RAMs different memory channels | Multi channel RAM Architecture

Today I will be solving the most common and the important doubt of your mind. People only talks about the different channels of RAM that are single channel, dual channel, triple channel, Quad channel RAM without knowing the hardware technology used behind this concept. So stay tuned I will be explaining you the detailed concept of the Multi channel RAM architecture.

Multi channel RAM Architecture is nothing but a technology that boosts up (increases) the data transfer between the RAM and the memory controller by adding more channels of the communication between them. The multi channel RAM architecture is the concept which you will find in mainly in the Dynamic Random Access Memory(DRAM), the Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) does not have any such facility. 

You might be confused by channels, the channel means nothing but slots.

Single Channel RAM means the RAM chip is inserted in the single slot. The same is the case with the Dual channel, triple channel, Quad channel RAM. In Dual channel RAM the RAM chip is inserted in the two slots. In triple channel RAM three channels were used and in Quad channel RAM which is the latest technology have four slots in which the RAM is inserted.

This technology was first introduced in 1960s in IBM System/360 Model 91. The latest Quad Channel memory is used in the Modern high end processors like Intel i7 Extremes and in many Xenon processors. We as normal users do not need such a huge technology.   

  

We usually use the single channel RAM architecture as in the laptops and PCs the built-in RAM is always of Single channel. Single channel means that the Total RAM of your system is installed in the single slot. It enable to work serially and activate the whole RAM at the same time, no parallelism is obtained in the single channel RAM architecture.

In the dual channel memory architecture there must be at least two slots or the channels for the RAM. The slots must be different in the color mainly orange, yellow. In this also you might get confused DDR (Double Data Rate RAM) also if the data rate is doubled then you will find the four slots or channels on the motherboard of a particular chip-set. There is also a concept of DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module) which I will be discussing later.

The Same thing applies to the triple channel RAM and the Quad Channel RAM. In triple channel RAM there are three slots for inserting the RAM and in the Quad channel RAM there are four slots for inserting the RAM.

We have discussed about the architecture of the multi-channel RAM. But the Question arises that What is the advantage of using the multi channel RAM instead of using single channel RAM. The advantage is that the Multi channel RAM is capable of handling many processes at the single time and thus boosting the performance of the system. It is just like paradise for the gamer as the it provides the better gaming graphics.

I hope that the concept of the Multi-channel architecture is cleared. I will soon be bringing the working and the advantages of the multi channel architecture soon. So stay tuned for fast updates subscribe to our website.