Hybrid allocation of data lines in a streaming cache memory

Abstract

Various embodiments include a system for managing cache memory in a computing system. The system includes a sectored cache memory that provides a mechanism for sharing sectors in a cache line among multiple cache line allocations. Traditionally, different cache line allocations are assigned to different cache lines in the cache memory. Further, cache line allocations may not use all of the sectors of the cache line, leading to low utilization of the cache memory. With the present techniques, multiple cache lines share the same cache line, leading to improved cache memory utilization relative to prior techniques. Further, sectors of cache allocations can be assigned to reduce data bank conflicts when accessing cache memory. Reducing such data bank conflicts can result in improved memory access performance, even when cache lines are shared with multiple allocations.