RAM - what is it and how it works?

Buying a new computer, you always pay attention to its characteristics, because this is his face and the main virtues. Among the many parameters, there will necessarily be a reduction of three letters - RAM. What is it and what is it for? What is the optimal amount for a normal PC? Read all about this below.

Definition and functions

RAM - random access memory, designed to store data when the computer is turned on. That is, all running processes and tasks on the PC in real time are stored exactly in this place, where they are subsequently processed by the processor. You can also find the second name of such a device - RAM, which stands for English as a random access memory, or "memory with an arbitrary terminal". RAM performs a number of important tasks, without which the functioning of the entire system is simply impossible:

1. Storage of cumulative calculations processed by the processor.
2. Storing commands and actions, which are subsequently transferred to the CPU for processing and playback. Data can be transferred not only directly to the processor, but also to its cache memory, which is much faster than RAM memory.
3. Write and read cell contents

Features of functioning

RAM can store information only when the PC is on. To this end, it is necessary to save all the data with which the work was done to the hard disk. RAM - what is it? In other words, it is a memory device, through which the activities of all processes and programs are carried out. A lot of dynamic information flows through the memory. A random access memory (RAM) - what is it and what is meant by it? This technology allows you to read and write data in any memory cells at any time.

How is everything arranged?

How does RAM work? What it is, you already know. And how exactly does it function? Absolutely, any RAM contains cells, and each of them has its own personal address. Despite this, they all contain an equal number of bits, the number of which is 8 (8 bits = 1 byte). This is the minimum unit of measure for any information. All addresses have the form of binary numbers (0 and 1), in the same way as data. Cells located in the neighborhood inherit serial addresses. Many commands are implemented using "words", memory areas consisting of 4 or 8 bytes.

Species diversity

The general classification divides this device into 2 types of memory: SRAM (static) and DRAM (dynamic). The first one is used as the cache memory of the CPU, the second is the role of PC RAM. Any SRAM contains triggers that can be in two states: "on" and "off". They include a complex process of building a technological chain, which is why they take up a lot of space. The price of this device will be much higher than DRAM, in which there are no triggers, but there is 1 transistor and 1 capacitor, which makes the RAM more compact (for example - DDR2 RAM). The optimal number of it at the moment is about 4 GB, if the computer platform is designed for games, then it is recommended to increase this number by 2 times. Today we sorted out RAM - what it is and how it works. Now the reader represents the basic principle of the functioning of this device.