Elizabeth Tourtelot
Chapter 2 Assignment
22259
10/13/09
1. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-random-access-memory.htm
This website describes RAM (Random Access Memory) as most commonly referring to computer chips which temporarily store data to enhance performance of a computer. The site also says that by storing files in RAM, data is more quickly retrieved than if one was trying to retrieve it from the hard drive. RAM is descried as having volatile memory, which they say means that it looses its contents once the power is cut, whereas devices such as hard disks and flash memory are described as having nonvolatile memory, which is the polar opposite of RAM, not requiring a power source to retain data.
2. http://www.howstuffworks.com/ram.htm
This website explains RAM as being “random access” because of one being able to access any memory cell directly if you know the row and column that intersect at that cell. It compares RAM (Random Access Memory) to it’s opposite SAM (Serial Access Memory), which like cassette tapes has the data stored as a series of memory cells that can only be accessed sequentially. It also mentions dynamic RAM and how it works, where the capacitor holds the bit of information and transistor which allows the control circuitry on the memory chip to read the capacitor or change it.
3. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAM.html
This website’s definition of RAM is “a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes”. It also says that RAM is the most common memory in computers and other devices such as printers. It mentions DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory)- other types of RAM- as other such technologies that are used to hold data; saying SRAM is faster than DRAM because DRAM needs to be refreshed a lot but both are volatile. ROM (read-only memory) is briefly mentioned, when comparing it with RAM and saying that there is a small amount present in most personal computers.
If I were going to buy a video graphics board I would pick a SAPPHIRE brand one because of the reasonable price (not so cheap to make me suspicious and not too expensive), the extra perks that are included (such as a cooler), and the good reviews I read by those who own it already.
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Video Graphics Boards |
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Manufacturer |
Product Name |
Price |
Memory Size |
Technology |
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HP |
HP Compaq CL-GD5446 |
$55.00 |
1MB / 2MB (max) |
EDO RAM |
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Nvidia |
Nvidia Quadro® FX 5600 |
$2,999.00 |
1.5GB GDDR3 |
GDDR3 SDRAM 384-bit |
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SAPPHIRE |
Sapphire Radeon HD4870 |
$388.00 |
2GB |
GDDR5 |
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Number of Slots |
System Requirements |
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None |
Intel 486 or higher 66 MHz |
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2 |
Pentium 4- RAM 1 GB - HD 100 MB |
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Not specified |
System memory of 1GB, 2 power connections |
