DRAM

In DRAM, why is access time shorter when the same row (page) is accessed repeatedly?

  1. ABecause refresh is no longer needed
  2. BBecause the supply voltage rises
  3. CBecause the data of an activated row is held in the sense amplifiers and can be read by just switching columns
Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. Because the data of an activated row is held in the sense amplifiers and can be read by just switching columns

In DRAM, activating a row reads the data of all cells in that row into the sense amplifiers. Data in the same row can be read just by changing the column address without reactivating the row, so access is faster. Memory controllers use this property to optimize the order of accesses.

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More DRAM questions

  1. Why are high-k materials such as zirconium oxide used for the dielectric film of DRAM capacitors?
  2. Which correctly describes the self-refresh mode of DRAM?
  3. How much is an 8 Gbit DRAM chip in bytes?
  4. What does the CAS latency (CL) of DRAM mean?
  5. What is the main use of the DRAM standard called LPDDR?