Computer Hardware Terms, Glossary and Dictionary

Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), an improved type of DRAM, can run at much higher clock speeds than conventional DRAM. Whilst DRAM has an asynchronous interface, meaning that it reacts immediately to changes in its control inputs, SDRAM has a synchronous interface, meaning that it waits for a clock pulse before responding to its control inputs. The clock is used to drive an internal finite state machine that can pipeline incoming commands. This allows the chip to have a more complex pattern of operation than plain DRAM.

Related Terms

SDRAM: Synchronous DRAM