What does memory interleaving refer to?

Memory interleaving is a technique used to enhance the performance of memory systems by spreading data across multiple memory modules, which allows the CPU to access data more efficiently. When data is interleaved, it is divided into smaller sections that are then distributed across the various DIMMs (Dual In-line Memory Modules) in a computer system.

The chosen answer reflects the correct understanding of memory interleaving as it specifically mentions the distribution of data across all the memory DIMMs in one bank. In this context, a memory bank is a collection of memory modules accessed by a memory controller. Interleaving within a bank means that when data is written, it can be spread across multiple DIMMs, allowing simultaneous access and reducing the bottleneck that can occur if one DIMM were to handle all memory requests. This improves memory throughput and overall system performance.

The other options incorrectly extend the concept of memory interleaving to include components not directly involved in the memory interleaving process, such as the L1 or L2 cache, or to imply that interleaving occurs only within a single bank, which does not capture the full process of data distribution across all accessible memory modules effectively.