Difference between SRAM and DRAM
Static RAM and dynamic RAM both are different from each other in many contexts like speed, capacity, etc. These differences occur due to the difference in the technique which is used to hold data. DRAM makes use of single transistor and capacitor for each memory cell, whereas each memory cell of SRAM makes use of an array of 6 transistors. DRAM needs refreshing, whereas SRAM does not require refreshing of the memory cell.
1 Difference between SRAM and DRAM1.1 SRAM vs dram comparison chart1.2 SRAM and dram definition1.3 static ram vs dynamic ram1.4 sram vs dram speed
SRAM vs dram comparison chart
SRAM and dram definition
DRAM stands for dynamic random access memory that is widely used as the main memory for a computer system. DRAM takes 1 transistor and 1 capacitor to store 1 bit. Means Each memory cell in a DRAM chip holds one bit of data and is composed of a transistor and a capacitor. The transistor functions as a switch that allows the control circuitry on the memory chip to read the capacitor or change its state, while the capacitor is responsible for holding the bit of data in the form of a 1 or 0. As we know a capacitor is like a container that stores electrons. When this container is full, it designates a 1, while a container empty of electrons designates a 0. However, capacitors have a leakage that causes them to lose this charge, and as a result, the “container” becomes empty after just a few milliseconds. And in order to DRAM chip to work, the CPU or memory controller must recharge the capacitors that are filled with electrons (and therefore indicate a 1) before they discharge in order to retain the data. To do this, the memory controller reads the data and then rewrites it. This is called refreshing and occurs thousands of times per second in a DRAM chip. Because of the need to constantly refresh data, which takes time, DRAM is slower. The most common application of DRAM such as DDR3 is volatile storage for computers. While not as fast as SRAM, DRAM is still very fast and can connect directly to the CPU bus. Typical sizes of DRAM are about 1 to 2GB in smartphones and tablets, and 4 to 16GB in laptops. SRAM stands for static random access memory, It is normally used to build very fast memory known as cache memory. SRAM takes 6 transistors to store 1 bit and it’s much faster compared to DRAM. Static RAM uses a completely different technology compared to DRAM. In static RAM, a form of flip-flop holds each bit of memory. A flip-flop for a memory cell takes 4 or 6 transistors along with some wiring but never has to be refreshed. This makes static RAM significantly faster than dynamic RAM. Unlike dynamic RAM (DRAM), which stores bits in cells consisting of a capacitor and a transistor, SRAM does not have to be periodically refreshed. However, because it has more parts, a static memory cell takes a lot more space on a chip than a dynamic memory cell. Therefore you get less memory per chip, and that makes static RAM a lot more expensive. It’s more Faster: Because SRAM does not need to refresh, it is typically faster. The average access time of DRAM is about 60 nanoseconds, while SRAM can give access times as low as 10 nanoseconds. The most common application of SRAM is to serve as cache for the processor (CPU). In processor specifications, this is listed as L2 cache or L3 cache. SRAM performance is really fast but SRAM is expensive, so typical values of L2 and L3 cache are 1MB to 8MB.
sram vs dram speed
SRAM is typically faster than DRAM since it doesn’t have refresh cycles. Since each SRAM memory cell is comprised of 6 Transistors unlike a DRAM memory cell, which is comprised of 1 Transistor and 1 Capacitor, the cost per memory cell is far greater in an SRAM compared to a DRAM.
I hope that now you might have understood the difference between the SRAM and the DRAM. And importantly the reason behind the need to refresh the RAM hundred of times in a clock cycle. Still have any query suggestion feel free to discuss on the comments. Also Read
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