You can find the details of the memory modules at the manufactures or re-seller\

Question

You can find the details of the memory modules at the manufactures or re-seller's websites, such as http://www.kingston.com/us/ orhttp://memory4less.com/.

Locate and tabulate the details on 1, 2, 4 and 8 GB memory sticks of both Static and Dynamic RAM.

Supply your tabulated data to the group and the answers to the following:Review other students post and comment on how their findings compare to yours.

What factors account for the variation in cost?

What are the variations in the technology from one type to another.

Is the cost worth it for the upgrade?

Explanation / Answer

1) What factors account for the variation in cost?

                There are two types of Random Access Memory or RAM, each has its own advantages and disadvantages compared to the other. SRAM (Static RAM) and DRAM (Dynamic RAM) holds data but in a different ways. DRAM requires the data to be refreshed periodically in order to retain the data. SRAM does not need to be refreshed as the transistors inside would continue to hold the data as long as the power supply is not cut off. This behavior leads to a few advantages, not the least of which is the much faster speed that data can be written and read.

                The additional circuitry and timing needed to introduce the refresh creates some complications that makes DRAM memory slower and less desirable than SRAM. One complication is the much higher power used by DRAM memory, this difference is very significant in battery powered devices.

                Structurally, SRAM needs a lot more transistors in order to store a certain amount of memory. A DRAM module only needs a transistor and a capacitor for every bit of data where SRAM needs 6 transistors. Because the number of transistors in a memory module determine its capacity, a DRAM module can have almost 6 times more capacity with a similar transistor count to an SRAM module. This ultimately boils down to price, which is what most buyers are really concerned with.

                Because of its lower price, DRAM has become the mainstream in computer main memory despite being slower and more power hungry compared to SRAM. SRAM memory is still used in a lot of devices where speed is more crucial than capacity. The most prominent use of SRAM is in the cache memory of processors where speed is very essential, and the low power consumption translates to less heat that needs to be dissipated. Even hard drives, optical drives, and other devices that needs cache memory or buffers use SRAM modules.

Summary:

1. SRAM is static while DRAM is dynamic

2. SRAM is faster compared to DRAM

3. SRAM consumes less power than DRAM

4. SRAM uses more transistors per bit of memory compared to DRAM

5. SRAM is more expensive than DRAM

6. Cheaper DRAM is used in main memory while SRAM is commonly used in cache memory

2) What are the variations in the technology from one type to another?

                Below is brief description of different types of RAMS

                SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory):
"Synchronous" tells about the behaviour of the DRAM type. In late 1996, SDRAM began to appear in systems. Unlike previous technologies, SDRAM is designed to synchronize itself with the timing of the CPU. This enables the memory controller to know the exact clock cycle when the requested data will be ready, so the CPU no longer has to wait between memory accesses. For example, PC66 SDRAM runs at 66 MT/s, PC100 SDRAM runs at 100 MT/s, PC133 SDRAM runs at 133 MT/s, and so on.
DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM):
The next generation of SDRAM is DDR, which achieves greater bandwidth than the preceding single data rate SDRAM by transferring data on the rising and falling edges of the clock signal (double pumped). Effectively, it doubles the transfer rate without increasing the frequency of the clock. The transfer rate of DDR SDRAM is the double of SDR SDRAM without changing the internal clock. DDR SDRAM, as the first generation of DDR memory, the prefetch buffer is 2bit, which is the double of SDR SDRAM. The transfer rate of DDR is between 266~400 MT/s. DDR266 and DDR400 are of this type.

DDR2 SDRAM(Double Data Rate Two SDRAM):
Its primary benefit is the ability to operate the external data bus twice as fast as DDR SDRAM. This is achieved by improved bus signal. The prefetch buffer of DDR2 is 4 bit(double of DDR SDRAM). DDR2 memory is at the same internal clock speed (133~200MHz) as DDR, but the transfer rate of DDR2 can reach 533~800 MT/s with the improved I/O bus signal. DDR2 533 and DDR2 800 memory types are on the market.

DDR3 SDRAM (Double Data Rate Three SDRAM):
DDR3 memory reduces 40% power consumption compared to current DDR2 modules, allowing for lower operating currents and voltages (1.5 V, compared to DDR2's 1.8 V or DDR's 2.5 V). The transfer rate of DDR3 is 800~1600 MT/s. DDR3's prefetch buffer width is 8 bit, whereas DDR2's is 4 bit, and DDR's is 2 bit. DDR3 also adds two functions, such as ASR (Automatic Self-Refresh) and SRT (Self-Refresh Temperature). They can make the memory control the refresh rate according to the temperature variation.

DDR4 SDRAM (Double Data Rate Fourth SDRAM):
DDR4 SDRAM provides the lower operating voltage (1.2V) and higher transfer rate. The transfer rate of DDR4 is 2133~3200 MT/s. DDR4 adds four new Bank Groups technology. Each bank group has the feature of singlehanded operation. DDR4 can process 4 data within a clock cycle, so DDR4's efficiency is better than DDR3 obviously. DDR4 also adds some functions, such as DBI (Data Bus Inversion), CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) and CA parity. They can enhance DDR4 memory's signal integrity, and improve the stability of data transmission/access.

3) Is the cost worth it for the upgrade?

                Before we answer we should think about few aspects. How much RAM you need in a system depends on what you intend to do with it, how long you intend to keep it, and whether or not you can upgrade your memory post-purchase.

                Apple’s MacBook Air offers 4GB of RAM, but most of the systems from Dell, HP, and other OEMs start at 8GB, and I think that’s the better sweet spot. That’s not to say you can’t get by on 4GB — you absolutely can — but 8GB gives you a bit more breathing room. There’s at least some evidence that modern desktop applications have slowed the rate at which they demand more RAM. A lightweight system today can get by with 4GB of RAM. 8GB should be plenty for current and near-term future applications, 16GB gives you comfortable space for the future, and anything over 16GB is likely overkill unless you specifically know you need it (such as for video editing or audio post-production). This holds true for desktops as well as laptops.

                If you are using memory intensive systems, in memory data bases, video editing, high end graphics or many active tasks, then yes, it may help.

Your RAM generally does not make your PC faster, it just allows it to do more things at once. If your single application uses 200 MB of RAM, it won't matter if you've got 2 or 8GB of total system memory, but if you've got 10 windows open using 200 MB each, then you are probably going to benefit from an upgrade.

To conclude, whether or not to upgrade memory or is it worth upgrading depends on the type or applications that we use and our requirement. If our tasks require more and fast calculations like photoshop, highend graphics or highend gamming then it is worth upgrade. Or a minimum 4 or 8 GB memory is sufficient enough for regular and simple tasks.

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