Difference between L1 L2 and L3 cache?

[n8mac]

What is the difference between L1, L2 and L3 cache for a CPU?

 

[MKnight]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_cache

 

[scan]

1 is closer than the other to the CPU so you get a faster transfer

 

[n8mac]

Thanks guys. Didn't know Wiki would have such an extensive work up on this 😱.

I was reading up on my 867 G4 and was looking for the usual L1, L2 cache and found this... "This system has a 256k "on chip" level 2 cache running at processor speed and a 2 MB backside level 3 cache running on a bus one-fourth of the processor speed (217 MHz)."

I was just wondering if this was better or worse than the usual L2 1MB cache found at around the same time as my comp.

Thanks
n8

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

The bigger the L(x) capacity is, the better.