This article contains information about L3 cache of an Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processor and why the value is higher than L1 cache.
There's a difference in cache memory between Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors.
A different cache hierarchy is expected between Intel® Xeon® Processors Families. The cache hierarchy was changed in the architecture of the newer Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor families.
What are the cache hierarchy changes?
In prior architectures (such as the Intel® Xeon® E5 v4 Processor family):
- The mid-level cache (MLC or also known as L2) was 256 KB per core.
- The last level cache (also known as L3) was a shared inclusive cache with 2.5 MB per core.
In the architecture of the Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processor family, the cache hierarchy has changed to provide a larger MLC of 1 MB per core and a smaller shared non-inclusive 1.375 MB LLC per core. A larger MLC increases the hit rate into the MLC resulting in lower effective memory latency and also lowering demand on the mesh interconnect and LLC. The shift to a non-inclusive cache for the LLC allows for more effective utilization of the overall cache on the chip versus an inclusive cache.
| 3rd Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor family with Intel® C620A series chipset (1S and 2S ) | 3rd Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor family with Intel® C620A series chipset (4S and 8S ) |
4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor family with Intel® C741 series chipset (1S, 2S, 4S, & 8S) | 5th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor family with Intel® C741 series chipset (1S, 2S, 4S, & 8S | |
| Cache | First Level Cache: 32 KB Instruction Cache 48 KB Data Cache Mid-Level Cache: 1.25 MB private per core Last Level Cache: 1.5 MB per core | First Level Cache: 32 KB Instruction Cache 32 KB Data Cache Mid-Level Cache: 1 MB private per core Last Level Cache: 1.375 MB per core | First Level Cache: 32 KB Instruction Cache 48 KB Data Cache Mid-Level Cache: 2 MB private per core Last Level Cache: 1.875 MB per core | First Level Cache: 32 KB Instruction Cache 48 KB Data Cache Mid-Level Cache: 2 MB private per core Last Level Cache: 5 MB per core |
For additional details, see the Cache Hierarchy Changes section of the Technical overview or visit Intel® Xeon® Processors Product Specifications.
5th Gen Intel Xeon Processor Scalable Family Technical Overview
4th Gen Intel Xeon Processor Scalable Family Technical Overview
3rd Gen Intel® Xeon® Processor Scalable Family Technical Overview
2nd Gen Intel® Xeon® Processor Scalable Family Technical Overview