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1.2 Describe The Concept of Cache Memory

Cache memory is a small, fast memory located close to the CPU that stores copies of frequently accessed data from main memory in order to reduce access time. Cache memory comes in three levels - L1, L2, and L3 - with L1 cache being the smallest and fastest located on the CPU chip, and L3 cache being the largest and slowest located on the motherboard. The CPU first checks the cache memories for requested data, and if not found it loads the data from main memory into cache for faster access on subsequent requests.

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46 views18 pages

1.2 Describe The Concept of Cache Memory

Cache memory is a small, fast memory located close to the CPU that stores copies of frequently accessed data from main memory in order to reduce access time. Cache memory comes in three levels - L1, L2, and L3 - with L1 cache being the smallest and fastest located on the CPU chip, and L3 cache being the largest and slowest located on the motherboard. The CPU first checks the cache memories for requested data, and if not found it loads the data from main memory into cache for faster access on subsequent requests.

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00.wonderer.00
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© © All Rights Reserved
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1

CHAPTER 1.2
DESCRIBE THE CONCEPT OF
CACHE MEMORY
2

1. Define cache memory.


2. Identify the types of cache memory: Level 1
cache memory, level 2 cache memory, level 1
cache memory.
3. Explain how CPU take data from cache
memory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9TMqsL2l6U
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Background: RAM on the Motherboard


• Loses all data when PC is turned off (except data stored
on CMOS chip)
• Two categories
• Static RAM (SRAM)
• Fast
• Used as a memory cache
• Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
• Slower; requires constant refreshing ( circuit )
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DRAM
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SRAM
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How Memory Caching Works


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Define cache memory


• Cache memory is a hardware cache used by CPU of
computer to reduce the average cost (time or energy) to
access data from the main memory.

• It also called as CPU memory.

• The cache is smaller, faster memory which store copies


of data from frequently used main memory locations.

• This memory is typically integrated directly with the CPU


chip or placed on a separate chip that has a separate bus
interconnect with the CPU.
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• Cache memory sits between the CPU and the main


memory. A cache controller monitors the addresses that
are requested by the CPU and predicts which memory will
be required in the future.

• Data is read into the cache memory in advance, allowing


the computer to obtain data far more quickly from the
cache than from the main memory.

• Tags are used identify where cached data originated.


Cache is built from SRAM.
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The closer cache memory is to the CPU, the faster it is.

Therefore a CPU with both L1 and L2 cache on die will be faster


than a CPU with its L2 cache on the motherboard.
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Types of cache memory
Level of cache Size Location Speed
The L1 cache uses the high-speed SRAM (static 2KB -1MB On processor chip Fastest
RAM) instead of the slower and cheaper DRAM
(dynamic RAM) used for main memory.

(L1) Level 1 Cache

For first step, instructions are searched in this


cache.

(L2) Level 2 Cache 256KB – -Between L1 and L3 Fast


8MB
If the instructions are not present in the L1 -Today computer- On
cache then it looks in the L2 cache, which is a processor chip
slightly larger pool of cache.
- Early computers- on
motherboard itself.
(L3) Level 3 Cache 4MB - Between RAM and L2 Less
50MB cache. Fast
With each cache miss, it proceeds to the next
level cache. This is the largest among the all the - On the motherboard
cache, even though it is slower, it’s still faster rather than the
than the RAM. processor.
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How CPU take data from cache memory


• When a program is running and the CPU needs to read
data or program instructions from RAM, the CPU checks
first to see whether the data is in cache memory or not.

• If the data is not there, the CPU reads the data from RAM
into its registers, but it also loads a copy of the data into
cache memory.

• The next time the CPU needs that same data, it finds it in
the cache memory and saves the time needed to load the
data from RAM.
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Concept of cache memory


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What importance of cache memory?

Where is the location of cache memory

Cache memory is categorized under Static or Dynamic RAM?

State the differences between level 1, level 2 and level 3 cache memory

How CPU take data from cache memory.


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Think…….
• Caches are faster than main memory. Then why do we
need main memory at all?.

Well once again it is the cost, which determines this. The caches
although are fast yet are very expensive memories and are used
in only small sizes

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