What is a cache? Provide examples of the three important types of cache.
Instructor solution
A cache is temporary storage that circumvents a bottleneck in the system. and speeds up data transfer.
There are three important caches discussed in the lessons:
- The CPU cache has 3 levels of fast memory to help facilitate transfer of data from the RAM to the CPU.
- The hard drive cache is memory attached to the hard drive that helps facilitate transfer of data from storage to RAM.
- The web browser cache is an area set aside on the hard drive to store web pages and images downloaded from the internet.
cache diagram
Peer Responses
Cache is a more accessible place to store data. The cache is more easily accessible allowing that particular data to be run more quickly than retrieving the data from its original storage location (e.g., browser, disk). Some examples of cache include disk cache, which allows for easier and faster access to data that would otherwise be more laborious to obtain from the hard disk.
The three important types of cache are L1, L2, and L3 (from slower to fastest)
A cache is a small, fast memory in a CPU that stores frequently used data for quick access. The three important types are:
L1 Cache: Closest to the CPU, very fast but small.
L2 Cache: Larger than L1, slower but still quick.
L3 Cache: Bigger than L2, shared across CPU cores, slower but still faster than main memory.
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