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Static random-access memory
Type of computer memory / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM).
Static random-access memory (static RAM or SRAM) is a type of random-access memory (RAM) that uses latching circuitry (flip-flop) to store each bit. SRAM is volatile memory; data is lost when power is removed.
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The term static differentiates SRAM from DRAM (dynamic random-access memory):
- SRAM will hold its data permanently in the presence of power, while data in DRAM decays in seconds and thus must be periodically refreshed.
- SRAM is faster than DRAM but it is more expensive in terms of silicon area and cost.
- SRAM is typically used for the cache and internal registers of a CPU while DRAM is used for a computer's main memory.