Hi
I like to upgrade my system , after long search , i decide to purchase Processor Intel E7500 but it has just 3MB Cache Size , is it enough for programming in Visual Studio 2008 and Later versions

First i plan to purchase Intel E8400 processor, it had 6MB Cache Size , but it not available in market ,
Only Difference Between Intel E8400 & E7500 is cache size ,
I want to know , is cache size play any important role in programming aspects

please suggest your answers

RDRaja

L1 & L2 Cache matters most when you're doing processing routines that require a fair amount of memory usage. Having a larger cache size can keep your working set in cache, preventing a (costly) memory fetch from RAM.

I run into this with my software quite frequently. We deal with large-scale mathematics problems. In this case, having a larger cache can have a profound effect on overall speed.

However, for programming, in general, I've found that smaller L2 cache sizes in processors doesn't seem to have a huge effect on total compilation times. For programming itself, I'd say it doesn't matter a lot. When you run the program you generate, depending on the nature of the software, it can make a big difference. You might want to read up on the theory behind CPU caching . Having a larger cache definitely helps in some circumstances, but often, it's not (IMO) worth the extra processor costs. (Some people have told me differently - that a larger cpu cache helped reduce their compilation times dramatically - but that's probably more a matter of what specifically you're compiling. My experience has always been that it has a pretty minor effect.)

---

Reed Copsey, Jr. - http://reedcopsey.com

Yes, this processor will perform adequately. Visual Studio will work with nearly any processor, however, faster processors will of course compile more quickly. The E7500 is a dual core processor, and of a reasonable speed. The 3MB cache size should be fine for compilation, and should have no problems within Visual Studio.

---

Reed Copsey, Jr. - http://reedcopsey.com

Thanks for your reply

Do you know about L2 Cache play in programming aspects
please suggest me

It's plenty. Get a good hard disk.

---

Hans Passant.

I had 320 GB Segate Hard Disk

L1 & L2 Cache matters most when you're doing processing routines that require a fair amount of memory usage. Having a larger cache size can keep your working set in cache, preventing a (costly) memory fetch from RAM.

I run into this with my software quite frequently. We deal with large-scale mathematics problems. In this case, having a larger cache can have a profound effect on overall speed.

However, for programming, in general, I've found that smaller L2 cache sizes in processors doesn't seem to have a huge effect on total compilation times. For programming itself, I'd say it doesn't matter a lot. When you run the program you generate, depending on the nature of the software, it can make a big difference. You might want to read up on the theory behind CPU caching . Having a larger cache definitely helps in some circumstances, but often, it's not (IMO) worth the extra processor costs. (Some people have told me differently - that a larger cpu cache helped reduce their compilation times dramatically - but that's probably more a matter of what specifically you're compiling. My experience has always been that it has a pretty minor effect.)

---

Reed Copsey, Jr. - http://reedcopsey.com