Pronounced ramm, acronym for random access memory, a type of computer memory that

can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching
the preceding bytes. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and
other devices, such as printers.

There are two different types of RAM: DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and
SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The two types differ in the technology they use
to hold data, with DRAM being the more common type. In terms of speed, SRAM is
faster. DRAM needs to be refreshed thousands of times per second while SRAM does not
need to be refreshed, which is what makes it faster than DRAM. DRAM supports access
times of about 60 nanoseconds, SRAM can give access times as low as 10 nanoseconds.
Despite SRAM being faster, it's not as commonly used as DRAM because it's so much
more expensive. Both types of RAM are volatile, meaning that they lose their contents
when the power is turned off.

In common usage, the term RAM is synonymous with main memory, the memory
available to programs. For example, a computer with 8MB RAM has approximately 8
million bytes of memory that programs can use. In contrast, ROM (read-only memory)
refers to special memory used to store programs that boot the computer and perform
diagnostics. Most personal computers have a small amount of ROM (a few thousand
bytes). In fact, both types of memory (ROM and RAM) allow random access. To be
precise, therefore, RAM should be referred to as read/write RAM and ROM as read-only
RAM.

See the "DRAM Memory Guide" in the Quick Reference section of Webopedia. This
Webopedia Quick Reference offers general information on the two types of RAM and
provide an overview on the common modules of each type.

See "Tips to Fix a Slow Running Computer" in the Quick Reference section of
Webopedia."
See also "The Difference Between Laptop and Desktop Memory" in the Did You Know...?
section of Webopedia.

A type of physical memory used in most personal computers. The term dynamic indicates
that the memory must be constantly refreshed (reenergized) or it will lose its contents.
RAM (random-access memory) is sometimes referred to as DRAM (pronounced dee-ram)
to distinguish it from static RAM (SRAM). Static RAM is faster and less volatile than
dynamic RAM, but it requires more power and is more expensive.

Short for static random access memory, and pronounced ess-ram. SRAM is a type of
memory that is faster and more reliable than the more common DRAM (dynamic RAM).
The term static is derived from the fact that it doesn't need to be refreshed like dynamic
RAM.

While DRAM supports access times of about 60 nanoseconds, SRAM can give access
times as low as 10 nanoseconds. In addition, its cycle time is much shorter than that of
DRAM because it does not need to pause between accesses. Unfortunately, it is also
much more expensive to produce than DRAM. Due to its high cost, SRAM is often used
only as a memory cache.

definition -

For additional information, see Fast Guide to RAM.

RAM (random access memory) is the place in a computer where the operating system,
application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached
by the computer's processor. RAM is much faster to read from and write to than the other
kinds of storage in a computer, the hard disk, floppy disk, and CD-ROM. However, the
data in RAM stays there only as long as your computer is running. When you turn the
computer off, RAM loses its data. When you turn your computer on again, your operating
system and other files are once again loaded into RAM, usually from your hard disk.

RAM can be compared to a person's short-term memory and the hard disk to the long-
term memory. The short-term memory focuses on work at hand, but can only keep so
many facts in view at one time. If short-term memory fills up, your brain sometimes is
able to refresh it from facts stored in long-term memory. A computer also works this
way. If RAM fills up, the processor needs to continually go to the hard disk to overlay
old data in RAM with new, slowing down the computer's operation. Unlike the hard disk
which can become completely full of data so that it won't accept any more, RAM never
runs out of memory. It keeps operating, but much more slowly than you may want it to.

How Big is RAM?

RAM is small, both in physical size (it's stored in microchips) and in the amount of data
it can hold. It's much smaller than your hard disk. A typical computer may come with 256
million bytes of RAM and a hard disk that can hold 40 billion bytes. RAM comes in the
form of "discrete" (meaning separate) microchips and also in the form of modules that
plug into holes in the computer's motherboard. These holes connect through a bus or set
of electrical paths to the processor. The hard drive, on the other hand, stores data on a
magnetized surface that looks like a phonograph record.

Most personal computers are designed to allow you to add additional RAM modules up
to a certain limit. Having more RAM in your computer reduces the number of times that
the computer processor has to read data in from your hard disk, an operation that takes
much longer than reading data from RAM. (RAM access time is in nanoseconds; hard
disk access time is in milliseconds.)

Why Random Access?

RAM is called "random access" because any storage location can be accessed directly.
Originally, the term distinguished regular core memory from offline memory, usually on
magnetic tape in which an item of data could only be accessed by starting from the
beginning of the tape and finding an address sequentially. Perhaps it should have been
called "nonsequential memory" because RAM access is hardly random. RAM is
organized and controlled in a way that enables data to be stored and retrieved directly to
specific locations. Note that other forms of storage such as the hard disk and CD-ROM
are also accessed directly (or "randomly") but the term random access is not applied to
these forms of storage.

In addition to disk, floppy disk, and CD-ROM storage, another important form of storage
is read-only memory (ROM), a more expensive kind of memory that retains data even
when the computer is turned off. Every computer comes with a small amount of ROM
that holds just enough programming so that the operating system can be loaded into RAM
each time the computer is turned on

Random Access Memory

RAM is memory is where the computer stores all the repetitive tasks that it needs to do to
keep going. It might sound very simple but you shouldn’t underestimate its importance.
Every task your computer performs goes through the RAM and the more you have the
more things it can do more quickly.

You computer uses the RAM to organize every task and manage all the data that the
processor throws at it. If you don’t have enough RAM then the computer will use hard
disk memory to perform its memory tasks. The problem with this is that current disks are
slow and the more you use them the higher your risk of damage to the drive. It’s also a
much slower way of organising all your data because a hard disk isn’t designed to
process memory in the same way as RAM.

