Chapter 5: RAM Flashcards
DDR2
runs faster, uses less power than DDR - input/output circuits are clock doubled (240 pins)
DDR3L
low-voltage DDR3
single-sided RAM
has chips only on one side of the stick
non-maskable interrupt
a major error which the CPU cannot ignore, and the operating system has to shut down
triple-channel architecture
like dual-channel architecture, but with 3 RAM modules
ReadyBoost
a feature in Windows Vista and later that allows you to use a USB flash drive as very fast virtual memory
single inline memory module (SIMM)
early RAM sticks - these had redundant connections on both sides of the stick, so they could only provide 32-bit data path
DDR3
doubles buffer of DDR2 from 4 to 8 bits, allowing much more bandwidth - clock speeds are quadrupled (240 pins, slotted differently from DDR2)
DDR3U
ultra-low-voltage DDR3
stick
another name for a module of RAM
double-sided RAM
basically two sticks of RAM on one board
Windows Memory Diagnostic
(Windows 7 and later) automatically scans the computer’s RAM when there is a problem
serial presence detect (SPD)
a chip on the RAM module that stores information about it - used to help the motherboard automatically set up the RAM
DDR4
higher density, lower voltage than DDR3 (288 pins)
parity RAM
the first type of error-detecting RAM - stored an extra bit of data (parity bit) to verify if data was correct
error correction code RAM (ECC RAM)
detects and fixes errors in data on the fly, but at a performance and price cost
disk thrashing
excessive use of the hard drive that occurs when the operating system is swapping programs in and out of the page file - a symptom of too little RAM in a machine
page file
the file on the hard drive that is used to store open programs when they are unloaded from RAM
buffered RAM
RAM that contains a small memory register to act as a buffer to help compensate for RAM errors - used in servers, etc. also called registered RAM
bank
DIMM slot
quad-channel architecture
like dual-channel architecture, but with 4 RAM modules
registered RAM
RAM that contains a small memory register to act as a buffer to help compensate for RAM errors - used in servers, etc. also called buffered RAM
Blue Screen of Death
a Windows proprietary crash screen
latency
delay in RAM response time
swap file
the file on the hard drive that is used to store open programs when they are unloaded from RAM
page fault
a mild error that can be caused by memory issues, but not necessarily faulty RAM
pinwheel of death
(Mac OS) proprietary crash screen
proprietary crash screen
caused by a non-maskable interrupt - “Blue Screen of Death”
unbuffered RAM
RAM that does not have a register - most consumer RAM is unbuffered
module
another name for a stick of RAM
virtual memory
an area of the hard drive that is treated like RAM that stores open programs when a machine’s RAM is running low
