If you have been using computers for a long time, you might want to know more about how many instances of L3 cache we have in quad-core. The structure of a processor might seem like a complex thing to understand but with just a little explanation, you will fully understand.
Earlier, we only had single-core processors which were barely running the given tasks. Then the dual-core processors, followed by the Core 2 processors. Processing technology has moved from 2 Cores to 10 Cores now. Hexa Core is the new processor being used in the new 8th Generation of computers.
For now, we only want to look at how many instances of L3 cache will be present in a quad-core processor.
Instances of L3 cache in quad-core
To be able to understand how many L3 caches are in the quad-core processors, we must understand how the cores in a processor work as a whole.
The quad-core processors simply mean the cheap has four processing chambers that can work independently when processing data. Quad-core processors with hyperthreading allow the processor cores to work simultaneously to complete a single task.
With hyperthreading, the process of a single app is distributed to all the cores of the process. However, the application that is being executed must support hyperthreading to make this possible.
If you look at the quad-core processor diagram above, the processor has four cores and each core has an L2 cache then two of the cores share one L3 cache.
This is not the structure of every processor. The arrangements and the technologies used in all processors vary. Some processors rely mostly on the L1 cache, assigning one L1 cache to each core. As I said, the manufacturer completely decides what will make the processing power better.
L1, L2 and L3 cache
Level 1 cache or L1 cache is a caching system built into the microprocessor to help it access recent files to help speed operation. This type of cache is built inside the cores of the microprocessor hence it is faster and easier to access.
Level 2 cache or L2 cache is similar to the L1 cache but these are built outside the processor core and have more storage space compared to the L1 cache. In terms of speed, the L1 cache is quite faster.
Level 3 cache, on the other hand, is a caching system developed specifically for the L1 and L2 to rely on. While one L1 or L2 cache is assigned to one core, multiple L1 or L2 caches can be assigned to one L3 cache. The L3 cache has larger storage and is quite slow compared to both L1 and L2 cache.
FAQs
There are a few questions about the topic that you might want answers to. In this section, I will try to answer as many questions as possible. Simply leave your questions in the comment box if you do not find answers to them here.
The L3 cache is quite slow compared to the L1 and L2. However, if your processor has to request files from your RAM, that will be even slower. So having a large L3 cache is quite useful especially if there are many cores to request files.
This is not yours to decide tho. It is all done by the manufacturer of your CPU chip.
Quad-core has only a single processor chip. However, the processing chamber has been divided into parts known as cores. Each core functions as an individual processing unit and can simultaneously process files with the other units.