Dual Core 6mb L2 Cache or Quad 12mb?

[StonedMason]

Im building a mame cab and have everything apart from the PC to do the emulation

Does anyone know just how much L2 Cache helps ?

I have to choose a CPU and im not sure how the cores sharing the cache works. If Mame can use 2 cores does it fully use the cache on both cores ?

you can buy a dual core with 2 4 or 6mb cache... the 6mb cache would be split in 2 ?

what about quad... that can have 12mb but then each core has 3mb each ... if mame only can use 2 of the 4 cores then its only really using 6mb cache, same as using a dual core with 6mb cache?!?!?

Can someone please help me ?

[Ummon]

I'd ask this at Mameworld.