In symmetric multiprocessor systems (SMP), each processor has a local cahce. The memory system must guarantee cache coherence. False sharing occurs when threads on different processors modify variables that reside on the same cache line. This invalidates the cache line and forces an update, which hurts performance.

The frequent coordination required between processors when cache lines are marked ‘Invalid’ requires cache lines to be written to memory and subsequently loaded. False sharing increases this coordination and can significantly degrade application performance.