Understanding the different computer RAM types
The computer industry is developing rapidly. Today, people can do more highly intensive work than ever before on computers for smoother flow. Computer manufacturers are investing a lot in research and development to improve every component of computer devices. RAM is one of the vital components of a computer. Tech companies are continuously researching to improve the version of the computer so that the computer becomes more powerful and can handle more high-intensive work. There are different versions of RAM developed so far by tech companies. In this article, we will explore different types of RAM and the differences between them. But before diving into the discussion of different RAM types, we will shortly know about what is computer RAM.
The full form of the RAM is Random Access Memory. It is a temporary storage location that stores the data while using any apps or playing games to support the real-time working of the computer. RAM is an essential component of the computer as without storing and retrieving data fast the computer will not work properly. The central processing unit or CPU can quickly locate the data that is stored in the RAM. RAM is referred to as the short-term memory of the computer. It stores the data so that the operating system or a program can use data that will be required in the future to run any application for easy access to the CPU, GPU, or any other components of the computer.
RAM is included in every type of computer device such as desktop computers, tablets, mobile phones, smart TVs, and even IOT devices.
Different types of RAM
There are different types of RAM present. They are different in sizes, shapes, speeds, and generations.
SRAM
The full form of the SRAM is Static Random Access Memory. SRAM stores the data using four to six transistors. SRAM is mainly used as the cache memory of the CPU and users are not able to replace the SRAM. This type of memory needs constant power.
DRAM
Dynamic Random-access memory or DRAM is the type of RAM that is user-replaceable. DRAM stores the data using a transistor and capacitor pair that makes a single DRAM cell. The data is stored in the capacitors and the data stored in the capacitors tends to lose after a period. That’s why the DRAM requires refresh time. DRAM is less expensive compared to the SRAM and slightly slower than the SRAM.
ECC
The full form of the ECC is Error-correcting code. ECC is a type of DRAM that consists of an additional cell to detect and correct random falls. This type of memory is also replaceable.
Difference Between SRAM and DRAM
Common types of DRAM
SDRAM
SDRAM is a form of DRAM. The full form of the SDRAM is the synchronized dynamic random-access memory. This memory is developed to increase the speed of other components in the computer. In this type of memory, the operation is synchronized with the clock speed. Before the SDRAM, the DRAM was asynchronous which means the RAM worked independently with the processor.
Rambus DRAM
This form of the DRAM is named by the company Rambus. This type of RAM gained popularity early in the 2000s and was widely used in game devices and graphics cards.
DDR SDRAM
Double data rate synchronized dynamic random-access memory is a form of SDRAM. Nowadays, high-intensive work has increased and multitasking has also increased. That’s why the speed of the other components also increased, so the speeds of the memory speed also improved. DDR memory was introduced in front of customers in the 2000s. The SDRAM transfers the data to the processor only at one edge of the clock signal. In contrast, the DDR SDRAM transfers the data to the processor on both edges of the clock signal (rising and falling edge) which makes it faster and more energy-efficient. As DDR memory consumes less power but provides faster speed, it becomes the new standard for memory.
Below is the flowchart of the RAM.
DDR RAM generation
DDR RAM types have different generations. Each generation provides better performance with power efficiency than the previous generation. These days, most of the low-end and mid-end computer-based devices are using the DDR 3 generation of RAM type, whereas DDR4 type RAM is used in high-end gaming devices and data-intensive works.
On the other hand, the latest generation of DDR type RAM DDR5 was released in 2021 and provides next-generation performance and is only available to devices that are specifically designed for professional gamers and power-creative users.
All versions of the RAM will not support all the computer systems. It is always good to identify which generation of RAM will support which types of motherboards. For example, all the motherboards will not support the DDR4 or DDR5 types of RAMS. Suppose, you are trying to build a custom PC or want to upgrade the RAM of your device, then you have to buy the DDR5 RAM but later find out that your device motherboard will not support DDR5 types of RAMS. That’s why always check the compatibility of the motherboard and which versions of the RAM will support it.
Performance of the different generations of RAM
Each generation of RAM has different key factors. For instance, DDR4-type RAM has some different factors and each factor changes the performance of the same version of RAM. To illustrate, you buy a DDR4 RAM and your friend buys a DDR4 RAM but the performance can be varied as those factors are not identical. There are some factors that a buyer can choose at the time of buying such as Data rate, Transfer rate, and Module densities. However, some factors are restricted to the buyer, such as prefetch and voltage.
Data rate (MT/s): MT/s means a million transfers per second. It represents the measurement of data rate transfer speed
Transfer rate (GB/S): GB/s means Gigabit per second. It’s indicating the data transfer rate equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes per second
Module densities: It refers to the total capacity of a memory module. The number of module densities is always multiplied by four: 4, 8, 16, 32, 64…. However, the intermediate densities of 24 and 48 are also available. RAM module sizes are typically expressed in gigabytes (GB) or megabytes (MB).
Prefetch: It represents the loading of a resource before it starts by enabling code that provides a hint that a resource will be used soon.
Voltage: It refers to the power that will be consumed by the RAM. The lower voltage is preferable as if the voltage is lower, then it will consume low power and less heat will be generated in the system.
These rates are the default rates of each generation. The overclocking capabilities are not mentioned here.
Conclusion
Computer manufacturers are working to develop faster and power power-efficient RAM as it has a big impact on the overall performance of the devices. But for the unique size, shape, and memory modules all types of RAMS are not supported on all types of motherboards. That’s why the RAM must be compatible with the motherboard and you have to check the compatibility first before buying a new RAM for the new PC or while upgrading the RAM of the existing PC. There are many memory compatibility tools available online through which you will be able to check memory compatibility.
