Question

A computer has a 2-way set-associative cache with 8 sets, where each cache line holds 16 bytes of data, and main memory is byte-addressable. How many bits of a memory address are used to select the set index?

Q: Answer-A computer has a 2-way set-associative cache with 8 sets, where each cache line holds 16 bytes of da...

In a set-associative cache, the number of bits required to select a specific set from a memory address is determined by lognumber of sets. Since this cache has 8 sets, log8 3 bits are needed for the set index field. This value depends only on the number of sets, not on the caches associativity 2-way here, which instead affects how many lines exist within each set or the cache line size which instead determines the number of bits used for the byte offset within a line.