USING SPECULATIVE CACHE REQUESTS TO REDUCE CACHE MISS DELAYS

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that uses speculative cache requests to reduce cache miss delays for a cache in a multi-level memory hierarchy. During operation, the system receives a memory reference which is directed to a cache line in the cache. Next, while determining whether the cache line is available in the cache, the system determines whether the memory reference is likely to miss in the cache, and if so, simultaneously sends a speculative request for the cache line to a lower level of the multi-level memory hierarchy.