Yes, DRAM is volatile memory.
Based on the provided reference, DRAM is volatile memory because it loses its data quickly when power is removed. This characteristic is the primary difference between volatile and non-volatile memory types.
What Does Volatile Mean for DRAM?
Volatility in memory means that the data stored within it is temporary and requires a continuous power supply to be maintained. Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) stores data in capacitors, which discharge over time. To prevent data loss, these capacitors must be constantly refreshed with an electrical charge. When the power to the DRAM chip is turned off, the refreshing process stops, the charges dissipate, and the data is lost.
Volatile vs. Non-Volatile Memory
It's helpful to compare volatile memory like DRAM with non-volatile memory:
- Volatile Memory:
- Requires power to retain data.
- Data is lost when power is removed.
- Examples: DRAM (used as computer RAM), SRAM.
- Non-Volatile Memory:
- Retains data even when power is off.
- Used for long-term storage.
- Examples: Flash memory (used in SSDs, USB drives), Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), ROM.
As highlighted, DRAM is volatile memory unlike types such as flash memory, which is non-volatile.
Practical Impact of DRAM's Volatility
The volatility of DRAM is why anything stored only in your computer's RAM (like unsaved documents or application states) is lost when you shut down or restart your computer. Operating systems and applications are loaded from non-volatile storage (like an SSD or HDD) into the faster DRAM for processing, but the active data must be saved back to non-volatile storage before power is removed if you wish to keep it.
