How L1 and L2 CPU Caches Work, and Why They're an Essential Part of Modern Chips - ExtremeTech

Ever been curious how L1 and L2 cache work? We're glad you asked. Here, we deep dive into the structure and nature of one of computing's most fundamental designs and innovations.

How L1 and L2 CPU Caches Work, and Why They're an Essential Part of Modern Chips | Extremetech The development of caches and caching is one of the most significant events in the history of computing. Virtually every modern CPU core from ultra-low power chips like the ARM Cortex-A5 to the highest-end Intel Core i9 use caches. Even higher-end microcontrollers often have small caches or offer them as options -- the performance benefits are too large to ignore, even in ultra-low-power designs. 
 
 Caching was invented to solve a significant problem. In the early decades of computing,

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