Operational RAM Interview Questions & Answers:

1. What is Static RAM?

No refreshing, 6 to 8 MOS transistors are required to form one memory cell, Information stored as voltage level in a flip flop. Dynamic RAM: Refreshed periodically, 3 to 4 transistors are required to form one memory cell, Information is stored as a charge in the gate to substrate capacitance.

2. Explain what is Virtual Memory?

This is a method of extending the available physical memory on a computer. In a virtual memory system, the operating system creates a pagefile, or swapfile, and divides memory into units called pages. Recently referenced pages are located in physical memory, or RAM. If a page of memory is not referenced for a while, it is written to the pagefile. This is called "swapping" or "paging out" memory. If that piece of memory is then later referenced by a program, the operating system reads the memory page back from the pagefile into physical memory, also called "swapping" or "paging in" memory. The total amount of memory that is available to programs is the amount of physical memory in the computer in addition to the size of the pagefile.

3. Can you please explain the difference between RDRAM and SDRAM?

RDRAM stands for Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory. SDRAM stands for Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. The two memories are completely different memory technologies and are not compatible with each other. RDRAM is a unique design developed by a company called Rambus, Inc. RDRAM is extremely fast and uses a narrow, high-bandwidth "channel" to transmit data at speeds much faster than SDRAM.

4. List the benefits of upgrading computers memory?

Upgrading your memory is typically the easiest and least expensive way to upgrade your computer for a significant boost in performance. The computer's RAM memory is its workspace, or where all of the instructions it needs to act on are stored temporarily. Think of the RAM as the desk you use to sort through your work. If the size of that desk is small, your efficiency is limited in comparison to a larger desk that allows you to work more effectively and efficiently. Similarly, a computer with more RAM can work more efficiently because it does not need to retrieve information from the hard disk drive as often. A memory upgrade is particularly helpful for users who work with large files, have more than one program open at one time, or use memory-intensive applications such as games or graphics and video editing software.

5. How to know it's time for a memory upgrade?

There are several signs indicating it may be time to upgrade your memory. If you see your mouse pointer turn into an hourglass for significant periods of time, if you hear your hard drive working, or if your computer seems to work more slowly than you expect, the reason is probably insufficient memory. When physical memory is insufficient, the system uses Hard Disk Space as memory. This is called "Virtual Memory". Since access time of Physical memory is in tens of NanoSeconds and Access time of Hard Disk is in MilliSeconds, the system slows down considerably.

6. Explain on what does microprocessor speed depend?

The processing speed depends on DATA BUS WIDTH.
Factors on which the Processor speed depends:
1) Processor clock speed
2) Processor pipelining
3) Width of the data and address bus, i.e. Max Data that can be fetched at one stretch.
4) Support for floating point operations for faster floating point operations.

7. Explain why 8085 processor is called an 8 bit processor?

Because 8085 processor has 8 bit ALU (Arithmetic Logic Review). Similarly 8086 processor has 16 bit ALU.

8. Can adding more RAM make Internet browsing faster?

Maybe. Internet browsing speed depends on a huge number of factors, including your connection speed, traffic on the site you're visiting, and the other components in your system. You will probably notice the biggest improvement from additional RAM if are viewing or working with large files (such as photos and digital audio and video) or if you switch between your browser and other applications often.

9. Can you please explain the difference between 72 bit and 64 bit memory?

72 bit memory is commonly known as ECC memory. It has an additional 8 bits for Error Correction Check 64 bit memory is non-ECC. 72 bit or 64 bit configuration are typically found in 168 pin DIMMs.

10. Random Access Memory interview questions part 5:

41. What is shadow ram?
42. Explain what is the memory wall problem?
43. Explain the dual channel architecture?
44. Explain the triple channel architecture?
45. What is RAM parity?
46. What is the Unified memory architecture? Explain.
47. What is virtual memory?
48. What is a phase change memory?
49. Explain the refresh operation in a dynamic RAM?
50. Can two different RAM speed modules be used together?