L3 Cache
There is no specific name for memory caches based on physical location. CPU memory caches are named for function, not location.
As such, there are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 caches (and, theoretically, there's nothing preventing Levels 4 and up from being created). Each can be located anywhere (on-die, in-package, off-chip, etc.) depending on the design of the CPU and motherboard.
Modern x86 chips from Intel and AMD include up to L3 cache on-die.
L2 cache. Today's processors all have some memory on the processor chip (called a die). Memory on the processor die is called Level 1 cache (L1 cache). Memory in the processor package, but not on the processor die, is called Level 2 cache (L2 cache). Some processors use a third cache farther from the processor core, but still in the processor package, which is called Level 3 cache (L3 cache).
L1, L2 and L3 (depending on the age of your motherboard and processor)
Level 2 cache (L2 cache)
Level 2 cache (L2 cache)
The die is the actual chip or integrated circuit. It is the thing that does the actual processing. The rest of the package protects it and provides connections to outside devices.
Level 2 (L2) cache is built onto the processor. On Older slot-mounted processors, L2 cache was external to the processor die, and ran at slower speeds than the processor. on socketed processors, L2 cache is built onto the processor. If the processor does not find the desired memory locations in L1 cache, it checks L2 cache next. However Processors with larger L2 caches perform most tasks much more quickly than processors that have smaller L2 caches for two reasons. Cache memory is faster than main memory and the processor checks cache memory for needed information before checking main memory.
Level 2 (L2) cache is built onto the processor. On Older slot-mounted processors, L2 cache was external to the processor die, and ran at slower speeds than the processor. on socketed processors, L2 cache is built onto the processor. If the processor does not find the desired memory locations in L1 cache, it checks L2 cache next. However Processors with larger L2 caches perform most tasks much more quickly than processors that have smaller L2 caches for two reasons. Cache memory is faster than main memory and the processor checks cache memory for needed information before checking main memory.
Level 2 (L2) cache is built onto the processor. On Older slot-mounted processors, L2 cache was external to the processor die, and ran at slower speeds than the processor. on socketed processors, L2 cache is built onto the processor. If the processor does not find the desired memory locations in L1 cache, it checks L2 cache next. However Processors with larger L2 caches perform most tasks much more quickly than processors that have smaller L2 caches for two reasons. Cache memory is faster than main memory and the processor checks cache memory for needed information before checking main memory.
Level 1 cache (L1 cache)There is no specific name for memory caches based on physical location. CPU memory caches are named for function, not location.As such, there are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 caches (and, theoretically, there's nothing preventing Levels 4 and up from being created). Each can be located anywhere (on-die, in-package, off-chip, etc.) depending on the design of the CPU and motherboard.Modern x86 chips from Intel and AMD include up to L3 cache on-die.
On-Package L2 cache (discrete L2 cache) is on a separate microchip within the processor housing, while Advanced Transfer Cache (ATC) is located directly on the same die as the processor core.
Generally speaking, a user will find more benefit to having more RAM than a processor with a larger cache. Cache is many times faster than accessing from main memory, true, but it is inevitable that one will need to read from memory. More memory allows for one to actually do more without experiencing significant slowdowns. Cache is special on-die memory that speeds up performance of sequential operations. When an instruction is called, first the CPU will look in the L1 cache which is tiny (usually 16K), then the L2 and (if the processor has it) L3 cache which are larger but many times slower, and only then will it go to main memory.
Getting data from memory, or the hard drive is slow. If you store a part of the memory you think you will need soon, or often in cache, it will speed up processing by reducing wait time. Cache is much smaller, but much faster than memory and sits on the processor die.