RAM (Random Access Memory)

Random Access Memory (RAM) is where a computer stores information while it is actually thinking about it.

Some people use the word "memory" to refer to the hard drive, but they are wrong. The two are not the same thing. RAM holds data while only the computer is using it. The hard drive, on the other hand, stores data on magnetic media (much like an audio cassette or VCR tape) until it is deleted.

Or in other words, data in RAM is like whatever you are thinking about at a given moment, whereas data on the hard drive is like information that you write down with pencil and paper for use when you need it later on.

Different Types of RAM

There are many different types of RAM. The following are the most common

• Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) is very fast and very expensive. It's mainly used for memory caching, such as on processor chips.

• Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) is slower than SRAM. It is much less expensive than SRAM and was the standard for computer memory until the mid-1990's.

• Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM) is a special type of DRAM that is synchronized to the system clock. SDRAM is faster than standard DRAM, and was the standard for PC memory from the mid-1990's until DDR-SDRAM came into common use around 2001 - 2002.

• Double-Data Rate SDRAM (DDR-SDRAM, or simply DDR) works twice as quickly as standard SDRAM because it synchronizes twice to every clock pulse (once to the rising, and once to the falling). DDR is the most popular RAM on PC's as of this writing. DDR can also be used in dual-channel mode, in which matched pairs of RAM modules work in tandem to increase speed and efficiency.

• Rambus Dynamic RAM (RDRAM) is an extremely very fast type of RAM in which the chips work in parallel to produce very high speeds. However, because it is a very expensive, proprietary technology, RDRAM has been slow in catching on.

How Much RAM do I Need?

The truth of the matter is that you can never have too much RAM, up to the amount that your mother board can hold and your operating system can handle. Dollar-for-dollar, RAM delivers more bang for the buck than almost any other hardware upgrade.

If you are running Windows 98 or Me, then we recommend between 256 MB and 512 MB of RAM (more if you are a gamer or work with graphics or music).

For Windows 2000 or XP, we recommend between 512 MB and and 1024 MB of RAM (more if you do video editing, CAD/CAM work, high-pressure gaming, or run very complex mathematic or engineering programs).