what is the difference between l1 and l2 cache?
L1 is "level-1" cache memory, usually built onto the microprocessor chip itself. ... L2 (that is, level-2) cache memory is on a separate chip (possibly on an expansion card) that can be accessed more quickly than the larger "main" memory. A popular L2 cache memory size is 1,024 kilobytes (one megabyte).