DRAM Full Form

Since the dawn of computers, there have been major developments to make them efficient and perform better. Long gone are the days when a single computer occupied a whole room, but took time to calculate simple arithmetic problems. Nowadays we have portable and even handheld computers that can make complex calculations before we can even blink our eyes. All this is possible because their memory capacities have been developed and improved with continuous research and studies. The DRAM or Dynamic Random Access Memory is the main memory of the computer which makes work easier. Let us read about DRAM and understand its importance and how it has helped improve computer performance. 

DRAM – What is it?

The DRAM or Dynamic Random Access Memory is a semiconductor memory that has been designed with the purpose of storing data and programs which a computer processor needs for performing its necessary operations. The DRAM chip is made with a single transistor that can store massive amounts of data. It is capable of refreshing and deleting itself while processing to keep only the necessary data and information active. 

DRAM was invented by Robert Heath Dennard in 1968 and brought to the market by Intel. It is usually located very close to the processor so that there is the least latency as the computer accesses it while running its operations. DRAM is a random access memory or RAM, which means that data can be written, used and rewritten for use. The transistor in DRAM needs electricity to operate, so data is deleted whenever the computer is powered off, thus making the chip volatile in nature.

Types of DRAM

There are many kinds of DRAMs that can be used in a device.

1. SDRAM or Synchronous DRAM lets the CPU carry out a high number of instructions by syncing memory speeds with CPU clock speeds.
2. RDRAM or Rambus DRAMs were widely used as graphics cards in the early 2000s and were produced by Rambus Incorporated.
3. DDR SDRAM or Double Data Rate SDRAM is a type of SDRAM with double the rate of bandwidth by using double pinning. The double pinning let’s data transfer on rising and falling edges of a clock signal. Over the years, there have been several variations of DDR SDRAM, like the DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM and DDR4 SDRAM. These were improved with time to give better performance. 
4. FPM DRAM or Fast Page Mode DRAM has better performance as compared to other types of DRAM since it focuses on fast page access.
5. EDO DRAM or Extended Data Out DRAM reduces the time taken to read from memory and hence improves performance. Intel Premium is a good example of an EDO RAM.

Conclusion

The invention and development of DRAM memory chips have revolutionized how computers and laptops work nowadays. Almost every technological advancement that happened because of a computer, could happen because of the continuous research and development of DRAM chips. We can never say what the future holds, as there might come a day when DRAMs lose their importance. There might be something even better to succeed in and improve computer performance even further.