Memory latency is the time (the latency) between initiating a request for a byte or word in memory until it is retrieved by a processor. If the data are not in the processor's cache, it takes longer to obtain them, as the processor will have to communicate with the external memory cells. Latency is therefore a fundamental measure of the speed of memory: the less the latency, the faster the reading operation.
Latency should not be confused with memory bandwidth, which measures the throughput of memory. Latency can be expressed in clock cycles or in time measured in nanoseconds. Over time, memory latencies expressed in clock cycles have been fairly stable, but they have improved in time.
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A CPU cache is a hardware cache used by the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer to reduce the average cost (time or energy) to access data from the main memory. A cache is a smaller, faster memory, located closer to a processor core, which stores copies of the data from frequently used main memory locations. Most CPUs have a hierarchy of multiple cache levels (L1, L2, often L3, and rarely even L4), with different instruction-specific and data-specific caches at level 1.
Dynamic random-access memory (dynamic RAM or DRAM) is a type of random-access semiconductor memory that stores each bit of data in a memory cell, usually consisting of a tiny capacitor and a transistor, both typically based on metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) technology. While most DRAM memory cell designs use a capacitor and transistor, some only use two transistors. In the designs where a capacitor is used, the capacitor can either be charged or discharged; these two states are taken to represent the two values of a bit, conventionally called 0 and 1.
Explores memory consistency models, cache coherence, and processor performance factors.
Covers testing, benchmarking, performance factors, measurement methodologies, ScalaMeter, JVM warmup, and configuration in parallel programming.
Explores memory consistency, cache coherence, and relaxed models in modern CPUs, emphasizing the balance between strict ordering and flexible memory operations.
FPGAs are a popular target for application-specific accelerators because they lead to a good balance between flexibility and energy efficiency. However, FPGA lookup tables introduce significant area and power overheads, making it difficult to use FPGA devi ...
Scrub is a troubleshooting tool for distributed applications that operate under strict SLOs common in production environments. It allows users to formulate queries on events occurring during execution in order to assess the correctness of the application’s ...
Database systems access memory either sequentially or randomly. Contrary to sequential access and despite the extensive efforts of
computer architects, compiler writers, and system builders, random access to data larger than the processor cache has been s ...