If you ever wonder how to check cache memory in Windows 10 or 11? Here is a simple guide that will be useful. We discuss the Processor (CPU) L2 and L3 cache memory size in Windows 10/11 computers and how to find them in 5 steps below.
Cache Level (L1, L2, L3) memory in the computer processor (CPU – Central Processing Unit) helps the computer system to keep the most frequent data inside processor memory rather than regular RAM. The more L2 and L3 cache memory processor has, the faster it can work.
CPU cache memory is much faster than RAM, which is expensive too. Most of the recent hardware and Operating Systems are intelligent enough to keep the OS, Programs, and other information which needs frequent access inside the cache memory to process faster. In this way, your computer can give better output by using the internal cache memory from the CPU.
Though the L1 cache is unavailable (or not important) in the latest processors, the L2 and L3 cache memory are very important. It’s always better to buy a desktop or laptop computer with a processor with higher L3 cache memory.
In this guide, we will find out how to check the processor (CPU) cache size without rebooting a Windows 10/11 computer. Though it can be easily checked in BIOS, here we list a few methods you can perform inside Operating Systems without restarting the computer.
How to Check L2, L3 Cache Size on Windows 10/11
1) By Task Manager
Depending on your Windows OS, the task manager can give enough information about the processor cache memory.
Access the task manager (by right-clicking the taskbar in Windows 10 or the Start button in Windows 11) and navigate to the ‘Performance’ tab.
Click on ‘CPU’ and view the L1, L2, and L3 cache memory, as shown below.
2) By Command Command Prompt
Here is the way if you are a fan of commands/CLI. You can use the below command to find the processor cache for a remote computer or the Windows server core installation, which doesn’t have a Graphical user Interface.
We can utilize the command line tool wmic for this purpose. Search for ‘cmd’ in Windows 10/11 and open the command prompt. Enter the below command.
wmic cpu get L2CacheSize, L3CacheSize
It will return the following message.
As indicated above, my PC processor has a 25MB L3 Cache.
Read Also: Front and Rear Panel of CPU with Label/Connectors
3) Via System Information and web search
First, find out the exact processor model of your computer in Windows System Information, then search for the model on the internet. Probably, it will take you to the manufacturer’s website (Intel or AMD) to get more details about the CPU, including the cache memory.
Search for ‘System Information in Windows search and open the tool.
In the detailed system information panel, you can identify the model of the processor (look for the model number).
Once I searched for more details about the Intel i7 4790 on the internet, I landed on the below information from the Intel website that shows the L3 cache memory.
4) Tools from Processor Vendor
AMD and Intel have their own processor identification tools that can give in-depth CPU details. For example, download the Intel Processor Identification utility for Windows 10/11 from the official website here.
Install the program and open it to check the CPU cache memory in Windows 11 or 10.
This is the state of my current computer CPU.
5) Use 3rd Party Tools
We can use 3rd party processor and hardware identification tools. CPU-Z is a great simple tool for the Windows platform. It can provide full details of the computer processor, motherboard, and RAM.
You can easily find the L2 and L3 cache sizes in processor details from Windows 11/10/8.1 OS. This tool can say about virtualization technology (VT-x) and other processor features.
Download the CPU-Z for Windows OS from this link.
Once the program is opened, it will collect the hardware details and provide the information.
It clearly shows the CPU cache size on the CPU screen. You can select the ‘Caches’ tab to get more information about it.
Watch the below short video to understand 3 types of CPU cache memory.
