A data processing apparatus includes a central processing unit and a memory configurable as cache memory and directly addressable memory. The memory is selectively configurable as cache memory and directly addressable memory by configuring a selected number of ways as directly addressable memory and configuring remaining ways as cache memory. Control logic inhibits indication that tag bits matches address bits and that a cache entry is the least recently used for cache eviction if the corresponding way is configured as directly addressable memory. In an alternative embodiment, the memory is selectively configurable as cache memory and directly addressable memory by configuring a selected number of sets equal to 2M, where M is an integer, as cache memory and configuring remaining sets as directly addressable memory.