Windows 2000 FAQ - Enable L2 cache ??

[Stoned 0]

I am curious

 

The Win2k FAQ on Ntcompatible has just been updated and the only major change I noticed was the bottom line saying 'How can I enable the Level 2 Cache?':-

 

"You can enable the Level 2 Cache with the follow registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE => SYSTEM => CurrentControlSet => Control => Session Manager => Memory Management

 

SecondLevelDataCache

for 256kB Level 2 Cache = 0

for 512kB Level 2 Cache = 200

for 1024kB Level 2 Cache = 400"

 

What cache is this talking about ?. Are we talking about processor L2 cache here ie the 256k on my T'bird processor ?. Or does this refer to something else entirely.

 

If it does mean the L2 cache on the CPU, how comes this wasnt enabled before. I thought performance would be noticably slower by having L2 cache off, kinda like the original Celerons.

 

Is there and advantage to enabling this setting, or in my case setting it to '0' ??

 

Regards

 

Chris, aka Stoned

[Toby 0]

NOTE: Level 2 (L2) CPU cache size can be sized this way, ONLY IF using earlier CPUs: Intel (and compatibles) 386, 486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, AMD K5/K6/K7, Cyrix, etc, with off-chip L2 cache SRAM memory (external, off the CPU die).

 

If using newer CPUs: Intel Pentium II/III/IV/Celeron/Xeon, AMD Athlon/Duron/Thunderbird, etc, with on-chip L2 cache SRAM memory (internal, on the CPU die), L2 cache size can *NOT* be altered!

 

 

/Toby

[Stoned 0]

Ahhh I see now.

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Stoned

[Asghar 0]

The registry tweak is not to actually enable or disable the L2 cache of the CPU. It is simply a way of telling Win2K the size of the L2 cache on your system so it can optimize for it. Otherwise, by default, Win2K might not use the correct cache size each time it loads.