Computer Memory


Computer memory is an integral part of a computer performance and can be the difference between being able to perform your everyday tasks with optimal speed and lagging in performance. We live in a busy world where whether one is an individual or a business, the ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time is crucial if one is to maintain an edge. Even students in school need to be able to work fast and seamlessly with minimal stoppages. Have you ever tried to do a task and the computer you are doing the task on freezes? Or have you ever experienced such slow speeds that you end up abandoning what you were doing altogether? This is as a result of a low memory.

Computer memory varies price wise from one seller to another and even from manufacturer to manufacturer. It is therefore advisable to shop around for the best deals. The best place to start your shopping is online and there are a great many vendors online. Ebay is a great place to start. Computer memory consists of magnetic components configured with electrical signals. This was the brainchild of engineers Jonas Hauptmann, Jens Paaske and Poul Erik Lindelof from the University of Copenhagen. They came up with a way of storing data in which electricity and magnetism are combined in a new transistor concept. Computer memory typically consists of millions of circuit elements, known as memory cells, which are made of metallic particles are arranged on a silicon substrate. This process involves temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit) so the metallic substrate must have a high heat tolerance. This makes thinner metallic materials which have a low heat tolerance, such as glass and plastics, unsuitable for computer memory components.

There are different types of memory. One is DDR2 which comes in pairs, and has a dual channel memory capability. Intel processors with LGA775 socket utilize this configuration which is considered much faster. DDR RAM is viewed as more widely used and most motherboards carry this one.

RAM or Rapid Access Memory, is also consider fast and reliable. RAM's is where the computer stores data on a temporary storage for information that is being utilized at the moment. For instance, if you are writing an essay, parts of that essay will be present in RAM for immediate access as well as the software that is being utilized to write that essay. RAM differs slightly from what is called read-only memory or ROM. RAM can be both read and written while ROM can only be read (eg CD-ROM). ROM is considered stable and more durable because it is already stored. Take for instance you are writing and essay and there is a power outage, RAM is dumped and you lose all your unsaved work while ROM memory is still accessible.