What Is the Difference Between the Computer Memory DDR/PC3200 & SDRAM?

Synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) works at pace with the computer's clock frequency, and requires constant power to retain its data. PC-3200 is a type of double data rate (DDR) memory that works the same as SDRAM, except that it makes larger data transfers and more of them in the same amount of time.

Type

• DDR memory transfers data twice per clock cycle, whereas SDRAM transfers data once. According to the PC Guide, it does this by making a transfer on the rising end and the falling end of the clock signal.

Speed

• Every second that it's in operation, PC-3200 makes 400 million data transfers and sends up to of 3200 megabytes of information, according to the website Crucial. The fastest form of SDRAM is PC-133, that is SDRAM that transfers 133 megabytes per second.

Prefetch

• DDR groups together bits of data that the processor is likely to require at the same time. Using a technology known as a prefetch buffer, it transfers not only the bit the processor requests, but also the bit beside it. As a form of DDR memory, PC-3200 has this ability, while SDRAM does not.