02/23/19 HELP DESK

HELP DESK

Q: Reader Debi Mishra of Binghamton, N.Y., asks: Which is better, SDRAM or EDO memory? And what is the difference between the two?
A: As processors get faster, chipmakers face the challenge of feeding them with data from memory at ever-increasing speeds. A few years ago, they came up with a new type of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip called extended data out, or EDO. As CPU speeds topped 200 Mhz, something even faster was required, so the industry developed synchronized DRAM, or SDRAM.
Most new computers today use SDRAM, though EDO is still found on some less-expensive models. If you are upgrading your computer, you must use whatever type of DRAM it was designed for.
The increasing speed of memory could end the long slide in the cost of DRAM upgrades. One reason memory upgrades are so cheap is that all desktop computers use just a few types of memory modules. But to hit ever-faster speeds, it may become necessary to design memory modules to match specific system boards. And as buyers of laptop memory are painfully aware, system-specific memory tends to be a lot more expensive than commodity DRAM modules.
BY STEPHEN H. WILDSTROM