Q: What is a cache in computing?

A: A cache is a hardware or software component that temporarily stores copies of data so that future requests for that data can be served more quickly, reducing latency and improving performance.

Q: How does cache improve computer performance?

A: By keeping frequently accessed data close to the processor or application, cache eliminates the need to fetch the same information repeatedly from slower storage layers, thereby speeding up data retrieval and overall system responsiveness.

Q: What are the main types of cache?

A: The most common types are **CPU cache** (L1, L2, L3), **disk cache**, **web cache**, **ARP cache**, and **negative cache**, each serving a specific layer of the computing stack.

Q: Is cache the same as RAM?

A: No. Cache is a smaller, faster memory tier that sits between the processor and main memory (RAM). It stores only a subset of data that the processor is likely to reuse, whereas RAM holds the full working set of active data.

Q: Can software use cache?

A: Yes. Software solutions such as **Memcached** and **ReadyBoost** implement caching in memory or on disk to accelerate application‑level data access.

cache

computing component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster

Class type of: recording medium, computer hardware, software component Q165596

Facts

5 properties

Instance of: type of computer memory or storage
Subclass of: recording medium, computer hardware, software component
Has use: computer performance^[5]
Different from: Mémoire^[6]
P14541: 9zSVx, 1f9MOi^[7]^[8]

🏷️ Also known as

en cache en computer cache en computing cache en data cache ar ذاكرة الكاش ar ذاكرة الكاشي ar تنظيم الذاكرة المخبئية ar الذاكرة المخبئية ar خابيه ar الكاش ar كاش ميموري ar خابي ar ذاكرة مخبئية cs Cache paměti cs Rychlá vyrovnávací paměť da buffer de Datenpuffer de Cache-Speicher de Prozessorpuffer de Cachespeicher

🔖 Identifiers · 23

Library of Congress authority ID: sh88007957
GND ID: 4362843-6
OpenAlex ID: C115537543
De Agostini ID: cache
Encyclopedia of China (Second Edition) ID: 203622
Encyclopedia of China (Third Edition) ID: 32718, 31414
Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID: technology/buffer-computing
Freebase ID: /m/01zyw
Great Russian Encyclopedia portal ID: kesh-pamiat-5ae817
KBpedia ID: CacheComputing
Lex ID: cache
MetaSat ID: cache

Show all 23 identifiers +11

Microsoft Academic ID (discontinued): 115537543
National Library of Israel J9U ID: 987007541784405171
OmegaWiki Defined Meaning: 957474
Semantic Scholar topic ID: 22958
Stack Exchange tag: stackoverflow.com
Topic's main category: Category:Cache (computing)
Treccani Vocabulary ID: cache
WordNet 3.1 Synset ID: 02938401-n
YSO ID: 28584
Yale LUX ID: concept/0ee22fbe-504a-4242-8557-3add64892281
Zhihu topic ID: 19564998

Report an error or request removal Lineage (PROV-JSON)

🔗 Connections

Subtypes 10

CPU cache, web cache, segment descriptor, cache memory, ARP cache, disk cache, HTTP Caching, negative cache +2 more

← Has use 5

proxy server, ReadyBoost, reproducible builds, disk buffer, Ehcache

Examples 3

ReadyBoost, translation lookaside buffer, Memcached

Belongs to 2

disk array, Intel Core i7-4770HQ

Subclass of 2

computer hardware, recording medium

Has use 1

computer performance

Topic's main category 1

Category:Cache (computing)

← Afflicts 1

thrashing

← Category's main topic 1

Category:Cache (computing)

← Depicts 1

memory hierarchy

← Handled, mitigated, or managed by 1

network delay

← Has part(s) of the class 1

Seagate Barracuda Compute 2TB

← Uses 1

cache poisoning

Press Enter · cited answer in seconds

Summary

cache is a type of computer memory or storage^[1]. cache is a type of recording medium^[2], computer hardware^[3], and software component^[4].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

Class ancestry

[1] ↑ cache is an instance of type of computer memory or storage (Q125005976) [P31, primary]. Wikidata. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). cache. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/cache-q165596

MLA “cache.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 4 Nov. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/cache-q165596.

BibTeX

@misc{4ortxyz_cache-q165596_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{cache}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/cache-q165596}, note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}}

LLM prompt

According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): cache — https://4ort.xyz/entity/cache-q165596 (retrieved 2026-11-04)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cache-q165596 · Last refreshed: November 4, 2026

Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

17w ago · Nyuhn · 2026-07-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗

P14541 → 9zSVx, 1f9MOi

"/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/40849|batch #40849]]: ZGBK ID"
20w ago · Yirba · 2026-06-19 view diff on Wikidata ↗

P14541 → 9zSVx, 1f9MOi

"/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/37385|batch #37385]]: Encyclopedia of China (Third Edition) ID (2026) (P14541)"
24w ago · Twofivesixbot bot · 2026-05-18 view diff on Wikidata ↗

Stack Exchange tag → https://stackoverflow.com/tags/caching

Semantic Scholar topic ID → 22958

Encyclopedia of China (Second Edition) ID → 203622

Different from → Mémoire

+ 54 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)

"/* wbsetclaim-update-qualifiers:1||1|8 */ YSO ID: 28584, mv to monolingual text names on YSO statements"

Live feed via Wikidata EventStreams. New edits appear within minutes of being made on Wikidata.