Random-access memory
hideRandom-access memory (usually known by its acronym, RAM) is a form of computer data storage. Today, it takes the form of integrated circuits that allow stored data to be accessed in any order (i.e., at random). The word random thus refers to the fact that any piece of data can be returned in a constant time, regardless of its physical location and whether or not it is related to the previous piece of data.
By contrast, storage devices such as tapes, magnetic discs and optical discs rely on the physical movement of the recording medium or a reading head. In these devices, the movement takes longer than data transfer, and the retrieval time varies based on the physical location of the next item.
The word RAM is often associated with volatile types of memory (such as DRAM memory modules), where the information is lost after the power is switched off. Many other types of memory are RAM, too, including most types of ROM and flash memory called NOR-Flash.
For more information about Random-access memory, read the full article at
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News tagged with random access memory
Elpida Completes Development of 1-Gigabit GDDR5
Nov 20, 2009 |
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Elpida Memory, Japan's leading global supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory, today announced that it had developed a 1-gigabit GDDR5 (product name: EDW1032BABG) that operates at a world-class high speed ...
High-tech holiday gift ideas for $50 and $100
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Nov 18, 2009 |
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Picking a Christmas gift for the nerd in your life is never easy. In the holiday stampede, it's all too easy to end up with an outdated gadget or obsolete program. And mistakes can be costly.
Amnesia-Like Behavior Returns on Spirit
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 31, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Until Oct. 24, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover had gone more than six months without an episode of amnesia-like symptoms like those that appeared on four occasions earlier this year.
What Comes After Hard Drives?
Oct 23, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The ability to store and retrieve data is an important component of today's computers, as well as other modern electronic devices such as cell phones, video game consoles, and camcorders. ...
Elpida Unveils Industry's First 2-Gigabit DDR2 Mobile RAM
Sep 29, 2009 |
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Elpida Memory, Japan's leading global supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), today announced that it had developed the industry's first 2-gigabit DDR2 Mobile RAM.
'Colossal' Magnetic Effect Under Pressure
Jun 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Millions of people today carry around pocket-sized music players capable of holding thousands of songs, thanks to the discovery 20 years ago of a phenomenon known as the “giant magnetoresistance ...
SKorea clears chipmakers of cartel charges
Apr 20, 2009 |
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South Korea's anti-trust watchdog said Monday it has found no evidence that leading chipmakers in South Korea and other countries colluded to fix prices.
Taiwan's TMC to team up with Elpida of Japan
Apr 01, 2009 |
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Taiwan Memory Company (TMC), a new government-backed firm set up to consolidate the island's memory-chip industry, said Wednesday it will form a partnership with Japan's Elpida Memory Inc.
Toshiba Develops World's Highest-Bandwidth, Highest Density Non-volatile RAM
Feb 09, 2009 |
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Toshiba Corporation today announced the prototype of a new FeRAM -- Ferroelectric Random Access Memory -- that redefines industry benchmarks for density and operating speed. The new chip realizes storage of ...
Rsearchers discover brain's memory 'buffer' in single cells
Jan 25, 2009 |
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Individual nerve cells in the front part of the brain can hold traces of memories on their own for as long as a minute and possibly longer, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.
Elpida Introduces Industry's First x32-bit 1-Gigabit XDR DRAM
Jan 20, 2009 |
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Elpida, Japan's leading global supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory, today introduced the industry's first 1-Gigabit XDR DRAM based on a x32-bit configuration.
