hardware, architecture (L1 cache, level one cache) A small, fast
cache memory inside or close to the
CPU chip.
For example, an
Intel 80486 has an eight-
kilobyte on-chip cache, and most Pentiums have a 16-KB on-chip level one cache that consists of an 8-KB instruction cache and an 8-KB data cache.
The larger, slower
secondary cache is normally connected to the CPU via its external
bus.
(1997-06-25)