In designing a computer’s cache system, the cache block (or cache line) size…

2017

In designing a computer’s cache system, the cache block (or cache line) size is an important parameter. Which one of the following statements is correct in this context?

  1. A.

    Smaller block size incurs lower cache miss penalty

  2. B.

    Smaller block size implies better spatial locality

  3. C.

    Smaller block size implies smaller cache tag

  4. D.

    Smaller block size implies lower cache hit time

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Correct answer: A

A smaller cache block size reduces the amount of data transferred from main memory during a miss. Since fetching fewer bytes takes less time, the cache miss penalty is lower compared to larger block sizes.

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