Hardware The Secrets of PC Memory: Part 4

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/02/10/the_secrets_of_pc_memory_part_4/1

Carrying on from DDR1 and DDR2 in Part 3, Ryan investigates what makes DDR3 so special, by looking in-depth at its unique features like the Fly-By topology, Read/Write levelling, Dynamic On-Die Termination & ZQ Driver Calibration.

 

Nice article but could you please not call voltage power. Power = current * voltage. So while the voltage may be lower the current they draw is just as important.

 

i agree

 

hey, where did that timeline table on page one go? i was going to look at it more closely later.

edit: hum..... it's still not displaying for me

 

Uh, it's still there!?

Also, if the voltage drops and the current stays the same, surely the power will drop? If you (ever) find anything technically inaccurate - feel free to email/PM me

 

You mean this?



That was in Part-3

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/02/08/the_secrets_of_pc_memory_part_3/1

 

the voltage drop reduces power consumption because all transistors and mosfets have an input capacitance and therfore as they are made up of such devices all IC's have input capacitance. If smaller signaling voltages are used this input capacitance has to store and discharge less total energy per voltage transision. This is also why reducing the switching activity (reducing frequancy) reduces power consumption. this is more pronounced when IC's are constrcted using CMOS tech wherby the non switching power consumption is negligable per gate (unless built on a very small proccess wherby quantum tunneling causes problems) (which is why intell gets all excited over new insulators).

basicly lower signaling voltages = lower power consumption almost all the time.

 

Very well written, Good job!

 

I learned a lot about ddr3 i didn't know from this article. I enjoyed it very much, good job.

 

Yeah, this finally explained to me why DDR3 is actually worth using. The simple fact that it can move a whole byte for each clock cycle is pretty awesome.