Thread: Cache Sockets

Virtually all newer Pentium class motherboards come with either integrated secondary cache or sockets for secondary cache to be inserted. Also called "Level 2" or "L2" cache, secondary cache is high-speed memory that is used to buffer processor requests to the regular system memory. 256 KB or 512 KB of cache is most common. 1 MB and higher cache are now available in the market. Motherboards for Pentium Pro and Pentium II PCs don't have level 2 cache on them; it is already integrated into the processor itself for the Pentium Pro, and into the processor package for the Pentium II. Motherboards typically have either cache chips soldered directly into the board or sockets for cache chips. This socket is sometimes called a CELP ("card edge low profile").