Internal storage areas in the computer. The term memory identifies data storage that comes in the form of chips, and the word storage is used for memory that exists on tapes or disks. Moreover, the term memory is usually used as a shorthand for physical memory, which refers to the actual chips capable of holding data. Some computers also use virtual memory, which expands physical memory onto a hard disk.
Every computer comes with a certain amount of physical memory, usually referred to as main memory or RAM. You can think of main memory as an array of boxes, each of which can hold a single byte of information. A computer that has 1 megabyte of memory, therefore, can hold about 1 million bytes (or characters) of information.
Listed here are some of the terminology used in conjunction to memory, and it's properties.
Ball Grid Array A type of memory chip with solder balls on the underside for mounting Use of BGA allows die package size to be reduced because there is more surface area for attachment Smaller packaging allows more components to be mounted on a module, making greater densities available The smaller package also improves heat dissipation for better performance See CSP and FBGA
Bandwidth A measure of the capacity of data that can be moved between two points in a given period of time
Bank(1) A slot or group of slots that must be populated with modules of like capacity in order to fulfill the data width requirement of the CPU
Bank(2) A segment of memory on a module, sometimes also referred to as a row Modules are either single or dual banked
Bank(3) An internal logic segment in a memory component For example, a 64Mb SDRAM has 4 banks
BEDO Burst EDO is a variant on EDO DRAM in which read or write cycles are batched in bursts of four Burst EDO bus speeds range from 40MHz to 66MHz, as opposed to the 33MHz bus speeds that can be accomplished using fast page mode or EDO DRAM
BGA See Ball Grid Array
Binary Numbering system based on two digits: 0 and 1
BIOS Basic input/output system Often referred to as CMOS, the BIOS provides an interface for a computers hardware and software The BIOS configuration determines how your hardware is accessed
Bit Binary digit The smallest piece of data (a 1 or a 0) that a computer recognizes
Block A physical unit of information in a logical record Block size is usually expressed in bytes
Block Diagram A circuit or system drawing concerned with major functions and interconnections between functions
Buffered Memory A buffer isolates the memory from the controller to minimize the load on the chip set It is typically used when the system has a high density of memory and/or when a system has more than 3 memory module sockets
Burn-in The process of exercising an integrated circuit at elevated voltage and temperature This process accelerates failures normally seen as infant mortality in a chip (Those chips that would fail early during actual usage will fail during burn-in Those that pass have a life expectancy much greater than that required for normal usage)
