Our computer system does not store in RAM all the data necessary for the execution of user programs. You may be wondering where else it is stored. Let me tell you that there is another component called cache that is smaller than RAM. Some data that you need to access frequently is stored in this cache, so it can be accessed directly from the CPU. This will reduce the access time, as it is not necessary to access RAM to retrieve program data and files required by the operating system. Rather, it can easily take the data from the cache and start running, which will result in faster performance of your system.
There are three levels of cache, namely L1, L2 and L3. The more L2 and L3 cache your system has, the faster the data will be retrieved, the faster the program will run, and the more accurate the output will be. Processors nowadays no longer ship with L1 cache. If you plan to buy a new PC or laptop, I recommend buying the ones that have a higher L3 cache, although it can be a bit more expensive.
Curious about your processor cache size? It is not necessary to restart the system. A few steps and that's it.
1 method
A quick and easy way to do it right from the command prompt.
STEP 1 - Search for cmd in the Windows 10 search box, right click and run as administrator.
STEP 2 - There is a built-in command line tool known as wmic. This is a scripting interface that makes it easier to use Windows administration instrumentation Helps measure system performance. You will need to type the command listed below at the command prompt.
wmic cpu get L2CacheSize, L3Cachesize
This will return the corresponding size of the L2 and L3 caches in a message format. My processor is 256kb and 3072kb (3Mb) in size for L2 and L3 caches, as shown in the screenshots.
2 method
Determine your process model and get the corresponding information from the web.
STEP 1 - To get your processor model, simply type System information in the search bar next to the Windows icon at the bottom of the desktop.
STEP 2 - The details of the system components are displayed. In the right pane, you will find an item called Processor. You can find your processor model right next to it.
The processor model in my system is the Intel (R) Core (TM) i5- 4210-U CPU.
STEP 3 - Open Google in your web browser and find the details for your processor model. You will receive it immediately.
3 method
Making use of CPU-Z which gives full details of your processor right away, you will have to download CPU-Z for this purpose It is a powerful utility which gives you information about processor, motherboard and RAM, let's see how to use them of it.
STEP 1 - Download the utility by clicking this link- CPU-Z
STEP 2 - Run the application and open it once installed. When it does, it will interact with your system's hardware and collect its details. Then it provides the CPU information in the first tab. On the right, you can find the sizes of the different cache levels.
STEP 3 - Click on the second tab at the top labeled cacheHere you can get more detailed information about your system's cache.
Try the steps outlined above and delve into your system. I hope this article is useful for you.
