What is RAM? How does RAM Work? What does RAM Do?

As a word meaning, RAM is a definition formed by abbreviation of the sentence “Random Access Memory”. RAM; It is a permanent part of the computer, graphics card and many microprocessor modules. Computers usually keep information about the programs and processes they are currently working on in this memory section called RAM.

RAM and hard drive basically store the same information, but the speed of accessing and processing information in RAM is much greater than the speed of accessing and processing information in the hard drive. RAM is a storage device. It constantly needs energy to work, store information and keep information on the module. As soon as the energy supplied to the memory is cut off, the information processed on it is lost.

RAM usually consists of memory chips arranged in 2 or multiples of 2, double-sided on a single circuit. Each of these chips has different storage areas. The total capacity of the chips on the same circuit gives the capacity of the RAM memory. They have memory capacities that increase in direct proportion to the numerous transistors on the chips.

How Does RAM Work?

RAM has sections that contain 0s and 1s. Each of these parts is called a cell. The processor sends the instruction, the addresses on the RAM have relevant information and the address is sent to the RAM controller. It coordinates the request from the processor and sends it to certain addresses. The transistors on this address open the cells and allow the information in the required capacitor to be read.

Capacitor charged above a certain voltage shows 1s in two number systems and 0s in capacitor charged below, and the data is evaluated in this way. Capacitors lose charge on them very quickly. Therefore, since there will be a loss of charge, there will be consequences such as loss of information. For this reason, there are structures that we call regenerative circuits, such as DRAMs.

Also, in SRAM, each module has 2-4 transistors in its structure, holding 1-bit values of 0 and 1. For a clearer understanding, when the processor processes information, it stores it in RAM for easy access later. When this operation is requested, the processor sends a write signal to the system bus and the RAM module. RAM stores this information at a specific address. This address is required for future information systems.

SEE ALSO: What is a Hard Disk? How does Hard Drive work? 

What Does Ram Do?

When we first started to deal with hardware, we all asked what RAM is for, and we did a lot of research to find an answer.

First of all, it should be noted that. RAM memory is temporary. In other words, RAM memories, which store a lot of information during the time your computer is on, will forget all this information when you turn off your computer, that is, when you cut off the energy required for RAM memories.

RAM consists of boxes, each containing 1 or 0. Each of these boxes has a unique address and is arranged in rows and columns. RAM boxes in sets are found in series and each box is called a cell.

RAM memory stores all kinds of information that your computer thinks it may need in a short time in these cells and transmits it when needed. In this way, it allows the process to continue without slowing down while playing a game or working on an image.

What are the types of RAM?

What is RAM and what does RAM do? After all we have told, it would be appropriate to clarify a little about the types of RAM.

RAM variants come in two main forms;

Dynamic Randomly Accessible Memory: Also referred to as DRAM for short. As we have mentioned since the beginning of our article, the typical RAM memory type, which requires energy to protect the stored information. Each DRAM cell has a charge, or a charge, that is held in an electrical capacitor. The data in this cell is renewed with an electronic charge every millisecond to compensate for the energy leaking from the capacitor. A transistor acts as a gate, deciding whether the value of a capacitor can be read or written.

Static Randomly Accessible Memory: It is called SRAM for short. Again, it needs constant energy to host the data, but unlike DRAM, it does not need to be constantly refreshed. Instead of a capacitor with a load in SRAM, there are transistors that act as switches, with one end as 1 and the other end as 0. SRAM requires several transistors to accommodate one bit of data, unlike DRAM which only needs one transistor per bit. As a result, SRAM chips are much larger and much more expensive than DRAM of equivalent size.

Can computers run without RAM?

There are two possible answers to this question. If by RAM we mean any component that takes on the role of “random access memory”, the answer is no. Devices such as a computer, phone or tablet always need a part to temporarily store data. But if when we say RAM we are talking about the parts that we insert into the RAM slots, then the answer is yes.

Theoretically, a computer with no RAM component installed can be run. Although it is a process that requires a lot of effort and patience, it is possible to use a hard disk as random access memory. Of course, doing such a process is not easy, and it will result in a much, much slower computer compared to today’s computers.

Is there a difference between RAM in a computer and RAM in a phone?

As with every component used by computers and mobile devices, there is also a difference in the types of RAM used. As we mentioned above, today’s computers generally use DDR type of RAM, while the common type of RAM in mobile devices is “LPDDR”, which consumes less power.

We have mentioned why the components used in computers and mobile devices have to differ in an article we wrote about processors before. Let’s briefly summarize here. Because of the limited space in mobile devices, it is more difficult to cool the parts inside than computers. Therefore, the dimensions of the components are reduced both because the device sizes are reduced and the cooling opportunity is limited.

Thus, we come to the end of our article where we answer the question of what is RAM. We hope it has been an explanatory text for you.