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"All About RAM"

We all know the basics about our computer's RAM,or random access memory.In human psychology analogies,it's the PC's short-term memory,where it holds all its "thoughts" or data while its "thinking" about them or processing them.RAM is expressed in megabytes(MB),if you've got 32MB of RAM,then your computer can hold 32,000 kilobytes of data in its memory.And of course,as gamers,we know that there's no such thing as too much RAM,the more you have,the more data your computer can keep in short-term memory and the smoother your games will run.But what about all the acronyms and abbreviations that represent different types of RAM?What's a SIMM to a DIMM and what the heck is RDRAM?Here's a short guide that will give you the information you need to be able to,if not speak eloquently about RAM,at least not come off as an ignoRAMus.Physically,RAM comes in two flavors:SIMMs and DIMMs.SIMM stands for single in-line memory module,and comes in a variety of formats,the most common being 30- and 72-pin.The older 30-pin format would handle data through only a 16-bit path,but as computers became faster,it became necessary to use the 72-pin format that could handle data in a 32-bit path.Before SIMMs,RAM was installed horizontally,or flat on the motherboard.The vertically mounted SIMMs take up a lot less space than previous memory.DIMMs,or dual in-line memory modules,are similar in appearance to SIMMs,with one key difference.The pins on opposing sides of a SIMM are electronically tied together,where the pins on opposites sides of a DIMM are kept separate,letting a DIMM handle data twice as fast,through a 64-bit pathway.On Pentium machines,SIMMs were required to be added in pairs,while DIMMs could be added singly.A motherboard's data pathway between the processor,its memory,and all its devices is called a bus.The higher the bus,the faster the system's overall speed.In 1998,Intel's BX chipset increased the bus speed from 66 to 100Mhz.Currently, system busses are moving up to 133Mhz,and RAM will follow.If you see memory that says it is PC 133 compliant,that means that it will be able to take advantage of a 133Mhz system bus' higher speed.Slower RAM will often work in a 133Mhz-bus system,but only up to the maximum speed for which it is configured (PC 100 or PC 66).There are a variety of RAM formats,mostly distinguished by how they handle data.RAM used to be distinguished between "static" or SRAM and "dynamic" or DRAM.Dynamic RAM must be continually refreshed or it will lose its data.Static RAM, on the other hand,doesn't need refreshing,and is therefore faster and more stable than DRAM.Unfortunately,it's also much more expensive,so it is most often used in other areas,such as a system's L2 cache.EDO,or extended data out memory,provides up to 20 percent faster data exchange between memory and the CPU,but only on systems that support it.That's why SDRAM,or synchronous DRAM, became more popular.SDRAM was only slightly faster than EDO RAM on a 66Mhz bus,but proved to be much faster on a 100Mhz bus.One of the newest types of RAM is RDRAM,or Rambus RAM.RDRAM is very fast and is able to take advantage of faster processors,such as Intel's Coppermine and AMD's Athlon,and faster motherboards.Intel ran into a few glitches with RDRAM and their new BX2 motherboards last year,but after those have been worked out,it seems that RDRAM is the direction that RAM is heading.Of course,there are many more types of RAM and even other types of DIMMs(such as the small-outline or SO DIMM designed for portable computers).If we've just piqued your interest and you're looking for more information about RAM,Kingston Technology,a major RAM manufacturer,has a thorough Ultimate Memory Guide at their Web site(e-mail me for URL).

So,there's the lo-down RAM for those interested.

So,after writing my fourth piece of the day,I'm begginning to get cramps.

Fine then.Go!

fine (:0

Come back Er-No,I need you to back me up in my argument with TW.He thinks im / not ---

Fine

**er-no leaves the topic quietly after beginning to read the original post....**

ok.

OK,then

ok then mate!

Yes,really

shaneo wrote:
> It ain't what it sounds like!(:0

really..... :)