Everything You Need To Know About "RAM"- DRAM Explained

Random Access Memory - DRAM Explained 

What Is A RAM:

RAM (Random Access Memory) is an essential component for all of your devices Right from a calculator, Smartphones, and your Massive Gaming PC . Nothing runs without a RAM.

 The RAM (Random Access Memory) is a hardware component that allows to store and retrieve data from the computer .

It usually acts as a short time reservoir of data in a computer. They call it as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) which is a type of memory module. Because information is accessed randomly instead of sequentially like it is on a hard drive, and access times are much faster than the hard drives. That's why they have much price per GB . Than the Local storage drives. Of course everything is a sort of NAND flash storage.RAM is usually associated with DRAM, which is a type of memory module.

RAM is a volatile memory and requires power to keep the data accessible. If the computer is turned off, all data contained in RAM is lost.

History Of RAM:

 Everyone know that we are using RAM on all our Devices but when it all started , come lets get to know more about that. 

The first form of RAM came about in 1947 with the use of the Williams tube. It utilized a CRT (cathode ray tube); the data was stored as electrically charged spots.

The second widely used form of RAM was Magnetic-core memory, invented in 1947. Frederick Viehe is credited with much of the work, having filed for several patents relating to the design. Magnetic-core memory works through the use of tiny metal rings and wires connecting to each ring. One bit of data could be stored per ring and accessed at any time.

However, RAM, as we know it today, as Solid-state memory, was first invented in 1968 by Robert Dennard. Known specifically as dynamic random-access memory, or DRAM, transistors were used to store bits of data.

Types Of RAM:

There are number of different types of RAM. Two types that are usually confused are SRAM and DRAM. SRAM means Static Random Access Memory and it is used as the cache of the CPU. CPU’s cache is located inside the CPU,Which you can learn more in our CPU Explained Post Here. So don't Confuse it with Standard DRAM.

DRAM means Dynamic Random Access Memory and it is cheaper to manufacture than SRAM. DRAM can be divided into many different types as well, one of the DRAM types is used in the memory sticks that are plugged into our motherboard.

DDR means (Double Data Rate) DRAM means (Dynamic Random Access Memory). It doubles the data transfer speeds compared to SDRAM, as the name tells us. DDR has been developed further and it can be divided into different versions. The DDR versions are marked with a number, but nowadays DDR and DDR2 DRAM are pretty hard to find from anywhere since it hasn’t been in use for many years. If you are lucky you can find one from your dad's old computer that has been in the storage for almost decades.

DDR3 started to appear in 2007 but is still commonly used type of memory world wide. The newest version, DDR4 started appearing in 2014 and it is faster than DDR3 it is slowly taking the place of DDR3 now. However, not all processors and motherboards can support DDR4 memory every motherborad has its own version of DIMM slots. Be careful with RAM purchases when you are upgrading your older system. When it comes to building a new system, it is fairly simple to just get the Motherboard that suits and match it with the DDR4 memory sticks.
DDR slots are called as DIMM slots(Dual In-line Memory Module). RAM sticks are also called as modules. Most motherboards have four DIMM slots. All DDR memory modules have a notch on the pins that connect in the slot. However, in every DDR version, the notch and form factor varies is so that you can’t install DDR4 RAM on your old Pc with DDR3 support. And what more to expect the More Faster DDR5 is on the way and it could appear in later 2022.

RAM Speed And Timings :

Likewise the CPU , RAM also has Clock speeds , it is also used to measure how much instruction it can perform within a cycle. it is also measured in Mhz . Which you can find in all RAM advertisements and , You must have came across it when shopping for a Brand New Memory Stick.

The latency of the RAM can also be measured in few ways, so it is better to compare the RAM modules with the MHz than latency. Not all sellers even mark the latencies in the advertisements, so it is sometimes impossible to compare the latency of the RAM’s.The Band Width of the RAM is also a important aspect . It is nothing but the amount of Data it can able to read and write per second.  Some high-end motherboard, processor and RAM combinations are supporting 2400 MHz and some even 2666 MHz out of the box, this is without overclocking at all. Depending on the RAM and motherboard, you can then overclock it to even higher speed that is supported by both of the components.The latency of RAM is also called as its Timing. This comes to our next chapter overclocking of a RAM.

Overclocking of RAM:

Yes, you can also Overclock your RAM like you do with the CPU clock Speeds, The equation is very simple higher clock speed greater the overall speed of your PC, Nowadays many enthusiasts are overclocking their RAM along with their CPU If you still haven't Learned about Overclocking Check our post on overclocking Here. But overclocking Requires very good Cooling system And a good Power Supply. Make sure you meet all the requirements before getting into Overclocking. 

Single Channel Vs Dual Channel:

Most of the Gaming buddies would have definitely came across this Dual channel configurations, yes we can also improve our performance and increase our computers Efficiency by those RAM configurations . In a motherboard that has four DIMM slots, two of them are usually the same color and the other two are some different color. The first channel is usually the slots 1 and 2. The second channel is then the slots 3 and 4. Basically, you need to know only the following. Instead of adding a Monstrous single 16GB memory stick on you Pc , you can add 2 X 8 GB RAM sticks . On each of the slots , Which provides you a Dual Channel setup which can really boosts your Performane and Can increase your Gaming performance a bit. Even nowadays Laptops come with dual DIMM slots , By which we can even make our laptop RAM configuration as Dual Channel. That's a very good Method if you are aiming at a Gaming Laptop. Also make Account of Maximum amount of RAM that your Mother board can support. 

ECC Memory (Error Correcting Code Memory):

Error-Correcting Code Memory (ECC Memory) is also type of memory, which is capable of detecting and correcting common data corruptions and Errors which result in a catastrophic loss of data. Error-correcting memory is commonly used in computers where a single error can have huge impacts. For example, scientific studies, where an error can change the end result and later have bigger results. ECC memory is not used in consumer computers, it is available for purchase, but it is more expensive than non-ECC Memory. Some non-ECC memory is able to detect errors, but they won't correct them. We can see Laptops with ECC memory in market but they are way too expensive. Which a normal consumer never needs. 

How Much Amount Of RAM You Actually Need?

Yes , After knowing some Basic stuff about DRAM and it's usage, Probably this will be the question running in all of your Minds, How much Amount of Ram we Actually Need, The Answer is It actually Depends, Yes it is always Depends on your Usage and Your Typre Of work, General computing, Excel and Netflix will only require small amount of RAM , If you are such kind of a user 4GB of DRAM is enough , But users can also go with 8GB of memory if needed. For light to Moderate Gaming it is recommended to Go with atleast 8GB of  DRAM, and all the way up to 16GBs based on the games You play, Also some small scale Editors and professionals who use CAD softwares will also come under this category. For Ultimate designers and pro video editors are recommended to go with 32 GB of memory Based on their workflow. But remember that Pairing 32 Gigs of memory with an Low end Processor and a low end Graphics card may Bottleneck your Memory and it is not that worthy to do that. Make sure you also have a good setup that can Really Make use of your Large DRAM Memory.

Hope by this DRAM-Explained Post you all learned about DRAM and its use , And also How To choose DRAM for your Work. Let me know your Thoughts in the comment Box Below.