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The memory of a computer,
different types of modules
The memory (RAM) of a computer is a together with the processor the hart of a computer. Without it the computer will not work. The RAM of computers are like in the picture above. These modules are attached to the motherboard in the memory slots. See the motherboard for these slots.
There are several types of these RAM modules. The type you need depends on the type of computer you use and which motherboard is in that computer.
The types are:- SD RAM
- DDR RAM
- DDR2 RAM
- DDR3 RAM
- SO-DIMM (notebook)
- RD-RAM RIMM
SD RAM
SD RAM is the module which is the older module and is mostly used in systems like Pentium II and the early Pentium III. You can recognize a SD RAM module at the notches. In a SD RAM module there are 2 notches. A DDR RAM has only 1 notch.
DDR RAM
A DDR RAM module is a module which is used in systems like Pentium 4 systems for normal use. These modules perform much better then the SD RAM modules. DDR RAM follows up the SD RAM module. You can recognize this type of memory at the notch. This type has only 1 notch.
DDR2 RAM
DDR2 modules work quite the same as DDR modules but the difference between those is that DDR2 can handle higher clock speeds. This is because DDR2 works on a lower voltage then DDR and because the chips have another package. Due this there is less heating and less electromagnetic interference and that's why higher clock speeds are possible.
The big difference with DDR is that DDR2 reads 4 bits at the same time, where DDR reads 2 bits. To handle the supply of the extra bits, the I/O buffer is made twice as quick. Because of this there is twice as many bandwidth in comparison with DDR.DDR3 RAM
DDR3 modules work quite the same as DDR or DDR2 modules but DDR3 is improved in several ways. DDR3 can handle a much higher clock speed then DDR and also handle a higher clock speed then DDR2.It reduces the energy consumption with 40% in comparison with DDR2.
Because DDR3 uses the 90 nm technology, it can work on a lower voltage (DDR: 2.5V, DDR2: 1.8V, DDR3: 1.5V). This because the leaking of power will be reduced by the so called 'Dual-gate' transistors.
The prefetch buffer of DDR3 is 8 bits, of DDR2 it is 4 bits and 2 bits of DDR.
There is also a big difference between the clock frequency. DDR3 has a clock frequency from 800 until 1600 MHz, DDR2 between 400 and 1066 MHz and DDR between 200 and 600 MHz.
SO-DIMM (notebook memory)
These modules are used in laptops. Also here you have the difference between SD, DDR and DDR2 modules. These modules are physically also much smaller then the modules for desktop systems.
RD-RAM RIMM
This type RAM is a type which is developed by Rambus Inc. RIMM stands for Rambus Inline Memory Module. This type of module can handle much quicker data speeds due to a higher bus speed (until 1200 MHz). It is also called RDRAM. This type of RAM isn’t much used in a home computer because it is quite expensive.
At the RIMM modules the 2 notches are near each other.
The modules have an own amount of memory. The most common sizes of modules are 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB 512 MB, 1 GB and 2 GB.
Older modules can also have less memory then 64 MB and the newer modules can have more then 2 GB.
The more memory a module has the better the performance of the computer. Below there is a list of requirements for several Windows operating systems.
| Operating system | Minimum amount of RAM | Recommended amount of RAM | | Windows 95 | 4 MB | 8 MB or more | | Windows 98 | 16 MB | 24 MB or more | | Windows Millennium Edition (ME) | 32 MB | 64 MB or more | | Windows NT Workstation | 16 MB | 32 MB or more | | Windows 2000 | 64 MB | 128 MB or more | | Windows XP | 64 MB | 128 MB or more | | Windows Vista Home Basic | 512 MB | 512 MB or more | | Windows Vista Home Premium | 512 MB | 1 GB or more | | Window Vista Business | 512 MB | 1 GB or more | | Windows Ultimate Edition | 512 MB | 1 GB or more |
How much memory does your computer need?
The amount of memory your computer needs depends on what kind of operating system you have installed on it and on what you want to do with the computer. If you want to play the newest games on it you need much more RAM than if you want to do some office work like writing a letter in Word or make a calculation in Excel.
So before you decide how much RAM you want to install in the computer, you need to know for which purpose the computer is going to be used for.
Let me help you a little.
| Purpose of the computer | Recommended amount of RAM | | Office use like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, surfing the internet, emailing, playing small games like cards or web games. | 256 MB or more | | Office use like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, surfing the internet, emailing, photo editing, ripping cd’s, playing general games which use higher graphics like shooters, football games, racing games which are bit older. | 512 MB or more | | Playing the newest high graphical games, video editing, music editing, technical drawings, ripping video’s. | 1GB or more |
Of course this is also dependent on the operating system you have installed. The operating system needs an amount of RAM to work properly and the purpose you want to use the computer for needs RAM too.
But if you install the amount of memory for the purpose the computer will be used for, then the amount as shown above must be enough to let the system work fine.
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