hep me! do g3 processors have 1mb of l2 cache? and at what speed?

Feb 24, 2001
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http://www.apple.com/pr/library/1999/june/01g3.html

i would have never thought that these guys were running 1mb of cache. i know zilch about macs, what's the deal? i mean we crank out x86 ones with 256k and some with 128k, but as a desktop processor with 1mb? 1600$ systems with that much cash seems crazy, i mean dont intel chips with that much cost that much for just the chip?

what speed are these running at and what differences are there. maybe im just st00pid.
 

ChrisOh

Banned
Oct 17, 1999
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that's true and that's why g3's kick ass for raw processing. If only the OS was good enough for the processor, that'd be scary...
 

majewski9

Platinum Member
Jun 26, 2001
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Macs now even have level 3 cache for a total of like 2 megs cache! The level 2 cache runs at the processor speed and the level 3 runs at board speed. this increased cache size is why macs continue to kick pc's butt in development apps.
 

AppleTalking

Golden Member
Dec 15, 2000
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Yes, the Blue and White G3 models that were made 2 years ago (look at the date on the press release) did have 1MB of backside L2 cache. This is not the same as the cache that one finds in current x86 processors. The cache that was on these G3 chips was not a part of the processor; that is, it was not "on-chip" cache like on an Athlon or Pentium chip. The G3's cache ran at only 1/2 the processor speed (1/3 in some cases) and was only connected by a 64-bit bus to the chip. The 256K on-chip cache featured on today's Athlons and Pentium IIIs and IVs, while smaller in size, is much faster and much more efficient because it is actually located on the processor itself.

By the way, the current G3 and G4 chips feature a 256K on-chip cache, not a 1MB one. Some G4s have a 1MB L3 cache that is similar to the backside L2 described above.

So yes, the older G3 procesors did have 1MB of cache. But an equivalent processor with a 256K on-chip would still be faster.

Nick
 
Feb 24, 2001
14,513
4
81


<< Yes, the Blue and White G3 models that were made 2 years ago (look at the date on the press release) did have 1MB of backside L2 cache. This is not the same as the cache that one finds in current x86 processors. The cache that was on these G3 chips was not a part of the processor; that is, it was not "on-chip" cache like on an Athlon or Pentium chip. The G3's cache ran at only 1/2 the processor speed (1/3 in some cases) and was only connected by a 64-bit bus to the chip. The 256K on-chip cache featured on today's Athlons and Pentium IIIs and IVs, while smaller in size, is much faster and much more efficient because it is actually located on the processor itself.

By the way, the current G3 and G4 chips feature a 256K on-chip cache, not a 1MB one. Some G4s have a 1MB L3 cache that is similar to the backside L2 described above.

So yes, the older G3 procesors did have 1MB of cache. But an equivalent processor with a 256K on-chip would still be faster.

Nick
>>

exactly what i had figured. that it wasnt full speed and off die, thankee much.