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8MB of L3 cache is 2MB more than 6MB—33.3% greater capacity—but it does not make a processor 33.3% faster. That extra capacity can help in some cache-sensitive, CPU-limited workloads. For most buying decisions, compare the exact CPU models, generation, cores, clocks, power behavior, and price before treating cache as a deciding factor.
What L3 cache does
A processor checks data through a hierarchy that commonly includes L1 and L2 cache, then L3 cache, and finally system memory. L1 and L2 are smaller and closer to the cores; L3 is generally larger and slower than those levels, but faster to access than RAM. Keeping recently used data close to the cores can reduce time spent waiting on memory.
L3 is often shared by multiple cores, but the size printed in a specification does not tell you exactly how the cache is arranged or accessed. Cache topology, latency, inclusivity, and sharing vary by processor family and generation. Intel’s overview of cache hierarchy changes across processor generations illustrates why equal capacity figures do not necessarily mean identical cache behavior: Intel’s cache hierarchy guidance.
6MB versus 8MB in numbers
| Specification | 6MB L3 | 8MB L3 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 6MB | 8MB |
| Difference | — | 2MB more |
| Relative capacity | 100% | 133.3% of 6MB |
| Guaranteed performance gain | None | None |
| Possible effect | May be sufficient for a workload’s reused data | May retain more reused data and reduce some cache misses |
The megabyte figures describe capacity, not speed. Cache performance also depends on hit rate, latency, bandwidth, and architecture. The additional 2MB is most useful when a workload repeatedly reuses data that would not fit in 6MB but can fit in 8MB. If the active data is much larger, is used only once, or another component is limiting performance, the extra space may have little effect.
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How much faster is 8MB L3?
There is no reliable universal percentage. An 8MB CPU may be faster in a particular cache-sensitive test, but the result cannot be inferred from capacity alone. Intel lists cache alongside other processor specifications and cautions that processor numbers are not direct measures of performance: Intel processor specification guidance and Intel guidance on processor numbers.
Gaming
Some games can benefit when the CPU is the bottleneck, particularly at high refresh rates or in simulation-heavy scenes involving game-world logic, physics, AI, crowds, or draw-call preparation. At 1080p with a powerful graphics card, the CPU is more likely to limit frame delivery, so small CPU differences may become easier to observe. At 1440p and especially 4K, the graphics card more often limits average frame rate, which can make a small cache difference less visible. Intel’s gaming guidance treats cache as one of several processor factors rather than a standalone performance guarantee: Intel’s gaming CPU overview.
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A larger cache could help frame-time consistency or low-percentile frame rates in a CPU-limited scenario, but it is not guaranteed to improve average FPS or 1% lows. Those results also depend on the game, GPU, memory, drivers, background activity, and thermal behavior. Only a controlled test of the exact processors and system can establish the difference.
Office work and web browsing
For everyday browsing and office applications, L3 capacity is usually a poor deciding factor. A newer architecture, responsive single-core performance, adequate RAM, and SSD storage are more likely to matter noticeably. The extra 2MB may help some operations, but it should not outweigh a substantial difference in generation or processor capability.
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Rendering, editing, compiling, and compression
Results depend on the application and its data-access patterns. Rendering, encoding, and compiling often benefit strongly from core and thread count, sustained power, cooling, and instruction-set support. Some compilers, codecs, scientific programs, and data-processing tasks may also benefit from additional cache. For these workloads, use benchmarks for the software you actually run instead of predicting results from the L3 figure.
Why a 6MB CPU can beat an 8MB CPU
A 6MB processor can outperform an 8MB model if it has a newer or more efficient architecture, higher per-clock performance, higher sustained clocks, more cores or threads, better memory support, or higher sustained power limits. Laptop performance is especially sensitive to the power and cooling a particular chassis allows. A nominally faster chip may not sustain its boost behavior in a thin or thermally constrained system.
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Cache is also only one part of the memory hierarchy. “8MB cache” may refer specifically to L3, while another listing may use a different cache description or combine levels. L1, L2, L3, and any package-level cache are not interchangeable figures.
What older Core i5 and i7 comparisons show
Older Intel Core comparisons sometimes pair a 6MB L3 Core i5 with an 8MB L3 Core i7. For example, AnandTech’s Skylake coverage lists 6MB L3 for the Core i5-6600K and 8MB for the Core i7-6700K: AnandTech’s Skylake comparison. These processors also differ in other characteristics, including clocks and Hyper-Threading, so the comparison cannot isolate the effect of the extra 2MB. The same caution applies to historical processor tables such as Tom’s Hardware’s CPU coverage: a benchmark comparing different CPUs measures whole processors, not cache capacity by itself.
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What to compare before buying
Record the exact model numbers first. Then compare the attributes that determine whether the processors are suitable for your system and workload:
- Generation and architecture: Do not treat an older 8MB chip as automatically better than a newer 6MB one.
- Cores and threads: These can dominate heavily parallel work.
- Clock behavior: Check base and boost specifications, while remembering that sustained performance depends on power and cooling.
- Power and thermals: For laptops, the system’s configured power limits and chassis cooling affect real performance.
- Memory support: Check memory type, capacity, and supported speed for the processor and platform.
- Graphics and platform: Consider integrated graphics, motherboard or laptop compatibility, and other features relevant to your use.
- Price, condition, and warranty: These matter particularly for used or refurbished systems.
- Relevant benchmarks: Prefer results for your applications, games, or workloads, with similar system components.
For a fair comparison, keep the GPU, memory configuration, storage, operating system, and drivers consistent. Separate CPU-limited tests from GPU-limited ones, and use frame-time percentiles as well as averages when gaming performance matters.
How to verify the cache figure
- Identify the exact processor model. Do not rely on a marketplace title or a broad family name.
- Check the manufacturer’s specifications. Intel provides model lookup and cache verification guidance through its processor identification support page. AMD’s processor specifications database lists cache levels separately.
- Confirm which cache level is listed. Make sure the figure is L3 rather than a total across L1, L2, and L3.
- Resolve listing discrepancies using the model specification. Manufacturer records are a better reference than abbreviated or potentially inaccurate used-market listings.
Current processor families can advertise far more cache than 6MB or 8MB, but those products use different architectures and cache organizations; their headline totals are not directly comparable to an older two-CPU choice. For context, AMD’s desktop Ryzen lineup is listed at AMD Ryzen desktop processors, while Intel’s Xeon 6 brief describes configurations with much larger L3 pools: Intel Xeon 6 product brief.
When to choose 8MB or 6MB
Choose 8MB when
- The processors are from the same generation and product family, with similar core counts, clocks, and power limits.
- The price difference is small and benchmarks for your workload favor the 8MB model.
- You run a cache-sensitive, CPU-limited workload where the extra capacity could be useful.
Choose 6MB when
- It is substantially cheaper or offers a newer architecture, more cores, better clocks, or better efficiency.
- Your gaming is mostly GPU-limited, or your work is general browsing and office use.
- The 8MB option is older, hotter, or constrained by the laptop or system it is in.
- Used-system condition, compatibility, or warranty makes the lower-cache option the safer value.
When the comparison is close, prioritize application benchmarks, architecture, core and thread count, sustained performance, platform support, and total cost. Treat L3 capacity as a tie-breaker, not a ranking of CPUs.
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