sdram

sdram — abbreviation

1. a type of computer memory that operates in time with the processor's internal cl

1.abbreviationB2
Definition

a type of computer memory that operates in time with the processor's internal clock, allowing data to be transferred faster than with older memory types that do not stay in sync with the clock speed.

Example

Eliska upgraded her laptop by replacing the old memory with 32GB of SDRAM.

uncountable usage: '32GB of SDRAM'

The technician installed four SDRAM modules into the server motherboard.

collocation: SDRAM modules

Common collocations
  • SDRAM module
  • SDRAM slot
  • SDRAM speed
  • SDRAM upgrade
  • SDRAM chip
  • amount of SDRAM
  • capacity of SDRAM
Synonyms
  • synchronous DRAM

    the full, expanded form; used in technical specifications rather than casual conversation

  • SDR SDRAM

    single data rate SDRAM; a more precise term used to distinguish standard SDRAM from DDR variants

Usage Note

SDRAM is the predecessor of DDR SDRAM (double data rate SDRAM). While SDRAM executes one data transfer per clock cycle, DDR SDRAM transfers data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock, roughly doubling the data rate. In modern computing, DDR SDRAM (including DDR4 and DDR5) has largely replaced standard SDRAM. The term is typically written in capital letters (SDRAM) and treated as an uncountable noun.

Common Mistakes

My computer needs more SDRAMs.
My computer needs more SDRAM.
SDRAM is uncountable; do not add a plural -s.
This DDR5 module is a type of SDRAM memory.' (redundant)
This DDR5 module is a type of SDRAM.
SDRAM already includes the word 'memory'; avoid saying 'SDRAM memory.'

Word family

  • DRAM
    abbreviationC1
  • DDR SDRAM
    abbreviationC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: abbreviation/1

SDRAM is the abbreviated form of 'synchronous DRAM' — both refer to the same technology, but the full form appears mainly in technical documentation and academic writing, while SDRAM is the everyday term used by engineers, retailers, and computer users. 'SDR SDRAM' (single data rate SDRAM) is a more precise term that became common after DDR SDRAM entered the market, when people needed a way to refer to the original standard SDRAM without ambiguity. 'DDR SDRAM' refers to a newer generation that doubles the data transfer rate. For example, a PC repair guide might say 'install DDR SDRAM in the blue slots' and 'SDRAM in the white slots' to distinguish the two types on a motherboard that supports both.

SDRAM ↗synchronous DRAMSDR SDRAMDDR SDRAM

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • amount of SDRAM
  • type of SDRAM

Prepositions

  • of SDRAM

Etymology

English

SDRAM is an acronym coined in the early 1990s from the initial letters of 'Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory'. The term emerged alongside the development of memory that could synchronise with the processor's bus clock, a major improvement over earlier asynchronous DRAM standards such as FPM and EDO RAM.