The GATE Grind

GATE 2014 CS (CS2) – Question 53

Computer Organization and Architecture · Memory Interfacing and Hierarchy · 2 marks · Multiple choice

Which statement about cache-block size is correct?

  1. Smaller blocks imply better spatial locality.
  2. Smaller blocks imply smaller tags and lower tag overhead.
  3. Smaller blocks imply larger tags and hence lower hit time.
  4. Smaller blocks incur a lower miss penalty.

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Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: (D) Smaller blocks incur a lower miss penalty.

Explanation

A smaller block transfers fewer bytes on a miss, normally lowering the transfer component of miss penalty. Thus **D** is the intended comparison. It does not improve the program’s spatial locality and can require more tags for a fixed capacity. Actual latency also depends on the memory implementation.