Cache

• The cache is a small area of memory located on or near the CPU that provides fast access to frequently used instructions and data
• Cache is graded as Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3
• L1 cache is usually part of the CPU chip itself and is the smallest, most expensive and fastest to access
• L2 and L3 caches are extra caches built between the CPU and RAM. L2 and L3 caches take slightly longer to access than L1, but are generally cheaper
• All caches are physically closer to the CPU than RAM and faster to access but has a smaller capacity