When should I buy registered memory ?

Registers are components,like DRAMs,Only they perform a different function. The function that
they perform is the buffering of the address & control signals going on to the module.However
they are not called buffers,since in the language of system designers,buffers are known as
“asynchronous”. Whatever signal are on the input pins,appear directly on the output pins [ after a
few nanoseconds ] Correspondingly,register are known as “ synchronous ” components. When
new signal values appear on the input pins,they don’t show up on the ouput pins until [ a few
nonoseconds after ] the next tick of the system clock .
Can memory be overclocked ?
Yes.Memory modules can be over clocked , & it has its pros & cons.But how , we will discuss in
Ultimate memory guide part II .
I’ve heard of PC1600 and PC2100. What does this mean ,and what is the difference ?
Well , it’s kind of like PC133.Since it is double datarate,you might except that DDR would be
PC200 & PC266. In fact,the RAM chips themselves are sold as PC200 & PC266. HOWEVER ,
Us module guys didnot want you to

Figure.

think that Rambus [ at 800 MHz ] is four times as fast as PC200 DDR . So, we went with a
number that reflects the MODULE bandwidth . Since DDR DIMMs are eight bytes wide, the
designation becomes P200*8 = PC 1600 & PC266*8 = PC2100. So, to repeat,PC1600 uses both
of a 100 MHz clock,& PC2100 uses both edges of a 133 MHz clock .
How do I calculate memory capacity ?
Calculating the Capacity of a module-Memory holds the information that the CPU needs to
process. The capacity of memory chipa & modules are described in megabits

Figure.

[ millons of bits ] & megabytes [ millons of bytes ] When tryoing to figure out how much
memory you have on a module,there are two important things to remember :

A module consist of a group of chips. If you add together the capacities of all the chips on the
module, you get the total capacity of the module. Exceptions to this rule are :
 If some of the capacity is being used for another function,such as error checking .
 If some of the capacity is not being used , for example
Component Capacity Expression Capacity Units Example
Chips Chips Density Mbit [ megabits ] 64 Mbit
Memory Module Module Capacity MB [ megabytes ] 64 MB

Some chips may have extra rows to be used as back-ups. [ This isn’t common ]
While chip capacity is usually expressed in megabits,module capacity is expressed in megabytes.
This can get confusing , especially since many people unknowingly use the word “ bit ”. When
they mean “ byte ” & vice versa . To help make it clear, we’ll adopt the following standards in
this book :
When we talk about the amount of memory on a module,we’ll use the term “module
capacity”; when we are referring to chips,we’ll use the term “ chip density ”.Module capacity
will be measured in megabytes [MB ] with both letters capital, & chip density will be measured
in megabits [Mbit] , & we’ll spell out the word “ bit ” in small letters.
Chip density

Each memory chip is a matrix of tiny cells.Each cell holds one bit of information. Memory chips
are often described by how much information they can hold.Wa call this chip density.
You may have encountered example of chip densities, such
Current available chip technology
Chip depth in millions Chip width Chip Density = Depth
Of locations In bits x Width
16 Mbit Chips
4M x 4 4 4 16
1M x 16 1 16 16
2M x 1 2 8 16
16M x 1 16 1 16
64 Mbit Chips
4M x 16 4 16 64
8M x 8 8 8 64
16M x 4 16 4 64
128Mbit Chips
8M x 16 8 16 128
16M x 8 16 8 128
32M x 4 32 4 128
256Mbit Chips
32M x 8 32 8 256

as “ 64Mbit SDRAM ” or “ 8M by 8 ”. A 64Mbit chip has 64 million cells & is capable of

holding 64 million bits of data. The experssion describs one kind of 64Mbit chip in more detail.
In the memory industry,DRAM chip densities are often described by their cell organization.
The first number in the expression indicates the depth of the chip [ in locations ] & the seconds
number indicates the width of the chip [ in bits ] . If you multiply the depth by the width, you get
the density of the chip.Here are some example :
Module capacity

It’s easy to calculate the capacity of a memory module if you know the capacities of the chips on
it . If there are eight 64Mbit chips, It’s a 512Mbit module.
However,because the capacity of a module is descibed in megabytes,not megabits,you have
to convert bits to bytes.To do this,divide the number of bits by 8 .In the case of the 512Mbit
module :
512Mbits
8 bits per byte = 64 MB

You may here standard standard memory modules in the industry being described as : “4Mx32”
[ that is, “4 Meg by 32 ] , or “16Mx64” In these cases,you can calculate the capacity of the
module exactly as if it were a chip :

4Mx32 is 128 Mbits 16Mx64 is 1024 Mbits

128Mbits 1024Mbits
8 bits per byte = 16 MB module 8 bits per byte = 128 MB module

Standard Module Module Capacity In Capacity In Mb

Depth Width In Mbits = Depth x = Mbits / 8
In Locations Data Bits Width
2 – Pin 1M x 32 1 32 32 4
2M x 32 2 32 64 8
4M x 32 4 32 128 16
8M x 32 8 32 256 32
16M x 32 16 32 512 64
32M x 32 32 32 1024 128
68 – Pin 2M x 64 2 64 128 16
4M x 64 4 64 256 32
8M x 64 8 64 512 64
16M x 64 16 64 1024 128
32M x 64 32 64 2048 256
As we mentioned earlier , there’s only room for a certain number of chips on a PCB.
Based on an industry standard 168-pin DIMM, the largest capacity module manufacturers can
make using 64Mbit chips is 128MB; with 128Mbit chips, the largest module possible is 256MB ;
& with 256Mbit chips,the largest module possible is 512MB.
Why do I need ECC memory ?
Error Checking & Correction [ ECC ] memory modules are very similar to the odd parity chip
seen in old memory designs.
It checks the data flowing inside your computer by checking the number of chips on the
module .
In order to check & correct the memory, additional RAMs are required .
 A non-ECC module which has eight RAMs would need to have a ninth Ram added ; a sixteen
RAM module would generally need to have TWO additional RAMs added.Obviously , the
additional RAMs make the module more expensive . The modules are recommended for servers .
Why are additional memory modules for my Compaq & Sun computers very expensive ?

Typically MNC vendors try to claim a permium on the addons & accessories.
That is one of the main reasons .
However we recommend some premium for their quality check & other services offered .our
Test Labs have never found any significant performance difference between third party memory
& branded memory from vendors .