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What is the Difference between Cache and RAM?

tharden3
916 512MB
I google it, but got the definition of both, not the relationship between the two. I kind of got the feeling that RAM was what your open applications load into, and Cache is temporary information stored from whats going on in those apps.

-Are they two different components? Or does Cache work inside of RAM?

-Are they on two different pieces of hardware?

-Any examples of Cache at work?
Nov 4 '08 #1
7 16412
RedSon
5,000 Expert 4TB
A CPU cache is a cache used by the central processing unit of a computer to reduce the average time to access RAM. The cache is a smaller, faster memory which stores copies of the data from the most frequently used main memory (RAM) locations. As long as most memory accesses are to cached memory locations, the average latency of memory accesses will be closer to the cache latency than to the latency of main memory (RAM).

When the processor needs to read from or write to a location in main memory (RAM), it first checks whether a copy of that data is in the cache. If so, the processor immediately reads from or writes to the cache, which is much faster than reading from or writing to main memory.

Most modern desktop and server CPUs have at least three independent caches: an instruction cache to speed up executable instruction fetch, a data cache to speed up data fetch and store, and a translation lookaside buffer used to speed up virtual-to-physical address translation for both executable instructions and data.

(Thank you wikipedia!)
Nov 4 '08 #2
AmberJain
884 Expert 512MB
The cache is a smaller, faster ........
.........and costlier too ;).






I know that OP never wanted to know this, still I couldnot resist the urge to post :)

AmbrNewlearner
Nov 4 '08 #3
tharden3
916 512MB
Thanks for the help.
Nov 4 '08 #4
Curtis Rutland
3,256 Expert 2GB
(Thank you wikipedia!)

Just when I was getting impressed :(
Nov 4 '08 #5
RedSon
5,000 Expert 4TB
I could have done that easily myself but then it would have taken me longer than I wanted to. Copy and paste is a major time saver!
Nov 4 '08 #6
Curtis Rutland
3,256 Expert 2GB
Oh, OK, so you're just lazy. I get it.

;)
Nov 4 '08 #7
RedSon
5,000 Expert 4TB
The hallmark of a good programmer :P
Nov 4 '08 #8

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