RAM (pronounced ramm) is an acronym for random access memory, a type
of computer memory that can be accessedrandomly; that is, any byte of memory can be
accessed without touching the preceding bytes. RAM is the most common type of
memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers.
Main Types of RAM
There are two main types of RAM:
DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)
SRAM (Static Random Access Memory).
The two types of RAM differ in the technology they use to hold data, with DRAM being
the more common type. In terms of speed, SRAM is faster. DRAM needs to be
refreshed thousands of times per second while SRAM does not need to be refreshed,
which is what makes it faster than DRAM.
DRAM supports access times of about 60 nanoseconds, SRAM can give access times
as low as 10 nanoseconds. Despite SRAM being faster, it's not as commonly used as
DRAM because it's more expensive.