a look at what cache memory or CPU cache is? 

Cache Memory Definition OR What is Cache Memory?

CPU cache memory is much smaller in size, fastest, closer to the CPU cores, or sometimes even latched onto the CPU core itself, which holds the commands and instruction sets of data from recently used RAM locations. Unlike the main memory (RAM) which consists of DRAM, CPU cache memory is SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) which is more expensive but much faster than the DRAM because it doesn't have to be constantly refreshed to retain the commands and instructions sets the way DRAM has to be. 

It is a specialized type of memory that can be built on the CPU core itself. It is an incredibly fast memory that acts as a buffer between RAM and processor. Cache memory actually retains frequently used commands and instruction sets so whenever the CPU needed these it can be easily at a much faster speed than RAM. A CPU cache is much smaller and much faster than that of the usual RAM. Cache memory reduces the time taken to access the data from the main memory. It can be operated nearly at 10 to 100 times faster than usual RAM while taking only a few nanoseconds to answer a CPU command.

Purpose Of Cache Memory

The cache memory of the CPU cache plays a very important role in the smooth and fast functioning of a processor. It basically keeps the program instructions and commands which are recently used that the CPU might need in the future. The CPU can retrieve this data at a faster rate from cache memory rather than taking it from the main memory. The overall performance and speed of the processor improve with these fast retrievals and thus make your device much smoother and faster. 

Difference Between Cache Memory And RAM

The key difference between RAM and cache memory is that cache memory is used to hold the instructions and commands that the processor will need in future operations/tasks so these can be executed right away. On the other hand RAM stores applications and data which are currently in us. Another difference is speed. Cache memory is much faster than RAM and located closest to the CPU cores while compared to RAM. That is why the size of cache memory is much smaller than RAM which is measured in kilobytes to some megabytes rather than gigabytes which we find in RAM. 

Types Of Cache Memory/ Levels Of Cache Memory

Cache Memory Definition: What is L1 L2 L3 Cache?


Level 1 or L1 Cache: Level 1 or L1 cache is the smallest and fastest among all the levels of cache memory. It is embedded in the core of the CPU itself. This L1 cache can match the speed of the processor cores, that's why it is the fastest cache. The size of the L1 cache varies from 2KB to 64KB.

Level 2 or L2 Cache: Level 2 or L2 cache could be integrated into the cores of the processor or sometimes situated right next to the CPU. The L2 cache is shared between the cores of the CPU whether it's a quad-core or octa-core processor. The L2 cache when it's outside CPU cores, it's connected with a high-speed bus connecting it to the CPU. The usual size of the L2 cache varies from 256KB to 512KB. In terms of speed, the L2 cache memory is slower than the L1 cache. 

Level 3 or L3 Cache: Level 3 or L3 cache is generally used to boost the performance of the L1 & L2 cache. Not all the processors but some high-end processors boast this L3 cache. This L3 cache is shared between every core and its size ranges from 1MB to 8MB. It is the slowest among all the three caches but always our RAM.

CONCLUSION

So that's it guys this is a brief idea about cache memory and the different levels (L1 L2 L3 cache memory) of it. I hope now got a better idea about cache memory and the function of cache memory. If you liked it then share it with your family and friends and do let me know in the comment section down below. If you have any questions regarding this then let's hang out in the comment section. And don't forget to follow the blog and do follow me on Twitter for this kind of tech jargon. 

See you guys next time till then bye. 

Comments

  1. Best Online Casino Sites in Colorado 2021 - Gray Wolfs
    Here are some great online 샌즈 카지노 도메인 casinos 카지노 사이트 주소 for 온 카지노 가입쿠폰 Colorado players. Rank, bonus, free spins, 인터넷 카지노 first deposit bonus, and 더킹 카지노 먹튀 how to register in Colorado.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The King Casino: 100% Welcome Bonus up to €1600 + 50 FS
    In addition to a 200% 벳 인포 bonus, you can claim a 100% bonus of up to €1500 with free 메리트카지노 spins, and 100% up to €1500 메리트 카지노 가입 쿠폰 for new 더킹카지노 주소 players at The King 더킹카지노 조작 Casino.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a good post. Thanks for sharing with us, Excellent work and I really appreciate your work. Visit also

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

RAM or Processor: What makes a smartphone fast ?

  Hello friends and welcome again to your own tech guide: Techanalysia. So today we are to going to see that, what makes a smartphone fast? Is it RAM or Processor? One can't choose between RAM and Processor while determining a device's performance. RAM or Processor: What makes a smartphone fast? The answer to the above question is, both. RAM and Processor are both responsible for the smooth and lag-free performance of your smartphone. Let's take a look at how these two play an important role in a smartphone. First thing first, the type of rams used in smartphones are DDR RAMs.  In particular, the RAM used in smartphones is technically called LPDDR RAM. This term stands for 'Lower Power Double Data Rate RAM. These LPDDR RAMs are the version of DDR RAMS specially designed for smartphones.  These RAMs are optimized for low power consumption because these RAMs are used inside smartphones which are having a small battery compared to PC/ Laptop in which DDR RAMs are employe

How to Restore Deleted Files from Google Drive

  How to Restore Deleted Files from Google Drive   As we all know Google Drive keeps our files (images, videos, documents) in a cloud and you and we as a user can our files at any point in time. But if you deleted any file from Google Drive by mistake, then don’t need to worry. You can recover your file with a few simple steps. And remember you can only recover your deleted file from Google Drive from the 30 days of deletion. Because after deletion of a file from Google Drive it will stay in the Trash/Bin folder for 30 days. After 30 days the file will be permanently deleted and you’ll not be able to recover it again.   And if by any chance you have deleted a file that someone shared with you, then in this case you can’t restore that particular file. You can simply ask the owner of the file to recover it from the Trash/Bin.   And it doesn’t matter if you are recovering your deleted file from your smartphone (Android & iOS) app or from your desktop browser. The steps to

Qualcomm Snapdragon 480: Qualcomm's first budget 5G chipset launched

  Hello friends and welcome again to your tech guide Techanalsysia. Today I am here with some latest news from Qualcomm itself. Yesterday on 4 January 2021 Qualcomm unveils its new budget-friendly 5G chipset named Snapdragon 480. This will be the first 5G SoC in the budget-friendly 4 series of Snapdragon processors by Qualcomm. It will bring 5G capabilities to the budget segment smartphones also and I am hoping that the smartphone manufacturers like Oppo, Vivo, Realme, Nokia, Xiaomi, Motorola will soon start to produce budget 5G phones by the end of Q1 of 2021. This will ensure that there will be plenty of budget-friendly 5G smartphones by the end of this year. Qualcomm Snapdragon 480: Features The Snapdragon 480 5G chipset will be an octa-core SoC based on an 8-nanometer   fabrication process node. It will be equipped with the new integrated X51 5G modem RF system and can deliver good 5G speed on both the mmWave and Sub 6 gigahertz networks and will be capable of giving you a DL sp