Intel comes years later with L4 cache

For a while, new information about Intel Meteor Lake processors has been circulating. A while ago, strong rumors that these next generation processors will come with Level 4, that is, L4 cache, came to light. Now, in a patent by Intel, this L4 cache is referred to as Adamantine.

L4 cache coming years later

Finally, the L4 cache we see on the Intel Broadwell platform will be one of the basic building blocks of the new series. According to the patent, the ‘next generation SoC architecture’, also known as Meteor Lake, will have ‘overpack caches’. Meteor Lake will adopt hybrid architecture consisting of five different tiles: CPU, SoC, GPU, I/O and base tile. Adamantine cache will offer much faster access time than a typical cache like L3, which is part of the CPU tile. As explained by Intel, the main purpose of the L4 cache will be to improve boot optimization.

Faster boot times will be achieved

Typically, caches serve to increase the performance of the memory subsystem by quickly supplying the cores with necessary data. However, large caches can store a lot of data, so there are other uses. The patent suggests that Intel’s Adamantine (or ADM) cache can improve communication not only between the CPU and memory, but also between the CPU and the security controller. For example, L4 can be used to preserve data in caches during reset to improve load times. Windows 10 and Windows 11 load times are pretty fast on Intel’s platforms even today. However, Intel believes that with memory available at reset, faster and more efficient BIOS solutions can be developed for modern mobility devices such as automobile infotainment systems and home robots.

While the patent itself doesn’t mention Meteor Lake, the images included with the patent show a processor with two high-performance Redwood Cove and eight energy-efficient Crestmont cores on a tile produced in the Intel 4 fabrication process, a processor based on Intel’s Gen 12.7 architecture (Xe-LPG). It clearly shows the graphics chipset, a SoC tile containing two more Crestmont cores, and an I/O chipset interconnected using Intel’s Foveros 3D technology. All this is actually Meteor Lake that we know. Officially, Intel Meteor Lake is expected to launch in the second half of 2023.