Why do AMD 64 x2 cpus have less cache than the intel core 2 duos?

Question

Why do AMD 64 x2 cpus have less cache than the intel core 2 duos? Is there a major difference? What does L2 mean when it says L2 cache? I see intel cpus having up to 4mb cache while AMD just has 1MB x 2 or 512 x 2 L2 Cache... For gaming, does it really matter? So many questions but I would greatly appreciate some shared knowledge from the computer savvy. Thanks!

Answer 1

It has something to do with the desing and the way they are manufactured. It is more difficult for AMD to add more cache then Intel. AMD has other areas where it is better, but on the whole the Core 2 Duos are superior. As for L2, it stands for Level 2 cache. Processors have different levels of cache that do different things. Most all new ones have L1 and L2, the old Pentium Extremes and the upcoming AMD Phenoms havee L3 as well.

Answer 2

Core 2's can perform significantly better than the X2's in some situations, a C2D is the best bet for a new system right now. More L2 cache means less CPU time is spent accessing RAM, which even though RAM is fast, cache is faster, and both are much faster than accessing hard drives.

Answer 3

AMD chips are cheep