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Adjust the Level 2 cache setting
I found the neatest tweak for my system. I checked and sure enough my P-4 2.53 that has 512Kb of L2 cache was set to use 256 in
the registry, Performance is much better now. Check it out.
During Windows XP installation, Setup queries the system processor to determine the size of the Level 2 cache. However, it doesn't always succeed. When
this happens, Setup configures a default setting of 256 KB in the registry.
If your computer has a larger Level 2 cache than Setup configured in the registry, your system won't perform optimally. To significantly
increase the performance of your system, change the value in the registry to match your Level 2 cache.
Here's how:
1. Launch the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
2. Go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management.
3. Double-click SecondLevelDataCache DWORD value.
4. Using the options below, change the value in the Value Data text box to
a number that matches the size of your Level 2 cache. Then click OK. Level 2 cache Value Data setting
256 KB........................... 0
512 KB........................... 200
1024 KB........................... 400
5. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
You may need to restart the system or log out of Windows XP for the change to take effect.
If you're not sure of the actual
size of your system's Level 2 cache, copy this script and save it as L2Cache.vbs:
Set ProSet = GetObject("winmgmts:").InstancesOf("Win32_Processor")
For each Pro in ProSet
WScript.Echo "Level 2 Cache:" & " " & Pro.L2CacheSize & " KB"
Next
Double-click the script to run it, and you'll see a dialog box that displays the size of your system's
Level 2 cache.
Note: Editing the registry is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before making any changes.
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