When is cache memory used

The purpose of cache memory is to store program instructions that are frequently used by software during its general operations, this is why fast access is needed as it helps to keep the program running quickly. White papers from our partners VMware U. Join Our Newsletter Want more on technology leadership? Sign up for Tech Monitor's weekly newsletter, Changelog, for the latest insight and analysis delivered straight to your inbox.

White papers Home About us Contact us Newsletter. Cache memory is a small-sized type of volatile computer memory that provides high-speed data access to a processor and stores frequently used computer programs, applications and data.

A temporary storage of memory, cache makes data retrieving easier and more efficient. It is the fastest memory in a computer, and is typically integrated onto the motherboard and directly embedded in the processor or main random access memory RAM.

Cache memory provides faster data storage and access by storing instances of programs and data routinely accessed by the processor.

Thus, when a processor requests data that already has an instance in the cache memory, it does not need to go to the main memory or the hard disk to fetch the data. The processor checks whether a corresponding entry is available in the cache every time it needs to read or write a location, thus reducing the time required to access information from the main memory. Hardware cache is also called processor cache, and is a physical component of the processor.

Depending on how close it is to the processor core, can be primary or secondary cache memory, with primary cache memory directly integrated into or closest to the processor. Speed depends on the proximity as well as the size of the cache itself. Whenever the processor accesses data for the first time, a copy is made into the cache. When that data is accessed again, if a copy is available in the cache, that copy is accessed first so the speed and efficiency is increased. Modern video cards also store their own cached memory inside their graphics processing chips.

As a result, cache memory is used to temporarily hold data and instructions that the processor is likely to reuse. This allows for faster processing as the processor does not have to wait for the data and instructions to be fetched from RAM. The more cache memory a computer has, the faster it runs.

However, because of its high-speed performance, cache memory is more expensive to build than RAM.