Cache Hit

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What Does Cache Hit Mean?

A cache hit is a state in which data requested for processing by a component or application is found in the cache memory. It is a faster means of delivering data to the processor, as the cache already contains the requested data.

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Techopedia Explains Cache Hit

A cache hit occurs when an application or software requests data. First, the central processing unit (CPU) looks for the data in its closest memory location, which is usually the primary cache. If the requested data is found in the cache, it is considered a cache hit.

A cache hit serves data more quickly, as the data can be retrieved by reading the cache memory. The cache hit also can be in disk caches where the requested data is stored and accessed at first query.

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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.