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SDRAM FindITallAt.theshoppe.com |
Suppose you leave work to make a copy of an important document at the local copy center.
The average employee at the copy center normally takes about 70 nanoseconds to process a copy job (if only they were that fast). However, you don't know if there will be someone there waiting to take your order once you arrive, you only know how long it takes them to make the copy once your order is actually taken. Having done this many times before, you are familiar with the way the copy center runs their business and you allow some wait time. You arrive at the copy center and, sure enough, you have to wait for an employee to take your request. After all is said and done, the entire process has taken a lot longer than the 70 nanoseconds it takes to actually make the copy.
Now suppose that an employee at the copy center has been assigned to go to the front counter every 10 nanoseconds to take new orders or deliver previously placed orders. Since this eliminates your initial wait time, the process is already more efficient. You now know that when you arrive at the copy center, there will be someone there to begin processing your order immediately.
This illustration demonstrates the advantage of synchronous DRAM over fast page mode (FPM) and extended data out (EDO) memory. SDRAM is synchronized to interact with the processor at specific intervals. With this faster, more efficient transfer of data, the CPU can process requests more quickly, thus reducing wait time for the end user.
SDRAM is built on the foundation of standard DRAM but uses its feature of synchronous operation to help eliminate wait-times (waiting for a copy center employee to take your order, then waiting around for the job to be completed). When the CPU is ready to access data from the DRAM, it automatically goes to a specified clock point since the processor already knows when operations are going to be completed and data is going to be available. After all is said and done, the processor's ability to retrieve and process data is vastly improved. Overall, upgrading your system with SDRAM will improve performance up to 20% over EDO in some applications.
The good news for end users is that the new module requirements, increased bus speeds, and faster processors noticeably improve a PC's performance. Benefits include increased throughput, faster systems, and better performance.
Should you upgrade to SDRAM? First, you should determine whether your system can use SDRAM. You can only use SDRAM if the chip set on your motherboard supports it (the chip set is the part of the your computer that moves data to and from the processor). Additionally, SDRAM modules typically have 168 pins (DIMMs) for desktop use (usually 144 or 100 pins for laptops and printers), as opposed to 72 pins (SIMMs) for most FPM and EDO modules. In other words, your motherboard must have slots that accommodate DIMMs. Some motherboards support both EDO and SDRAM memory. However you must remove the EDO modules to take full advantage of running SDRAM in your computer. Systems typically only run as fast as the slowest memory installed on the motherboard. Right on the Crucial Technology site you can check to see if your system is compatible with SDRAM.
Is SDRAM going to be around for a while? Any upgrade is an investment. And we understand that you don't want to buy new memory only to find it will be obsolete in the near future. To answer the question — Yes, SDRAM will be with us for several years. Your memory upgrade investment will not be wasted money.
Check it out today and you'll find that you may not need a new computer to the tune of thousands of dollars, but a memory upgrade for tens of dollars will do the job to improve your system.
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