Memory hierarchy:
There is another type of high speed memory, known as Cache memory, which is used to increase the speed of processing by making current programs and data available to the CPU at a rapid rate. Cache memory is a relatively small, high speed memory that stores the most recent used instructions or data. It acts as a high-speed buffer between main memory and the CPU.The cache memory is placed in between CPU and main memory. Access time is the time it takes a device or program to locate information and make it available to the computer for further processing. Cache memory access time is about 0.5 to 2.5 ns which is much less than that of the main memory. The access time of main memory is about 50-70 ns. Because of its very high cost, the capacity of the cache memory deployed is 2 to 3 percent of that of the main memory. The access time of mass storage devices such as hard disks are measured in milliseconds (ms).