Cache working and its performance

Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Computer Science - Technical Computer Science, , language: English, abstract: Cache is a small and fast memory, usually static RAM (SRAM), which is incorporated inside the CPU or placed on a separate chip. The cache stores data which is frequently used in running the programs. By this, the cache increases the speed of accessing the data and the overall performance of the system. The benefit of using cache is that the CPU does not need to use the motherboard's system to transfer the data. Whenever the CPU has to use the system bus to access the data, this affects the effectiveness of the motherboard by slowing it down. Hence using cache overcomes this problem. Cache is so effective that the system performance of a fast running CPU with little cache support is less than that of a slow running CPU with more cache support. The cache can be a L1 (incorporated inside the CPU) or L2 (placed in a separate chip). Some systems contain both L1 and L2 cache.