Can people overclock caches?

clowns789 · 2003-07-26, 23:57

It would really speed this up but I don't know anything much about it. Don't forget, you can check out my exponent like I said in the "Computer Won't Work" topic.

Xyzzy · 2003-07-27, 00:38

When you overclock a CPU you (usually) overclock the caches... This is because on most CPUs the cache is on the die...

QuintLeo · 2003-07-27, 20:23

Anything since the 386 has at least SOME of the cache on the CPU die - Level 1 cache for the 386 486 and Pentium/K5/C6/K6 generations, then the Slot-1 P-II/Celeron and SLot-A Athlons moved the Level 2 cache onto the "daughterboard" - then the PPGA P-II/Socket-A Athlons finally moved the Level-II cache onto the chip.

Any CURRENT CPU has the cache on-chip.

The CPU cache, even when it was on the MB, is still running at a speed dictated by the FSB of the CPU, at least for any x-86 CPU since the 386.

Anyone else remember the Cheetah 80386-16, and *why* it usually outran most 80386-20 machines of it's time?

Tasuke · 2003-07-29, 20:27

On many of the P2 Deschutes you could change the latency of the cache in clocks, in order to get some boost(often substancial) in cached apps. like office or photo editing or Prime95(smaller ffts could fit in the 512 L2 cache) I believe the default was 12 clocks latency, but most could run 4.
On the mendocino celerons(not the covington, as they were only Deschutes without any L2 cache) the default was 7 but most could run at 2 or even 1 clock(as they were the first mass produced full speed on die cache processors)you could probbably find the program on the net somewhere to change the P2/celeron cache latency. I think it was called Wcpul2 or similar.

2003-07-26, 23:57	#1
clowns789 Jun 2003 The Computer 401 Posts	Can people overclock caches? It would really speed this up but I don't know anything much about it. Don't forget, you can check out my exponent like I said in the "Computer Won't Work" topic.

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2003-07-27, 00:38	#2
Xyzzy Aug 2002 2×3²×13×37 Posts	When you overclock a CPU you (usually) overclock the caches... This is because on most CPUs the cache is on the die...

2003-07-27, 20:23	#3
QuintLeo Oct 2002 Lost in the hills of Iowa 2⁶·7 Posts	Anything since the 386 has at least SOME of the cache on the CPU die - Level 1 cache for the 386 486 and Pentium/K5/C6/K6 generations, then the Slot-1 P-II/Celeron and SLot-A Athlons moved the Level 2 cache onto the "daughterboard" - then the PPGA P-II/Socket-A Athlons finally moved the Level-II cache onto the chip. Any CURRENT CPU has the cache on-chip. The CPU cache, even when it was on the MB, is still running at a speed dictated by the FSB of the CPU, at least for any x-86 CPU since the 386. Anyone else remember the Cheetah 80386-16, and why it usually outran most 80386-20 machines of it's time?

2003-07-29, 20:27	#4
Tasuke Aug 2002 72₁₀ Posts	On many of the P2 Deschutes you could change the latency of the cache in clocks, in order to get some boost(often substancial) in cached apps. like office or photo editing or Prime95(smaller ffts could fit in the 512 L2 cache) I believe the default was 12 clocks latency, but most could run 4. On the mendocino celerons(not the covington, as they were only Deschutes without any L2 cache) the default was 7 but most could run at 2 or even 1 clock(as they were the first mass produced full speed on die cache processors)you could probbably find the program on the net somewhere to change the P2/celeron cache latency. I think it was called Wcpul2 or similar.