External Cache

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What Does External Cache Mean?

An external cache is any cache memory that is not built into a CPU chip. External cache is designed to provide high speed data storage and processing services to the computer processor, its primary/native cache and the main memory.

External cache is also known as secondary cache.

Techopedia Explains External Cache

The development of caches is a key event in the history of computing. The system is designed to ensure that the next bit of data a CPU will need is ready in the cache when it is needed.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.