Cache Memory
Cache memory is a chip-based computer component that makes retrieving data from the computer’s memory more efficient.
It acts as a temporary storage area that the computer’s processor can retrieve data from easily. This temporary storage area, known as a cache, is more readily available to the processor than the computer’s main memory source, typically some form of dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
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Cache memory is sometimes called CPU (central processing unit) memory because it is typically integrated directly into the CPU chip or placed on a separate chip that has a separate bus interconnect with the CPU. Therefore, it is more accessible to the processor, and able to increase efficiency, because it’s physically close to the processor.
In order to be close to the processor, cache memory needs to be much smaller than main memory. Consequently, it has less storage space. It is also more expensive than main memory, as it is a more complex chip that yields higher performance.
What it sacrifices in size and price, it makes up for in speed. Cache memory operates between 10 to 100 times faster than RAM, requiring only a few nanoseconds to respond to a CPU request.
The name of the actual hardware that is used for cache memory is high-speed static random access memory (SRAM). The name of the hardware that is used in a computer’s main memory is DRAM.
Cache memory is not to be confused with the broader term cache. Caches are temporary stores of data that can exist in both hardware and software. Cache memory refers to the specific hardware component that enables computers to create caches at various levels of the network.
