gyorsítótári

Gyorsítótár, often translated as "accelerator memory" or "cache memory," refers to a small, high-speed memory component that stores frequently accessed data. Its primary purpose is to reduce the average time it takes to access data from slower main memory. When a processor needs data, it first checks the gyorsítótár. If the data is present (a cache hit), it can be retrieved much faster than from main memory. If the data is not found (a cache miss), the processor retrieves it from main memory and also stores a copy in the gyorsítótár for future use.

The effectiveness of a gyorsítótár depends on the principle of locality, which states that programs tend to access data that is near data they have recently accessed (spatial locality) or data that they have accessed recently (temporal locality). By keeping these frequently used pieces of data close at hand, the gyorsítótár significantly speeds up overall system performance.

Gyorsítótárak are organized in levels, typically L1, L2, and L3, with L1 being the smallest and fastest, located closest to the processor core, and L3 being larger and slower, often shared among multiple cores. The management of data within the gyorsítótár involves complex algorithms to decide which data to keep and which to discard when space is limited, aiming to maximize the cache hit rate. This technology is fundamental to modern computing, impacting the speed of everything from personal computers and servers to mobile devices and embedded systems.