Hard Drive - Cache and Buffer?

Hiya all,

I found it so confusing. I guess cache and buffer mean the same things isnt it?

What I know is that weather it is cache or buffer...the higher the cache or buffer is, the more faster loading is. I might be wrong but every time I see people saying this is 16MB Buffer and other people say 16MB Cache!

Could anyone explain the different between the two please?

I'm sure a cache is most used data, whereas a buffer is a read ahead feature data feature so the computer is reading from memory and not directly from the media, whether it be disc or disk.

With hard-drives the two are the same thing. I'd assume manufacturers caused the confusion by one using one name and another using another.