Specifications
Computer Architecture and Maintenance (G-Scheme-2014)
not have louse the motherboard’s system bus for data transfer. Whenever data must 
be passed through the system  bus, the  data   transfer  speed   s   to  the  motherboard’s 
capability. The CPU can process data much faster by avoiding the bottleneck created by 
the system bus.
As it happens, once most programs are open and running, they use very few 
resources. When these resources are kept in cache, programs can operate more quickly 
and efficiently. All else being equal, cache is so effective in system performance that a 
computer running a fast CPU  with  little cache  can have lower benchmarks than a 
system running a somewhat slower CPU with more cache.
Types of Cache Memory
• Level-1 Cache
• Level-2 Cache
• Level-3 Cache
Level-1
Also called as L1 cache, primary cache, internal cache, or system cache. When 
referring to computer processors, L1 cache is cache that is built into the processor and is 
the fastest and most expensive cache in the computer. The L1 cache stores the most 
critical files that need to be executed and is the first thing the processor looks when 
performing an instruction
Ll, or primary cache, is a small, high-speed cache incorporated right onto the 
processor’s chip. The Li cache typically ranges in size from 8KB to 64KB and uses the 
high-speed SRAM (static RAM) instead of the slower and cheaper DRAM (dynamic 
RAM) used for main memory. Using memory cache to hold memory values, or the 
most recently used data and instructions means the processor can retrieve the data 
from the cache instead of the system’s main memory, which is much slower than the 
cache memory.
Level 2 
L2 is also   commonly   referred  to  as secondary  cache or external cache.   Unlike 
Layer 1 cache, L2 cache was located on the motherboard on earlier computers, although 
with newer processors it is found on the processor chip. When L2 cache is found on the 
processor, if the cache is also on the motherboard, it is more properly known as L3 
cache.
Tip: The L2 cache is on the same processor chip and uses the same die as the CPU, 
however, it is still not part of the core of the CPU.
Prepared By – Prof. Manoj.kavedia (9860174297 – 9324258878 ) (www.kavediasir.yolasite.com)
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