Large L2 cache vs. large L3 cache?

Question

So I'm looking at 2 processors, one intel, one AMD. The Intel has a 2MB L2 cache, and it doesn't say anything about the L3 so I guess it doesn't include that on the cpu itself. Then the AMD has a 2x512MB L2 cache and a 6MB L3--which one would be better? (for gaming, specifically :x) Since the first one's got a fast 2MB L2 cache, and the second has a smaller L2 cache but a whole L3 cache to make up for it.

Answer 1

I am assuming you are looking at the Phenom II 550 which is really a Quad Core processor with 2 cores locked due to a possible fault in the processor. this processor would outperform the Intel processor you are looking at. If you were to have SB750 you would be able to possibly enable the 3rd and/or 4th Cores giving you an even better processor. With each core that is unlocked you get another 512kb L2 Cache bringing the total up to a possible 2MB L2 and 6MB L3.



On top of that...the Phenom II 550 is a Black Edition processor which means you can overclock it without any problem.

Answer 2

More cache at a lower level directly translates to better performance. The way that this works is that a CPU needing to poll cache will check L1 first. If it doesn't find the stored string it needed, it retries the poll on L2. If it again fails, it moves on to L3. The more you can fit into L2, the faster the CPU can move on with it's processing because it can skip any further polling.



Most Intel chips have L3 as well. This ranges from 6MB in the older Itaniums, to 8MB in the i7, to 16MB in the hefty server grade Xeons. Rather than basing your decision souly on this math, though, check out the benchmarks for the chips, such as these...



http://www.cpubenchmark.net/common_cpus.html



As you can see, all of the top chips are Intels. This isn't counting overclocking for any of the models. So, the key is to find the AMD chip and the Intel chip you were comparing on a chart like this, then decide which is a better value based on the performance numbers listed against the amount of money you want to spend. Equivalent Intels tend to crush their counterpart AMD's in the benchmarks, but cost more for that performance. It's up to you to decide which is the best value for your needs. Don't let any of the AMD or Intel bias fanboys sway you. Stick to the dollar vs performance numbers!

Answer 3

It's kind of close, but I think I would reccomend the Core 2 Quad Q9450. For Battlefield 3, there's hardly any performance difference between the two choices. But for the CPU intensive games like Skyrim, the 4 cores will be very useful. And For non-CPU intensive games, there's hardly any difference; therefore, the Q9450 has the most well-rounded performance. Also, I'm pretty sure that you could buy a radeon 7950 without bottleneck with the Q9450.