How RAM Works

Without getting too technical RAM is a series of memory cells that hold a charge of
electricity. With the charge each cell represents a 1 and without a 0. The faster the charge
can be passed through the faster data can be used. Of course, the larger the cell the more
data can be passed through as well. It is possible to get faster RAM and some systems
work better with identical sizes of RAM chip installed.
HOW DOES RAM WORK????

Random access memory (RAM) is the best known form of computer memory. RAM is
considered "random access" because you can access any memory cell directly if you
know the row and column that intersect at that cell.

The opposite of RAM is serial access memory (SAM). SAM stores data as a series of
memory cells that can only be accessed sequentially (like a cassette tape). If the data is
not in the current location, each memory cell is checked until the needed data is found.
SAM works very well for memory buffers, where the data is normally stored in the order
in which it will be used (a good example is the texture buffer memory on a video card).
RAM data, on the other hand, can be accessed in any order.

Similar to a microprocessor, a memory chip is an integrated circuit (IC) made of

millions of transistors and capacitors. In the most common form of computer memory,
dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a transistor and a capacitor are paired to
create a memory cell, which represents a single bit of data. The capacitor holds the bit of
information -- a 0 or a 1 (see How Bits and Bytes Work for information on bits). The
transistor acts as a switch that lets the control circuitry on the memory chip read the
capacitor or change its state.

More on RAM

• RAM Quiz

• Does adding RAM make

your computer faster?

• PlanetGreen.com:
Computer Tune Up

A capacitor is like a small bucket that is able to store electrons. To store a 1 in the
memory cell, the bucket is filled with electrons. To store a 0, it is emptied. The problem
with the capacitor's bucket is that it has a leak. In a matter of a few milliseconds a full
bucket becomes empty. Therefore, for dynamic memory to work, either the CPU or the
memory controller has to come along and recharge all of the capacitors holding a 1
before they discharge. To do this, the memory controller reads the memory and then
writes it right back. This refresh operation happens automatically thousands of times per
secon

You can upgrade the RAM on all systems so if you’ve got a desktop or laptop computer
there’s no problem with you getting more. The most important thing is to check that
you’ve got free slots that you can install memory in to. There are loads of websites that
can help you determine what kind of RAM you need but if all else fails contact the
manufacturer who’ll be able to let you know what chips you need

TYPE OF RAM////

Types of RAM
The following are some common types of RAM:

• SRAM: Static random access memory uses multiple transistors, typically four to
six, for each memory cell but doesn't have a capacitor in each cell. It is used
primarily for cache.
• DRAM: Dynamic random access memory has memory cells with a paired
transistor and capacitor requiring constant refreshing.
• FPM DRAM: Fast page mode dynamic random access memory was the
original form of DRAM. It waits through the entire process of locating a bit of
data by column and row and then reading the bit before it starts on the next bit.
Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 176 MBps.
• EDO DRAM: Extended data-out dynamic random access memory does not
wait for all of the processing of the first bit before continuing to the next one. As
soon as the address of the first bit is located, EDO DRAM begins looking for the
next bit. It is about five percent faster than FPM. Maximum transfer rate to L2
cache is approximately 264 MBps.
• SDRAM: Synchronous dynamic random access memory takes advantage of
the burst mode concept to greatly improve performance. It does this by staying on
the row containing the requested bit and moving rapidly through the columns,
reading each bit as it goes. The idea is that most of the time the data needed by the
CPU will be in sequence. SDRAM is about five percent faster than EDO RAM
and is the most common form in desktops today. Maximum transfer rate to L2
cache is approximately 528 MBps.
• DDR SDRAM: Double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM is just like
SDRAM except that is has higher bandwidth, meaning greater speed. Maximum
transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 1,064 MBps (for DDR SDRAM 133
MHZ).
• RDRAM: Rambus dynamic random access memory is a radical departure from
the previous DRAM architecture. Designed by Rambus, RDRAM uses a Rambus
in-line memory module (RIMM), which is similar in size and pin configuration
to a standard DIMM. What makes RDRAM so different is its use of a special
high-speed data bus called the Rambus channel. RDRAM memory chips work in
parallel to achieve a data rate of 800 MHz, or 1,600 MBps. Since they operate at
such high speeds, they generate much more heat than other types of chips. To help
dissipate the excess heat Rambus chips are fitted with a heat spreader, which
looks like a long thin wafer. Just like there are smaller versions of DIMMs, there
are also SO-RIMMs, designed for notebook computers.
• Credit Card Memory: Credit card memory is a proprietary self-contained
DRAM memory module that plugs into a special slot for use in notebook
computers.
• PCMCIA Memory Card: Another self-contained DRAM module for notebooks,
cards of this type are not proprietary and should work with any notebook
computer whose system bus matches the memory card's configuration.
• CMOS RAM: CMOS RAM is a term for the small amount of memory used by
your computer and some other devices to remember things like hard disk settings
-- see Why does my computer need a battery? for details. This memory uses a
small battery to provide it with the power it needs to maintain the memory
contents.
• VRAM: VideoRAM, also known as multiport dynamic random access
memory (MPDRAM), is a type of RAM used specifically for video adapters or 3-
D accelerators. The "multiport" part comes from the fact that VRAM normally
has two independent access ports instead of one, allowing the CPU and graphics
processor to access the RAM simultaneously. VRAM is located on the graphics
card and comes in a variety of formats, many of which are proprietary. The
amount of VRAM is a determining factor in the resolution and color depth of the
display. VRAM is also used to hold graphics-specific information such as 3-D
geometry data and texture maps. True multiport VRAM tends to be expensive, so
today, many graphics cards use SGRAM (synchronous graphics RAM) instead.
Performance is nearly the same, but SGRAM is cheaper.