6 mb cache or 8 mb cache

[n0one]

is it much different between 6mb cache and 8mb cache?
because i think i am buying AMD Phenom x4 975 3,6 GHz and that have 6mb cache
but when i look at other processor they have 8 or 9 mb cache?.........what is the different?!?!?!!?!?

 

[Supernova1138]

The cache size refers to the amount of data the CPU can store on it's onboard memory to allow the processor to access data relevant to it current task faster, allowing the CPU to perform it's calculations without having to wait on data from the RAM all the time. Larger caches can store more data and can lead to faster performance in some applications.

Larger cache size however does not necessarily mean faster performance in all tasks. Many applications do not require a lot of space in the cache to run optimally. Whether you would benefit from the higher cache size is going to vary greatly depending on which applications you use. If gaming is your main CPU intensive use for your computer you will probably not see much of a performance boost with the larger cache size, as most games do not really benefit from an L3 cache larger than 6MB on a quad core.

This can be seen with the i5 2500k, which is considered the best gaming CPU out there right now, and it has a 6MB L3 cache. The older i5 760 does have a larger cache at 8MB in size, and can rival or beat the i5 2500k in certain applications, thanks to the larger cache, but that applies mostly to video rendering and the like. The extra cache does not seem to help game performance though, and the 2500k performs better in that field, despite the smaller cache size.