first level cache (L1)
A Level 1 cache (L1) is an extremely fast intermediate memory that is part of the central processing unit( CPU) or used to be directly connected to it and has a significant influence on the performance of the microprocessor.
An L1 cache is a buffer for the most frequently used instructions and data, thereby reducing access to the slower main memory. The L1 cache operates at the processor's clock frequency and has a memory capacity of up to 512 KB. The L1 cache of modern microprocessors is divided into a data cache and an instruction cache. The advantage is that the program does not remove data from the cache that is still needed.
The process by which linear addresses are converted into physical addresses is called Translation Lookaside Buffer( TLB). The instruction cache stores primarily short, frequently accessed instructions. The Level 1 cache is directly connected to the somewhat slower but larger Level 2 cache.