DRAM - Dynamic Random-Access Memory

"Dynamic RAM" as the name suggests, is a type of RAM that has to be refreshed dynamically. It is one of the most common type of memory in use today. DRAM is much cheaper than its static counterpart, the "Static RAM".

DRAM needs to be refreshed dynamically all the time, otherwise it forgets its content. This refreshing consumes a lot of time, making its operations much slower than other types of RAMs.

Let's see what makes this memory type holds more information at a cheaper price.

How does DRAM works
A dynamic memory cell is made up of two parts: a transistor and a capacitor. The capacitor holds the information in form of 0's and 1's. The transistor acts as a controlling part that changes the state inside the capacitor or reads information from it.

These transistors and capacitors are such small hardware devices, that millions and millions of them could be integrated on a single chip. This results in reduced hardware cost of this memory device.