8. Lecture – 28
This chapter focuses on the architecture and organization of computer memory systems, including the importance of various memory types such as SRAM, DRAM, and magnetic disks. It discusses the trade-offs between speed, cost, and size of memory, emphasizing the necessity of hierarchical memory structures to optimize performance and access times. The chapter also delves into cache memory, its mapping techniques, and the use of multi-level caches to enhance overall system efficiency.
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What we have learnt
- The speed of processor chips has significantly outpaced improvements in memory access times, necessitating efficient memory management.
- Memory systems should be hierarchically organized to balance speed and cost, utilizing a combination of SRAM, DRAM, and magnetic disks.
- Cache memory techniques such as write-through and write-back have distinct performance implications, while employing methods like early restart and critical word first can mitigate delays.
Key Concepts
- -- SRAM
- Static Random Access Memory, known for its speed, but comes at a high cost.
- -- DRAM
- Dynamic Random Access Memory, commonly used for main memory due to its lower cost compared to SRAM, but with slower access times.
- -- Cache
- A smaller, faster type of volatile memory that provides high-speed data access to the processor, typically organized in levels (L1, L2, etc.).
- -- WriteThrough Cache
- A caching method where data is written to both the cache and the backing store (main memory) simultaneously.
- -- WriteBack Cache
- A caching method in which data is written to the cache only, and written to the main memory only when the cache line is replaced.
- -- MultiLevel Caches
- An architecture using multiple levels of cache memory to reduce access times and improve performance.
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