RDRAM vs. DDRAM

[utah007]

Ah, the Rambus debacle... Bound to come up in nearly every hardware forum on the planet I'm sure. If you don't know, Intel decided 2 years ago that the next memory type for the PC would be Rambus DRAM. RDRAM is a very high bandwidth SERIAL memory that is also extraordinarily expensive. Meanwhile there is DDR or double datarate memory which is essentially an evolution of the SDRAM memory design... This is a parallel memory module that is nearly the same price as SDRAM has lower latency, higher bandwidth, for less power consumption.
RDRAM is a different style of memory, it has an enormous peak bandwidth however since it is serial it has very high latency as well. DDR on the other hand has very low latency since it is parallel. Also the high end DDR modules have more bandwidth than even RDRAM. The result of this whole mess is that industry decided to opt for DDR over RDRAM, bucking the trend in computing... Typically anything that isn't supported by Intel goes to the technology warehouse in the sky.
The story gets worse unfortunately...
DDRAM is an open source technology, just like SDRAM. This means everyone knows how to design it which is good for the customer so that you onlly have one type of memory to worry about.
Rambus attended the DDRAM open-source meetings, turned around and patented some designs that it got from there and proceeded to sue several memory manufacturers... Micron and several others have a countersuit for violating the open source agreement. Intel, Rambus's only friend, has also asked for a renegotiation of their contract. So deserted and outnumbered hopefully we will see the last of Rambus and its ilk.

[blinc]

Ooh, that's just low! It sounds like Rambus pretty much cut their own throats in violating the open source "terms". What a way to make other companies NEVER want to do business with you.

We have a 128 MB 100 mhz SDRAM (1 DIMM)
(Reading off the invoice again) {toothy}

Can anyone explain - in really simple (like you're talking to a 2 yr. old) terms, just what SDRAM is?

Another question, related to this memory thing. We have a... *reads invoice* 15.3 GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive. When I check the "available space" on the computer it's saying there is like 68% of available memory used. I'm assuming they mean the 128 SDRAM??? What happens when IT gets full? Does stuff get moved to the GB part of the memory thing? There's no way we have over 7 GB's worth of stuff on the computer - so I'm assuming they mean the SDRAM thing. This memory stuff - arrgh! I'm so confused!

Any way you could help to untangle the confusion going on in my head about the memories would be SO appreciated!

[blinc]

If it takes you a few days to find the time and way to explain this, I understand - know how busy you guys are. Just here for when you have a few moments to teach the computer newbie something! {dizzy}

[utah007]

No problem... First the 15.3 gb 7200 rpm is the hard drive or hard disk. To check the available space on it double click My Computer, then right click on the C: drive. Hit Properties and you'll see a pie chart displaying the used/available space. Now when you are looking at the system performance and it say 68% free it is mainly talking about the memory/processor usage. That means how much your memory and processor are being taxed at the moment.

Now for SDRAM. This stands for synchronous dynamic random access memory... Pretty much this means that it is a specific standard of memory.
In your computer memory is used to load applications. When you want something off of your hard drive let's say, you click on My computer for instance, then the processor determines what you want displayed, pulls it from the hard drive and places it in your memory (SDRAM in your case). Then when you're done with My computer and close the window the processor takes that out of the memory again. So think of it as a quick place to store data on a temporary basis.
The term DIMM (dual inline memory module) more or less defines what the slot is going to look like when you plug the stick of memory in.
How'd I do? Clear as mud?

[TTP]

Nods, yep as mud.
Now I'm lost! :D
Not really, just giving you city folk trouble. ;)

[utah007]

City folk? You've never lived on a farm your whole life! That being said I don't consider you "city folk"...
I don't much care for the city life myself.

[TTP]

I lived on a farm for five or six years, what you talking about?
Didn't mean to get you all riled up!
Anyhow, you did well teacher dude.

[utah007]

You did? Ooop. Sorry!

[TTP]

NP, I lived on a farm when I was a little tike. I think until pre-school maybe and then we moved to town...I think?

[blinc]

Ack! You're both city guys and ya know it! {toothy} When you see wild rabbits living under a tree in your front yard... THEN you're a country bumpkin! heee hee

Ok... I'm trying to absorb this. The SDRAM is more like an on-line - what programs you're currently using memory? When you close a running program out, it goes back to the hard drive? The C drive or hard drive is where everything is stored at all times?

Our pie-chart says we're using 2.72 GB (when I followed the right click directions)... that's a LOT of stuff isn't it? Thanks for the easy way to look at memory used - that's a lot faster then the way I was doing it!

Sorry, I'm still "dim" on the DIMM. What it's going to look like? *sigh* I know this one is going to be WAY over my head.

[TTP]

In the town I lived in I'ld see rabbits and deer in the streets! Well, I live on the very north end of town by a wheat field too...

I think you've got it down pretty well on the SDRAM, except that the information never actually 'leaves' the hard drive, the processor "Brain" just loads up the application in your SDRAM and has it ready for use...kinda like copying all the files it needs to run temperarily.

2.72 GB! That is quite a bit of stuff, however to give you a little bit (no pun intended) or an idea, currently I'm using...around 33 GB of HD space. {toothy}

A DIMM...hmm, well it kinda looks like a short ruler w/o any numbers on it and little square boxes sticking out on the side...slim square boxes that is...it's hard to explain.

[utah007]

That's right, your SDRAM is your temporary data storage and your hard drive is your permanent data storage.

In the olden days (ya know 10 years ago) the memory standard was SIMM, single inline memory module, and it required you had 2 sticks of memory for the computer to function. Then along came the DIMM that required you to only have one stick... Now a DIMM stick of memory is about 5 inches long roughly, and about an inch wide. Usually green in color, it has black scares on the green circuit board of it with gold leads on the bottom. The gold leads are what plug into the system board in a slot made to hold the DIMM.

[TTP]

Or you could read his explination and you'll have it down!

[blinc]

*stares*
*mouth hanging open*

Ya know what? I'm just going to be happy I now understand the difference between SDRAM and the hard drive. {dude}

Have the feeling that unless I was going to build my own computer, I really don't need to understand DIMM?
I sure hope not, cuz my head is going to explode *grin*

[utah007]

*nods*
If you aren't building your own machine I wouldn't bother knowing what all SDRAM does.

[blinc]

Yepper. I'm happy as a clam just understanding the difference between SDRAM and the C drive memory/programs/storage thing. It was confusing! Thank you!