Kaveri APU no L3 cache?

[RamboOC]

why don't APUs (including latest kaveri ones) have L3 cache? is it because if the die size?

 

[barnsley]

Its pretty unclear but from what I understand L3 cache doesn't really matter for APUs currently.
To quote someone on Tom's Hardware:

While L3 cache is something useful for a CPU, it doesn't dramatically hinder performance in APUs. This is because with an on die GPU you can offload a lot of OpenCL capable applications, that would otherwise need cache, for the GPU to handle.

 

[Zoot]

why don't APUs (including latest kaveri ones) have L3 cache? is it because if the die size?

It's to save die area I would think, it allows them to get a beefier GPU onboard plus it keeps the prices down as the die cost isn't as high (it isn't as big).

If you look at the FX-8350 die, the L3 cache is a massive proportion of the die although there is 8MB of it there. The Intel stuff with the 10/20MB L3 caches are the same,.

 

[NeverBackDown]

L1 and L2 caches are more important anyway. Also as said above from the quote the L3 cache is not needed due to the ondie GPU.