RANDOM ACCESS Memory

Random Access Memory

• RAM(Random Access Memory) is the internal memory of
the CPU for storing data, program and program result. It
is read/write memory which stores data until the
machine is working. As soon as the machine is switched
off, data is erased.

• Access time in RAM is independent of the address that is,

each storage location inside the memory is as easy to
reach as other locations and takes the same amount of
time. Data in the RAM can be accessed randomly but it is
very expensive.
• RAM is volatile, i.e. data stored in it is lost
when we switch off the computer or if there is
a power failure. Hence a backup
uninterruptible power system(UPS) is often
used with computers. RAM is small, both in
terms of its physical size and in the amount of
data it can hold.
• RAM is of two types
• Static RAM (SRAM)
• Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
 Static RAM (SRAM)
• The word static indicates that the memory
retains its contents as long as power is being
supplied. However, data is lost when the power
gets down due to volatile nature. SRAM chips
use a matrix of transistors and no capacitors.
SRAM need not have to be refreshed on a
regular basis.

• Because of the extra space in the matrix, SRAM

uses more chips than DRAM for the same
amount of storage space, thus making the
manufacturing costs higher. So SRAM has very
fast access.
 Characteristic of the Static RAM
• It has long life
• There is no need to refresh
• Faster
• Large size
• Expensive
• High power consumption
 Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
• DRAM, unlike SRAM, must be
continually refreshed in order to maintain the
data. This is done by placing the memory on a
refresh circuit that rewrites the data several
hundred times per second. DRAM is used for
most system memory because it is cheap and
small. All DRAMs are made up of memory
cells which are composed of one capacitor
and one transistor.
 Characteristics of the Dynamic RAM
• It has short data lifetime
• Need to be refreshed continuously
• Slower as compared to SRAM
• Used as RAM
• Lesser in size
• Less expensive
• Less power consumption
 Shadow RAM
Shadow RAM is a type of memory stored within
a RAM stick that has a duplicate version of
the computer’s basic input-output operating
system (BIOS) information. Aside from
assuring that the BIOS is never erased,
shadow RAM has an accelerated access speed
so the computer can boot quicker.
• When a computer boots, it goes to the read-
only memory (ROM) to access the BIOS
information. The problem with this is that
ROM tends to be slow, because it is a larger
memory repository, so booting from ROM can
take a long time.
• With shadow RAM, the BIOS information is
copied to and used from the RAM. RAM is
about twice as quick as ROM, so this cuts boot
time in half.
• Access in shadow RAM is typically in the 60-
100 nanosecond range whereas ROM access is
in the 125-250 ns range.
• If the user ever accidentally erases the BIOS,
then this RAM also will have the information
necessary to start the computer.
 Video RAM
• Video RAM (VRAM) means in general all
forms of random access memory (RAM) used
to store image data for a computer display. All
types of video RAM are special
arrangements of dynamic RAM (DRAM).

• Video RAM is really a buffer between the

computer processor and the display and is
often called the frame buffer. When images
are to be sent to the display, they are first
read by the processor as data from some
form of main (non-video) RAM and then
written to video RAM.
• From video RAM (the frame buffer), the data is
converted by a RAM digital-to-analog converter
(RAMDAC) into analog signals that are sent to the
display presentation mechanism such as a
cathode ray tube (CRT).
• Usually, video RAM comes in a 1 or 2 megabyte
package and is located on the video adapter card
in the computer. Most forms of video RAM are
dual-ported, which means that while the
processor is writing a new image to video RAM,
the display is reading from video RAM to refresh
its current display content.
• The dual-port design is the main difference
between main RAM and video RAM.