CACTI 6.0: A Tool to Model Large Caches

Overview

Future processors will likely have large on-chip caches with a possibility of dedicating an entire die for on-chip storage in a 3D stacked design. CACTI 6.0 is a significantly enhanced version of the tool that primarily focuses on interconnect design for large caches. In addition to strengthening the existing analytical model of the tool for dominant cache components, CACTI 6.0 includes two major extensions over earlier versions: first, the ability to model Non-Uniform Cache Access (NUCA), and second, the ability to model different types of wires, such as RC based wires with different power, delay, and area characteristics and differential low-swing buses. This paper details the analytical model assumed for the newly added modules along with their validation analysis.