Other than the price or what brand you like more, one of the biggest factors in choosing your next smartphone or computer should be the RAM, the Random-Access Memory. This is the device’s main memory. There are two types of RAM, DRAM and SRAM. Normally, the RAM value you see for your device’s specs are the DRAM.
DRAM or Dynamic Random-Access Memory is a type of memory that is used to store data or program code that a computer processor needs to function. Each bit of data is stored in a storage cell made of a capacitor and transistor and organized into a rectangular configuration. In general, RAM allows the PC processor to access any part of the memory directly, rather than having to go sequentially, enabling faster data access than hard disk drives or solid-state drives. DRAM is dynamic in that it needs to be refreshed or given a new electronic charge every few milliseconds to compensate for charge leaks from the capacitor.
DRAM is advantageous in that it’s simple, fast, and low-cost in comparison to many other
types of memory. However, it has high power consumption and is volatile, meaning that it requires power to maintain the stored information and loses the data when the power is interrupted.
In comparison, there’s DRAM’s predecessor,
SRAM or Static Random-Access Memory. Slightly more expensive to make, SRAM has the advantage over DRAM in that it does not need to be refreshed because SRAM works by switching the current flow in one of two directions instead of holding a charge in place within a storage cell. SRAM is typically used for cache memory with the CPU and is faster than DRAM. SRAM is faster because it’s capable of byte-level reads and writes as opposed to DRAM’s multiple-byte page-level.
Other forms of RAM include Fast Page Mode DRAM (FPM DRAM), Extended Data Out DRAM (EDO DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Single Data Rate SDRAM (SDR DRAM), and Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), to name a few.
ASAP IT Technology, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, is a premier supplier of IT,
computer, board-level parts and components. DRAMs, SRAMs, and SDRAMs, from the new to the obsolete and hard-to-find, we can help you with all your IT requirements. Just visit us at
www.asap-ittechnology.com to get started on a quote.
