What is Computer Memory Definition? [Cache Definition Explained]

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Computer memory Definition is the memory that stores any data for a limited time. When you work on a Video project, Video Editor Software load video clips and audio from Hard Drive, and it loads to RAM memory. Due to the high speed of RAM memory, video clips load very fast in the video editor, it prevents time and Lag during importing and editing.

Advantages of a Cache Memory

The advantage of cache memory is that this helps you to open your browsing, multi-tasking, and access rapidly any file again. When you open the MS paint and close it, the data of the MS paint stored in the cache memory. When you open the MS paint again it loads much faster compared to firstly you opened. MS Paint Directly load from Cache memory.

What is Computer memory Definition and How does it work?

Types of Computer Memory

  1. Web Browser Cache files
  2. Hard Disk Cache memory
  3. RAM memory Cache
  4. Processors Cache Memory

This article came from the main article What is Processors or CPU? Click Here to read the Full article.

How does Computer Memory Works?

When we start the CPU, what does it do first? Nothing. The CPU first needs to take the instruction and where is the instruction? It is in the memory of the CPU. If the instruction not taken then the CPU will not proceed further. Therefore, it is a memory task to give instruction to the CPU and collect and store it. This called memory Cache Memory. This memory is not permanent, as if the computer shut down, then it will clear all the information that stored.

There are two types of memory on the computer. Well, there is a lot of memory but if you talk about cash memory here, there are two types. One is SDRAM, and the other is DRAM.

RAM – Random Access Memory –  Means we can use this memory randomly, it is used for any purpose, any time. But there is no data store in this memory, only the data remains in it if the power is on.

SDRAM stands for Static RAM, and DRAM stands for Dynamic RAM. CPU uses both the memory.

Now come to the main topic. Any computer that gets the instruction goes to RAM. Now, this instruction does not go straight to the CPU, SDRAM comes in its way, which called cache memory. Cash memory is also in three levels, in which the instruction must go through these levels. These level memories are written below.

Level 1 Cache Memory (L1 Cache memory) Primary Memory of Computer

This memory is very close to the CPU, the CPU comes first, then this L1 Cache memory comes. This storage is the fastest memory. The processor first searches for the instruction in this memory. When the processor gets the instruction from this memory then the processor works on that instruction and then stores it back in this memory. This memory size ranges from 4kb to 64kb.

Level 2 Cache Memory (L2 Cache memory) Secondary Memory of Computer

This memory comes after L1 cache memory. It is less fast than level 1 cache memory. When the processor does not get instruction in level 1 memory or complete level 1 instruction then processor finds the instruction in level 2 cache memory.  The size of this cache memory is from 256kb to 512kb.

Level 3 Cache Memory (L3 Cache memory) Main memory of Computer

This memory size ranges from 1MB to 8MB. But today the processors coming in have up to 16m cache memory. This memory slows compared to the L1 cache and L2 cache memory.

When the processor instructs them from these three memories and returns it by working on it, then it goes through these memories to main Memory RAM.

Now it has come to understand how cache memory works and how much it is based on Level.


Which is L1 and L2 memory is the same for a single core. If it’s easier to understand, one memory works for one core. If there is a processor of two cores, it means the quad-core, then it has 2 L1 memory. Both L1 cache memory works for both cores. One L1 for one core and second L1 Cache memory for the Second core. L2 Memory also works similarly. Separate memory for one core and separate memory for the second core.

Whatever L3 memory is, whether it is a single core or dual core, the memory will be the same for both the cores. Both cores will use only one L3 memory.


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