L1 cache is a fast memory in the CPU that stores frequently used data, while RAM is temporary storage that becomes active when the computer starts. L2 and L3 caches are slower than L1 but faster than RAM. The goal is to minimize errors and maximize results to speed up performance. Cache cannot be expanded.
Level 1 or L1 cache is a special and very fast memory built into the central processing unit (CPU) to facilitate computer performance. By loading frequently used bits of data into the L1 cache, the computer can process requests faster. Most computers also have L2 and L3 caches, which are slower than L1 cache but faster than random access memory (RAM).
When we request programs or files from a standard platter hard drive, the device must search the internal disks for information by sliding a head mechanism across the platters, roughly analogous to the way a needle reads a phonograph record. However, in the case of a disk drive, there are multiple platters and the head is magnetic, reading at a very high speed. However, the standard hard drive is the slowest storage device in your computer, aside from compact hard drives.
We usually think of RAM as fast enough because it is much faster than hard drives. RAM is a temporary storage area that becomes active when you start your computer. Computers commonly have 1-4 Gigabytes (GB) of RAM. By loading frequently requested programs, files, images, and other items into RAM, the computer doesn’t have to search the hard drive to retrieve information about subsequent requests.
While this is a good strategy, the CPU can run faster than RAM, and to speed things up, you might think of L1, L2, and L3 cache as intermediaries that anticipate what requests will be made to RAM, keeping that data at the ready. When a request arrives, the CPU checks the L1 cache first, followed by the L2 and L3 cache (if any). If the CPU finds the required data in the cache then it is a cache miss, if not it is a cache miss and the RAM is looked up next followed by the hard drive. The goal is to maximize results and minimize errors that slow down performance.
While L1 cache is built into CPUs today, it could also reside alongside the CPU on older PCs. L2 cache can be built into the CPU or present on the motherboard, along with L3 cache. In some cases the L3 cache is also incorporated into the CPU. Unlike RAM, cache is not expandable.
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