Average Memory Access Time

Improving AMAT

• Keep Miss Rate low
  • Increased cache size lowers cache Miss Rate, but this increases Hit Time
  • Better cache management policies:
    • Prefetching: Anticipate what you will need
    • Replacement: Anticipate what you don't need
• Keep Miss Penalty low
  • Reduce miss penalty with a faster main memory ( but higher cost )
  • Better solved by adding intermediate levels