![]() Dynamic RAM has to be dynamically refreshed all of the time or it forgets what it is holding. This refresh operation is where dynamic RAM gets its name. It needs to be refreshed periodically or it will discharge to 0. The capacitor in a dynamic RAM memory cell is like a leaky bucket. This refresh operation happens automatically thousands of times per second. To do this, the memory controller reads the memory and then writes it right back. Therefore, for dynamic memory to work, either the CPU or the memory controller has to come along and recharge all of the capacitors holding a 1 before they discharge. In a matter of a few milliseconds a full bucket becomes empty. The problem with the capacitor's bucket is that it has a leak. To store a 1 in the memory cell, the bucket is filled with electrons. The transistor acts as a switch that lets the control circuitry on the memory chip read the capacitor or change its state.Ī capacitor is like a small bucket that can store electrons. The capacitor holds the bit of information - a 0 or a 1 (see How Bits and Bytes Work for information on bits). ![]() In the most common form of computer memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a transistor and a capacitor are paired to create a memory cell, which represents a single bit of data. Similar to a microprocessor, a memory chip is an integrated circuit (IC) made of millions of transistors and capacitors. RAM is basically your computer's short-term memory.
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